The perfect Open Educational Resource may not exist for every course. Open licensing is an important advantage offered by OER, but there are licensed resources that - if used in compliance with their licenses - also offer the zero-cost advantage that is important to students.
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SPARC defines open access (OA) as "the free, immediate, online availability of research articles combined with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment." It removes barriers that have restricted access to research to those who could afford to pay for it, and increases the potential for collaborative research. Some, but not all, OA resources have Creative Commons licenses that let you know how you can use the information. If no CC license has been applied, assume the information is protected by copyright and use the information accordingly. |
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The Learning Commons Library provides access to a range of digital academic content, including books, articles, and streaming media, through subscriptions and perpetual access purchases. Vendor agreements specify permissions for use of these resources, including printing and copying, interlibrary loan, and course reserves. Resources can be linked and in some cases embedded in the learning management system. If there is a learning resource that is not available in the library collections, we are willing to work with you to locate and acquire it on your behalf. |
| Textbook reserve collections are maintained by Learning Commons Library and Tutoring and by TRIO Student Support Services. If you have an extra copy of your course textbook to share, please consider donating it to one of these departments for use by students who cannot afford to purchase it. If you would like the library to consider purchasing a copy to add to its textbook reserves collection, please contact them. |
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United States Copyright Law (Title 17 USC) provides several exceptions for use of copyrighted material in educational contexts. Each exception is predicated upon legal ownership of the material that is being copied and shared. Section 107 or Fair Use allows copying and sharing based on the purpose, nature and amount used and its effect on the market. Section 110 (1) and Section 110 (2) provide exceptions for use of copyrighted material in the context of classroom and online teaching, respectively. |
