University Library has a large collection of e-books that you can use for your courses. To find e-books, you'll need to use two filters as you conduct your searches in OneSearch:
1. Under "Show Only," choose "Available Online at CSUN"
2. Under "Resource Type," choose "Books"
Don't forget, if you need to do multiple searches, you can "lock" these two filters so that you don't have to keep reapplying them each time you search for a new term. To "lock" a filter, hover over the filter with your mouse and click on the lock symbol that appears on the left side. Once a filter is highlighted in yellow, that means it has been locked.
Once you find a promising e-book, check under "Online Access" to make sure it has "Unlimited user access."
Not seeing anything in OneSearch that fits the bill? Or did you find an e-book you want to use, only to discover that its license restricts user access? Don't despair! Simply get in touch with a librarian – we may be able to find you a suitable alternative, or even purchase an e-book with appropriate usage rights for your course.
University Library subscribes to a large number of both general and discipline-specific databases. All CSUN students and faculty have access to articles in these databases through their library account, so this is a great way to find affordable course materials. Be sure to check out which databases are specifically recommended for your subject. Browse subject databases.
Librarians have also compiled Research Guides on each subject. These guides will help you navigate some of the most helpful databases for your discipline, as well as other resources and research tips. Browse Research Guides.
When in doubt, feel free to reach out to your subject specialist or to the AL$ Team.
Fantastic! Don't forget to provide your students with the article's "permalink" to ensure the link still works when they try to access the article later. Learn more about using permalinks here.
If your course requires that students purchase textbooks, especially expensive ones, it's always a good idea to make sure a copy of those textbooks is on reserve at the library. This ensures that all students have a way to access required course materials regardless of their financial situation. Visit this page to learn how to put course materials on reserve at University Library.
Did you know that University Library offers a number of instructional modules that you can import directly into your Canvas course? With topics ranging from information literacy to research tips to citation help, you can provide your students with resources to improve their coursework with no additional work on your part. Learn more about embedding library instructional modules.
Many thanks to the creators of the following resources that inspired this OER guide:
SJSU: Open Educational Resources by College
Humboldt State University: Open Educational Resources (OER)
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