Open textbooks are openly licensed textbooks that can be read online for free. At UT, two high-enrollment courses assign open textbooks: Geography 101 and Physics 221/222. These instructors don’t see a significant difference among the many textbooks available at this course-level. They consider the open textbooks to be comparable — and, in some ways — preferable to traditional textbooks.

Students in these courses agree. The Student Government Association created legislation this year to establish the SGA Open Education Awards so students could recognize faculty and instructors creating or using open educational resources. The nominations demonstrate student appreciation for instructors who increase access to course materials, lessen financial burdens on students and their families, and mitigate the overall cost of receiving an education.

Join the UT Libraries in welcoming presenters from the Open Textbook Network at the following events on Wednesday, April 19, and learn more about open textbooks:

• Breakfast Meet-and-Greet with Open Textbook Workshop Presenters, 8:00-8:45 a.m., Hodges Library in the Mary Greer Room (258). Open to all.

• Presentation on Open Textbooks, 9:00-10:30 a.m., Hodges Library in the Lindsay Young Auditorium. Learn more about open textbooks at this session geared to those providing academic support and student services (those not teaching courses or assigning textbooks). There will be time for discussions and questions.

• Workshop on Open Textbooks (prior registration required; registration now closed), 2:30-4:30 in Hodges Library. Workshop participants are faculty and instructors who select textbooks for their courses. They will learn from David Ernst (University of Minnesota and Executive Director of the Open Textbook Network) and Merinda McLure (Colorado State University).