Using a library ebook as a course text? Contact the Electronic Resources Librarian if you plan to use an ebook from the library as a course text. Many of our ebooks are purchased with a single user license, meaning that only one patron can have the ebook open at a time. In some cases should a patron download a pdf of the book, it will lock the access to that title for 21 days. The library has disabled the download functionality for those titles. If we are notified that a single or three person licensed book is to be used as a course text, we can often purchase a license upgrade to unlimited simultaneous users.
You can test whether a title at least a 2 or three person license by copying a permalink to a chapter and trying to access that link in one or two different browsers while keeping the first browser open. Each browser will register as a different session. For user limited titles you will get a message that is some variation of "Sorry, this ebook is in use." If you want to have your class use a user limited ebook, contact the Electronic Resources Librarian and they will work to get the user license expanded to meet faculty course needs.
Link to Library ebooks in the LMS (do not download an ebook PDF from a library database and upload it to the LMS). You will want to use a permalink (a permanent link). Some databases create dynamic, session dependent links that won't work in a different browser (as it would be a new session) and won't work after a few hours. Ebscohost databases are an example of a vendor who uses session links. You can test if a link you want to use is a permalink by copying the link and opening it up in a new browser. Session dependent links will prompt you to log in if you are off campus, but will either take you to a choose a database screen, or to an error message and not to the resource.
Here are some examples of icons in database records that will lead you to a permalink:
EbscoHost databases ProQuest Databases (right click and copy link location) Gale Databases
If you can't find how to create a permalink in a specific database, please contact the Electronic Resources Librarian. They can help you make sure all your links will work for your students from the LMS.
Upload OER textbooks and ebooks to the LMS. In most cases faculty are free to edit and adapt OER texts as well as make them available for download.
Explore the functionality of different ebook platforms. Like the variation in permalink icons in databases, every ebook vendor has a different way of displaying ebooks to patrons. Some ebook vendors will let you have a permalink to a specific page in a book, some will let you link to a specific chapter, and some will only let you link to the whole book or table of contents. Some platforms let you highlight and annotate sections or pages in a book and share those annotations.
Limitations to the playlist - you can only have 1 entry in a playlist for a chapter. If you want to direct students to look at two sections in a chapter, you can only point students to the first section, and direct students to scroll to the second. In this case highlighting the start of the second section would be helpful. You can have entries for several chapters in the same title in a playlist however.
Mason OER Metafinder - search 18 OER respositories
Find over 52 courses with recommended OER textbooks and CA higher ed faculty reviews from the UC, CSU, and CCC.
Search for over 5,600 OER textbooks and over 80,000 open course materials.
Repository of OER textbooks for STEM, Social Sciences, and the Humanities.
Peer-reviewed OER textbooks that are also available in affordable print format across multiple disciplines.
OER Commons is a public digital library of open educational resources.
Repository of faculty reviewed OER textbooks from multiple disciplines.
Faculty-curated list of OER textbooks.
Collection of 270+ peer reviewed OER textbooks in multiple disciplines.
Do not download a copy of an article from a database and upload it into the LMS. This violates our license agreements with database vendors.
Link to journal articles from library databases using a permalink. Don't download a PDF from a library database and upload it to the LMS). Some databases create dynamic, session dependent links that won't work in a different browser (as it would be a new session) and won't work after a few hours. Ebscohost databases are an example of a vendor who uses session links. You can test if a link you want to use is a permalink by copying the link and opening it up in a new browser. Session dependent links will prompt you to log in if you are off campus, but will either take you to a choose a database screen, or to an error message and not to the resource. Examples of icons in database records that will lead you to a permalink:
EbscoHost databases ProQuest Databases (right click and copy link location) Gale Databases
If you can't find how to create a permalink in a specific database, please contact the Electronic Resources Librarian. They can help you make sure all your links will work for your students from the LMS.
Search the Library catalog, plus about half our databases to find books, journals and more. EbscoHost databases are not included in the OneSearch index, and will have to be searched separately.
Apps and Brower Extensions
Open Access Databases
Evidence-based information resource designed specifically for nurses. Includes videos, images and new topics on nursing management and leadership.
Ebsco platform read-aloud feature and screen reader instructions
Contemporary performance films by artists in dance, theater, music and other forms that defy categorization.
High resolution digital images and descriptive information primarily covering art, architecture, photography, and archaeology. Instructional videos available on the Artstor Youtube channel.
Most open image archives have images that are governed by Creative Commons copyright licenses. Please take note of any use restrictions and abide by attribution requirements.
Google Image Search is a very useful resource for finding images. For OER images, you need to click on tools, then Usage Rights. A drop down menu will appear where you can select the license type you need.
