Milner Library announces open textbook initiative
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As we celebrate International Open Access Week, Milner Library is pleased to announce the Open Textbook Initiative, a competitive funding opportunity for Illinois State University faculty to replace costly textbooks with open educational resources (OER). Applications will open February 1, 2027, for work to be completed summer 2027.
OER are openly licensed and freely available educational materials, including open textbooks. OER adoption reduces cost barriers for students and has been shown to improve student outcomes, leading to lower course withdrawal rates, higher grades, and increased class participation. The American Association of Colleges and Universities has recognized it as a high-impact practice.
In 2019, the Textbook Affordability Committee surveyed students about textbooks and course materials, with 73% reporting that they had not acquired a textbook due to cost. In response, Milner Library began its e-textbook program in 2021, which has saved students over $10 million by licensing electronic versions of textbooks, reducing the need for students to purchase an individual copy. Not all textbooks can be licensed by libraries, however, especially those for introductory courses. Supporting OER adoption expands these efforts to reduce costs for students, fostering their academic success.
The Open Textbook Initiative provides funding for faculty to update a course to use OER, removing all course materials costs for students. There are two levels of funding: faculty may apply for a $750 Adoption Award to implement an existing OER into their course, or an Adaptation Award, which provides $1,500 to faculty to author significant new contributions to adapt an OER for their course. Details about the program, application requirements, the timeline, and deliverables may be found on the OER library guide. An information session will be held in early spring 2027.
This program is co-led by Collection Assessment Librarian Julie Murphy and Scholarly Communication Librarian Lindsey Skaggs with funding from the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) Member OER Initiative. Please email ISUReD@IllinoisState.edu with questions.