If you are using a non-textbook for your class, such as a classic piece of literature or a popular work of fiction or nonfiction, we may have it in our eBook collection. Quite often, these books are available to multiple users at the same time.
We can also help you find articles, ebooks, and other resources in our library database that you can link to in your Canvas course pages.
If something you'd like is not in our collection, we may be able to purchase an eBook copy so multiple students can access and use it at no cost in our library databases. Fill out our materials request form and let us know what class it's for in the notes, and we can see if it's available to purchase.
ZTC means "Zero Textbook Cost." It is a means of creating student equity, and it refers to a course that uses textbooks that are available at no cost to students. It can include:
OER means "Open Educational Resource" and refers to textbooks, books, course shells in Canvas Commons, and other open-access materials (see also creative commons). It is one of the easiest methods to achieve a Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC), but it's not the only method.
A Florida Virtual Campus report underscores these possible benefits by reporting via survey data the negative impacts of on students when the use of commercially published textbooks is the only choice available to students.
According to the report:
Once you've found a resource you'd like to use, you'll want to evaluate it to be sure it meets the criteria in terms of accessibility, cost, copyright, and cultural relevance. The checklist below provides some guidance on what to look for: