Most library materials do not have open licenses, but because they are free to students they can technically be used in a class that is designated as a zero textbook cost class. Keep in mind that these aren't truly zero cost; rather, the cost is being shifted from the students to the college, and ultimately to California taxpayers. Since the goal of the ZTC Initiative is to convert to resources that are truly no cost (including to taxpayers), the work of converting to a copyrighted library resource does not quality for Foothill's OER Conversion Stipend program.

If/when you do use library resources, like all other copyrighted and restricted materials, you must be careful how you use them to make sure you do not violate their terms of use.

Recommended Practices for Using Library Materials:

photo of the Hubert H. Semans library on Foothill campus

Consult a librarian. Ask them about the specific resources you might want to use in your class.
Be aware that many online materials, such as e-books and journal articles, are not owned by the library. This means that resources may change from quarter to quarter as our campus' library subscriptions change.
Know that e-books may not be accessible by more than one student at a time depending on the license of the individual e-book. Some e-books may not transfer to a different type of device, i.e. e-books for iPads won’t work on Kindles.
For use of the library materials in your course, such as an article from a database, properly link to the resource using a permalink instead of making digital copies. If you do not know how to make a permalink to a library resource, consult one of our friendly Foothill librarians. 😊

Librarians can help you find OER

You have the option to consult a librarian who can search for OER for you. Librarians can also recommend zero cost options such as e-books, databases, specialized collections, and more. However, keep in mind that certified librarians have the following skills:

Expert searchers
May be able to suggest repositories and collections that you can search on your own
Can teach skills and tools to conduct successful searches
Help with the initial evaluation of resources

Attribution:

Introduction to OER by Rachel Arteaga and Suzanne Wakim. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License