Open Educational Resources (OER) and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)

About the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Program

California legislature appropriated $115 million to the California Community Colleges in the 2021 Budget Act in one-time funding for the Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree Grant (ZTC) program. The program intends to “reduce the overall cost of education for students and decrease the time it takes students to complete degree programs offered by community colleges.” Specifically, the funding is being used to develop and implement zero cost or low-cost degrees or CTC certificates. 

Legislation: Education Code Section 78050-78052 – Zero-Textbook-Cost Degree Grant Program

The program is administered through the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and marks the single largest state investment in open educational resources to date.

"Zero Textbook Cost Program," California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO).
"California’s Zero Textbook Cost Degree Program," SPARC, CC BY 4.0

What are Open Educational Resources (OERs)?

This video provides a short introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER), ways to use them in courses, and how libraries can provide support.

Source: Open Educational Resources by Myroslava Zhuk, University of Groningen.

OER Mythbusting

Myth #1: Open simply means free.

Fact: Open means the permission to freely download, edit, and share materials to better serve all students.

Myth #2: All OER are digital.

Fact: OER take many formats, including print, digital, audio, and more.

Myth #3: “You get what you pay for.”

Fact: OER can be produced to the same quality standards as traditional textbooks.

Myth #4: Copyright for OER is complicated.

Fact: Open licensing makes pre-existing OER* easy to freely and legally use.

Myth #5: OER are not sustainable.

Fact: Models are evolving to support the sustainability and continuous improvement of OER.

Myth #6: Open textbooks lack ancillaries.

Fact: Open textbooks often come with ancillaries, and when they do not, other open supplemental materials are probably available.

Myth #7: My institution is not ready for OER.

Fact: Any institution can start with small steps toward OER that make an impact for students.

Finding OERs in a Repository

Top OER Repositories

Other OER Sources

Search Multiple Repositories at Once

"Searching OER Repositories and Collections," OER Basics (Canvas Course), ASCCC OERI, CC BY 4.0.

Finding OERs in the Library Catalog

Some OERs are available in the library catalog. You may also find titles available as unlimited access eBooks.

Search for your subject. When the results appear, find Sort by on the left sidebar.

Under Availability on the left sidebar, check the Open Access box (pictured on the right).

Best Practices for Using Library Materials

1. If you use copyright-protected works such as contemporary novels, it may be accessible through the library. Check the catalog to see if it is available as an eBook with unlimited access. If it is not, check with a librarian to see if we can order it.
2. Be aware that many online materials, such as eBooks and journal articles, are not owned by the library. This means that resources may change from semester to semester as subscriptions change. 
3. Know that eBooks may not be accessible by more than one student at a time depending on the license of the individual eBook. If the entry doesn't specify how many users are allowed for that eBook, check with a librarian.
4. When using library materials in your course, such as an article from a database, properly link to the resource using the catalog permalink instead of making digital copies.

"Using Library Materials," OER Basics (Canvas Course), ASCCC OERI, CC BY 4.0.