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Open Educational Resources (OER): Faculty Select

This guide includes information and resources for finding, evaluating, using, and creating OER.

Faculty Select

Faculty Select is a new resource in the Library's collection specifically designed to help faculty locate OER (Open Educational Resources), OA (Open Access) eBooks, or to request an unlimited user eBook title for purchase to be added to the Library's eBook Collection. 

To learn more about OERs, please visit our OER Guide. 

How to use Faculty Select

Below is a brief guide on how to navigate Faculty Select. If you encounter any issues, please reach out to the library staff. 

Step 1: 

After clicking on the Faculty Select link above you will arrive at the databases landing page. Choose the option that is best for your needs. You may also wish to bookmark the page for quicker access in the future. 

Faculty Select Welcome Page

Step 2: 

The Faculty Select search page is similar to our other EBSCO databases and operates initially in the same way. 

Faculty Select Search Screen

  1. Choose your desired search method from the drop down menu. Keyword, title and author are available as options. 
  2. Enter your search terms. Pre-populated search terms will appear if similar or exact terms are indexed in the database. 
  3. Click the search button. 

Enter Search Terms

Step 3: 

The search results page contains similar limiters and features to our Gateway Search and other EBSCO databases. 

  1. Displays the number of results returned. 
  2. Allows you to limit by resource type. OER, OA, and eBooks available to request for purchase. 
  3. Use the date limiter to narrow your results to recent titles. 

Search Results Page

Step 4: 

  1. Apply resource type limiters and narrow your results by eBook type. 
  2. Clicking on a title will provide you with a description of the title in a manner similar to our other EBSCO databases. Use the Preview or Adopt Link on the results page or in the detailed record page to preview or request a course friendly link. 

On the search result page (see image below) the Preview or adopt link is located below each result. 

Choose OER, OA, or Purchase Option, Request a Link through Request a Course Friendly Link

On the detailed record page (see image below) the request link is located on the left side of the page near the top. 

Preview or adopt link on the Details page

Step 5: 

  1. The preview or adopt page will offer you the option to preview the title or to request a course friendly link to use the eBook in your course. Option 1 will open the publisher's webpage (external website) for that ebook in a new window.
  2. Option 2 will open the link request form in a new window. 

Preview or Request a Course Friendly Link

Step 6: 

The request for is required in order to receive a course friendly link that you can post in your Canvas course. You will need to enter in the appropriate information for the top section. The bottom section pre-populates the information and you do not need to enter any additional information into this section. 

Request a Link Form

Step 7: 

Once you submit the request form, the library will be notified and you will receive a confirmation email. If the title you are requesting is an OER or OA eBook, you will receive a proxied link (see image below) that can be placed in your course. If the request was for a title to be purchased and added to the library's collection, a member of the library staff will follow-up with you regarding the request. 

Email receipt with course friendly link