How do I adopt an open textbook and include it in the SPU Bookstore listing for my course?
- Start by searching the Open Textbook Sources listed in this Guide.
- Review and evaluate the textbooks based on the content and whether it suits your teaching style and your students. You can also consult the Faculty Evaluation Guide below or this Faculty Checklist for Evaluating Course Materials.
- Decide if you want to use the textbook as-is or if you want to modify the contents. One of the benefits of open textbooks is flexibility to customize them for specific course designs as much or as little as you desire. If you want to make edits or append content, make sure the licensing allows that. Different open textbooks will have different options for editing and publishing revised copies.
- Distribute to your students by linking to the textbook or uploading into Canvas. You can select the best format to distribute to your class such as online or downloadable PDF.
- Notify the SPU bookstore of your open textbook adoption through the faculty portal (if ISBN available) or by email to the bookstore manager. The bookstore can often have one or two low-cost print copies on hand for students who prefer a printed textbook.
As seen below, an open textbook listed in the SPU Bookstore textbook search results has a designation of “Wait for class” and a book note of “This material is considered Open Educational Resources (OER) and may be available digitally for free. Please contact your instructor for more details."
