What are Open Textbooks?
Open textbooks are part of the larger OER movement, and are textbooks with open copyright licenses that allow anyone to freely access, download, and share their content. Many open textbooks also allow for remixing and customization. Often, they are developed through traditional peer review, while others are vetted by experts. Finally, an open textbook can be made available in a print format, often at a nominal cost.
Textbooks are increasingly expensive, and students are increasingly resistant to buying them. Every semester we see more students in the library seeking to borrow their textbooks (which we usually don't have, but if we do, it will often be the case that someone else has already borrowed it). When an instructor decides to use an open textbook and other freely available resources, it can alleviate student anxiety and reduce barriers to higher education.
To promote the use of OER on their campuses, more college and university libraries are starting "Alternate Textbook Projects." These projects encourage faculty to replace their commercial textbooks with alternate resources such as OER and licensed library content available to all members of the institution.
You can start by checking out BCcampus Open Textbooks, eCampus Ontario Open Library, and the Open Textbook Library. Browse subject areas to find free, openly-licensed textbooks that have been reviewed by faculty from a variety of colleges and universities.