Not all textbooks are available as an etextbook because publishers can maximize profits by selling print books to individual students. Many publishers have opened up access to electronic book collections to help educational institutions through the COVID crisis. If your textbook exist in electronic format - use steps 1-3 to find it and possibly access the content.
- RedShelf and VitalSource are major etextbook providers that temporarily made their collections free and open for a few months at the beinning of the COVID crisis. These eTextbook platforms may be an option for students to buy or rent their online textbook. Users must create an account using their Centennial email address. (Please note: these are not library products but end user commercial accounts.)
- Check the publisher website. This is the fastest way of determining if your textbook is available in an online format.
- Check Centennial Libraries. You may find an older edition of your textbook or a similar textbook that could work for your course. Take some time to explore the articles and streaming videos on your topic and consider if a mix of different readings/videos could replace your textbook? .
If none of the options above have worked search for Library materials and Open Educational Resources (OER) to replace your textbook content. This often involves finding readings from several sources and linking them in your eCentennial course.
- Search Open Educational Resource (OER) repositories for open textbooks, lesson plans, and exercises that you may want to use in your course. The authors of OERs have given permission to use their work for free - and in many cases you can adapt the work.
- Search Library resources for full-text online articles, books, and videos. Use the guide for stable links to create links to add in your eCentennial course. Take advantage of the eReserves service through the library to manage your links.
