Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.

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Light and Matter
Benjamin Crowell · Benjamin Crowell · 2010
This is an introductory text intended for a one-year introductory course of the type typically taken by biology majors, or for AP Physics B. Algebra and trig are used, and there are optional calculus-based sections.

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The Basics of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry
David Ball; John Hill; Rhonda Scott · Saylor Foundation · 2011
The Basics of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry by David W. Ball, John W. Hill, and Rhonda J. Scott is for the one-semester General, Organic and Biological Chemistry course. The authors designed this textbook from the ground up to meet the needs of a one-semester course. It is 20 chapters in length and approximately 350-400 pages; just the right breadth and depth for instructors to teach and students to grasp. In addition, The Basics of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry is written not by one chemist, but THREE chemistry professors with specific, complimentary research and teaching areas. David W. Ball's specialty is physical chemistry, John W. Hill's is organic chemistry, and finally, Rhonda J. Scott's background is in enzyme and peptide chemistry. These three authors have the expertise to identify and present only the most important material for students to learn in the GOB Chemistry course. These experienced authors have ensured their text has ample in-text examples, and ”Test Yourself“ questions following the examples so students can immediately check their comprehension. The end-of-chapter exercises will be paired, with one answered in the back of the text so homework can easily be assigned and self-checked. The Basics of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry by David W. Ball, John W. Hill, and Rhonda J. Scott is the right text for you and your students if you are looking for a GOB textbook with just the right amount of coverage without overdoing the concepts and overwhelming your students.

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Introductory Chemistry
David Ball · Saylor Foundation · 2011
David W. Ball of Cleveland State University brings his new survey of general chemistry text, Introductory Chemistry, to the market with a fresh theme that will be sure to hold student interest: "Chemistry is Everywhere." Introductory Chemistry is intended for a one-semester introductory or preparatory chemistry course. Throughout the chapters, David presents two features that reinforce the theme of the textbook, that chemistry is everywhere. The first is the boxed feature titled, appropriately, ”Chemistry is Everywhere“. This feature takes a topic of the chapter and demonstrates how this topic shows up in everyday life. In the introductory chapter, ”Chemistry is Everywhere“ focuses on the personal hygiene products that students may use every morning: toothpaste, soap, shampoo among others. These products are chemicals, aren't they? This book explores some of the chemical reactions like the ones that give students clean and healthy teeth, and shiny hair. This feature makes it clear to students that chemistry is, indeed, everywhere, and it will promote student retention in what is sometimes considered an intimidating course. The second boxed feature focuses on chemistry that students likely indulge in every day: eating and drinking. In the ”Food and Drink App“, David discusses how the chemistry of the chapter applies to things that students eat and drink every day. Carbonated beverages depend on the behavior of gases, foods contain acids and bases, and everyone actually eats certain rocks. (Yikes!) Cooking, eating, drinking, metabolism — all chemical processes students are involved with all the time. These features allow students to see the things we interact with every day in a new light — as chemistry. Just like many of the one-semester chemistry books you may be used to, each section in David Ball's starts with one or more Learning Objectives, which list the main points of the section. Each section ends with Key Takeaways, which are reviews of the main points of th

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Introductory Animal Physiology
Sanja Hinic-Frlog · eCampusOntario · 2019
This book is an introduction to the diversity of structure and function in animals at the tissue and organ system level. The focus of this book is on principles and mechanisms that sustain life and maintain homeostasis, including water balance, gas exchange, acquisition and transport of oxygen and nutrients, temperature regulation, electrical and chemical signal transmission, sensory processing, and locomotion.

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Food Preparation Lab Manual for FSHN 1150
Erica Beirman; Kate Gilbert; ISU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2025
This lab book is intended for use in both the lab and kitchen. Each section of the book contains learning objectives, lab problems to be solved, recipes, questions, and observation charts for the input of data. This book is aligned with the introductory Food Preparation Laboratory course at Iowa State University.

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Basic Scientific Food Preparation Lab Manual
Iowa State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2023
This lab book is intended for use in both the lab and kitchen. Each section of the book contains learning objectives, lab problems to be solved, recipes, questions, and observation charts for the input of data.

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A Guide to the Principles of Animal Nutrition
Gita Cherian · Oregon State University · 2020
Based on over 20 years of teaching experience in animal nutrition, this study guide will enhance learning basic food animal nutritional principles.In this introductory text, six fundamental nutrients, their structure, digestion, and metabolism are covered. A brief introduction to bioenergetics, feed additives, nutrient analysis, digestive organs and processes in monogastric and ruminant animals, and methods for assessing nutrient utilization are also included.Each chapter is illustrated with a new terms box, key points, and review questions.This study guide is an essential learning tool for undergraduate students majoring in animal sciences, veterinary medicine, or other related disciplines.

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Foundations of Radiation Safety & Radiobiology: For Undergraduate Students in the Radiation Sciences
Jared Stiles; Hannah Fink-Flesburg · University of Iowa · 2026
This open textbook covers the foundations of radiation safety and radiobiology in medical imaging and radiation therapy. It is meant for undergraduate students in the radiation sciences.

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Introduction to Animal Science
Deanne Pawlisch · Aurora University · 2026
This text is designed for a one-semester Introduction to Animal Science course for undergraduate students. For many students, this course sparks interest in a career with animals, while for others, it is a required course. Therefore, this text is intended to be a "buffet" of animal science topics, allowing students to sample a little bit of everything to develop an understanding of the importance of animals in their lives and in the world around them.

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The Science of Nutrition
Heather Lehman · The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT) · 2026
The Science of Nutrition offers a clear and engaging introduction to the fundamental principles of nutrition. This textbook bridges evidence-based research with practical application, making it ideal for both nutrition or science majors and non-majors. Students will explore how nutrition is studied, how dietary recommendations are developed, and why these guidelines matter for health.

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The Art and Science of Personal Wellness
A.J. Stephen · Fanshawe College Pressboks · 2025
This educational resource is the official course textbook for Personal Wellness – INDS 1081 at Fanshawe College. Designed for today’s learners, it explores the eight core dimensions of wellness—physical, emotional, social, financial, spiritual, occupational, intellectual, and environmental—through a practical, evidence-informed lens.

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Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Immunology for Pre-Clinical Students
Jennifer Cleveland; Andrew Binks; Renée LeClair · Virginia Tech Publishing · 2025
Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Immunology for Pre-Clinical Students is a peer-reviewed open textbook designed to fill a gap in undergraduate medical education (UME) and support medical school pre-clerkship education. It covers the areas of immunology, microbiology, systems-based infections, and global mechanisms of treatment. It is aligned to USMLE(r) (United States Medical Licensing Examination) and modified from OpenStax Microbiology. The organization of this resource is driven by curricular structure to enhance integrated, multidisciplinary content delivery. This specific resource is intended to be used in various ways, mainly as a student quick-reference guide. The sections are not intended to be all-inclusive, but are primers for applied content delivery. The resource is organized into small chapters that can be used to support student preparation in any arrangement. Similarly, clinical context is only briefly discussed (or purposefully omitted) in order to allow the user to apply the basic content presented here in the clinical context used by their specific curricular structure. As cases and clinical correlates change regularly, it is beneficial to have flexible, short resources that can be applied to many scenarios.

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Fundamentals of Human Anatomy Laboratory Manual
Carly Manz · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2024
This laboratory manual is meant to be used in a lab course that accompanies a college-level introductory human anatomy course. It covers the language of anatomy, cells and tissues, and the organ systems that comprise the human body. Multiple open textbooks were adapted to create this lab manual. Attribution for these sources are provided at the end of each chapter.

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Radiobiology Textbook
Sarah Baatout · Springer · 2023
This open access textbook focuses on the various aspects of radiobiology. The goal of radiobiological research is to better understand the effects of radiation exposure at the cellular and molecular levels in order to determine the impact on health. This book offers a unique perspective, by covering not only radiation biology but also radiation physics, radiation oncology, radiotherapy, radiochemistry, radiopharmacy, nuclear medicine, space radiation biology & physics, environmental and human radiation protection, nuclear emergency planning, molecular biology and bioinformatics, as well as the ethical, legal and social considerations related to radiobiology. This range of disciplines contributes to making radiobiology a broad and rather complex topic. This textbook is intended to provide a solid foundation to those interested in the basics and practice of radiobiological science. It is a learning resource, meeting the needs of students, scientists and medical staff with an interest in this rapidly evolving discipline, as well as a teaching tool, with accompanying teaching material to help educators.

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Ultrasound Physics and its Application in Medicine
Arbin Thapaliya; Alec Sithole; Michael Welsh; Gaston Dana · PALNI · 2024
Ultrasound has a wide range of medical applications. Some of these include obstetrics (monitoring the progress of pregnancy), oncology (monitoring the growth of tumors), cardiology (visualizing the heart function and physiology), biopsy (guiding needles in various procedures), and physiotherapy. For example, today, an estimated 60-70% of pregnant women in the United States undergo ultrasound examination during pregnancy. An estimated 250 million fetal ultrasound examinations are performed every year in the USA. In the last few decades, ultrasound technology has expanded to medical imaging in various other specialties: Anesthesiology, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, General Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN), Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Physiatry, Sports Medicine, and Surgery. The increasing demand in the use of ultrasound technology in various biomedical fields points to a future in which medical professionals will be required to possess a general knowledge of ultrasound technology. While currently most medical professionals rely on technicians to perform the imaging studies, there can be a high degree of operator dependent results. Therefore, a solid foundation of the technological properties of ultrasound would give health care providers a competitive advantage in the future. This is one of the first goals of this textbook. This textbook also covers general aspects of diagnostic ultrasound providing an excellent reference for both beginners and professionals. In addition, this textbook has end-of-the-chapter experiments that will help educators conduct labs for students and any other learners to enhance their learning and solidify the practical skills.

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Health Sciences Collection Development: An Overview of Fundamental Knowledge and Practices
Medical Library Association Collection Development Caucus; Karen Gau; Iris Kovar-Gough · Virginia Commonwealth University · 2023
This work was created by members of the Medical Library Association’s Collection Development Caucus to provide librarians with key concepts about health sciences collection development. The chapters provide an overview of the responsibilities and tasks involved in the development and management of health sciences collections; it is recommended that readers refer to the references and further reading sections in each chapter for a more detailed look at each topic. The first edition was published in 2019 and was updated with a second edition in 2023. This updated edition has a new section on unique collection genres; addresses Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in collections; incorporates significant updates to and expansion of previous content; and includes a glossary. New additions to each chapter, as applicable, include key communities and online courses for professional development.

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Human Reproduction
Hala Bastawros · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2023
This open textbook is designed to provide a deep understanding of the biological and biomedical aspects of human reproduction, covering a wide range of topics from basic reproductive biology to clinical applications. The book starts with foundational knowledge and progresses to more advanced topics while also including real-world clinical orientation for practical contexts.

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Community interventions in obesity-related chronic diseases
Sherri Cirignano; Sara Elnakib; Karen Ensle; Christine Zellers · Rutgers University Libraries (RUcore) · 2023
The rate of obesity continues to climb in the United States in all age groups. National reports, including the Trust for America’s Health annual report State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, highlight key findings and policy recommendations. The need to continue to work towards stabilization of the obesity epidemic could not be more important as consequences of this chronic disease can be dire, potentially affecting physical health with an increase in risk for chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and several types of cancer as well as potentially affecting behavioral health. Curbing the high rates of obesity is particularly of importance when considering the prevalence of childhood obesity, which is on the rise not only in the United States but is also increasing globally. Although there are certain risk factors such as genetics that are not modifiable in this group, there are many dietary, physical activity and environmental factors that are modifiable through lifestyle changes. This course will explore ways to address these lifestyle changes for children through adults with both federally- and NGO- based community interventions that are working towards combating overweight and obesity and how they aim to do so with a health equity lens in mind.

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Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Manual for Nursing and Allied Health
Aylin Marz; Ganesan Kamatchi; Joseph D'Silva; Krishnan Prabhakaran · Virginia's Academic Library Consortium (VIVA) · 2020
Authors’ Institution: Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA, USA Funding: Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) Course Redesign Grant, 2020 – 2023

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The Science of Sleep
Sheryl Shook · Kapi'olani Community College · 2022
The Science of Sleep teaches us the vital importance of sleep and how it determines our mental and physical health. It explores the neuroscience of sleep and cultural, social, and political aspects of how people view sleep and are affected by sleep.