Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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The Story of Earth: An Observational Guide
Daniel Hauptvogel; Virginia Sisson · University of Houston · 2023
This is the second edition of our open-access lab manual for a historical geology lab released for the Fall 2023 semester. It focuses on student observations. We have uploaded this book to Lulu Press so that you may have them print a copy for you. The cost is $21.63 plus shipping. We believe in free access to educational materials, therefore we collect no revenue from Lulu. The price you pay is simply the cost Lulu charges to print the materials for you. You can also download a printable PDF version to print on your own. Do you plan on using the lab manual? Have any questions, comments, suggestions, or notice an error? Please fill out our contact form and let us know!
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Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience
Holly Ahern · Milne Open Textbooks · 2018
As a group of organisms that are too small to see and best known for being agents of disease and death, microbes are not always appreciated for the numerous supportive and positive contributions they make to the living world. Designed to support a course in microbiology, Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience permits a glimpse into both the good and the bad in the microscopic world. The laboratory experiences are designed to engage and support student interest in microbiology as a topic, field of study, and career. This text provides a series of laboratory exercises compatible with a one-semester undergraduate microbiology or bacteriology course with a three- or four-hour lab period that meets once or twice a week. The design of the lab manual conforms to the American Society for Microbiology curriculum guidelines and takes a ground-up approach — beginning with an introduction to biosafety and containment practices and how to work with biological hazards. From there the course moves to basic but essential microscopy skills, aseptic technique and culture methods, and builds to include more advanced lab techniques. The exercises incorporate a semester-long investigative laboratory project designed to promote the sense of discovery and encourage student engagement. The curriculum is rigorous but manageable for a single semester and incorporates best practices in biology education.
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Principles of Biology: Biology 211, 212, and 213
Lisa Bartee; Walter Shriner; Catherine Creech · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2017
The Principles of Biology sequence (BI 211, 212 and 213) introduces biology as a scientific discipline for students planning to major in biology and other science disciplines. Laboratories and classroom activities introduce techniques used to study biological processes and provide opportunities for students to develop their ability to conduct research.
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Radiation Safety
Jason Ballard · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2020
The purpose of this OER is to provide students with a comprehensive textbook aligned with the NDT 130 (Radiographic Testing) course as taught at Linn-Benton Community College.
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Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet
Thomas Murphy · eScholarship · 2021
Where is humanity going? How realistic is a future of fusion and space colonies? What constraints are imposed by physics, by resource availability, and by human psychology? Are default expectations grounded in reality? This textbook, written for a general-education audience, aims to address these questions without either the hype or the indifference typical of many books. The message throughout is that humanity faces a broad sweep of foundational problems as we inevitably transition away from fossil fuels and confront planetary limits in a host of unprecedented ways—a shift whose scale and probable rapidity offers little historical guidance. Salvaging a decent future requires keen awareness, quantitative assessment, deliberate preventive action, and—above all—recognition that prevailing assumptions about human identity and destiny have been cruelly misshapen by the profoundly unsustainable trajectory of the last 150 years. The goal is to shake off unfounded and unexamined expectations, while elucidating the relevant physics and encouraging greater facility in quantitative reasoning. After addressing limits to growth, population dynamics, uncooperative space environments, and the current fossil underpinnings of modern civilization, various sources of alternative energy are considered in detail— assessing how they stack up against each other, and which show the greatest potential. Following this is an exploration of systemic human impediments to effective and timely responses, capped by guidelines for individual adaptations resulting in reduced energy and material demands on the planet’s groaning capacity. Appendices provide refreshers on math and chemistry, as well as supplementary material of potential interest relating to cosmology, electric transportation, and an evolutionary perspective on humanity’s place in nature.
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General Biology II: Survey of Molecular Life and Genetics
Lisa Bartee; Christine Anderson · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2018
BI102: Survey of Molecular Life and Genetics is intended for one term of the introductory biology course for non-science majors taught at many two- and four-year colleges. The concepts of genetics, as they apply to the study of life, are introduced, including the principles of inheritance, genetics, and gene regulation. This textbook incorporates the mandates found in Vision and Change and focuses on the non-content aspects of biology education that are just as important. Additionally, this book explicitly teaches the general education outcomes that we have identified as important for this class. This textbook pulls together biology content resources that are accessible for our community college non-major biology students, as well as resources to provide them with explicit instruction in the quantitative literacy, communication, and information literacy general education outcomes as they relate to the biology content they are learning.
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General Biology I: Survey of Cellular Biology
Lisa Bartee; Christine Anderson · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2018
BI101: Survey of Cellular Biology is intended for one term of the introductory biology course for non-science majors taught at many two- and four-year colleges. The concepts of cellular biology, as they apply to the study of life, are introduced, including parts of a cell, metabolism, and homeostasis. This textbook incorporates the mandates found in Vision and Change and focuses on the non-content aspects of biology education that are just as important. Additionally, this book explicitly teaches the general education outcomes that we have identified as important for this class. This textbook pulls together biology content resources that are accessible for our community college non-major biology students, as well as resources to provide them with explicit instruction in the quantitative literacy, communication, and information literacy general education outcomes as they relate to the biology content they are learning. Contact the author for inquiries about quiz
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Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology
Anna Chruścik; Kate Kauter; Eliza Whiteside; Louisa Windus · University of Southern Queensland · 2021
The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) is committed to advancing the use of open textbooks in higher education. This textbook is a tool to support first year anatomy and physiology courses taught in Australia, aiming to provide students with an increased access to free, high-quality learning materials. The material in this textbook is largely based on OpenStax’s Anatomy & Physiology textbook, however, has been modified for Australian course curriculum.
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Environmental Toxicology
Kees van Gestel · Environmental Toxicology · 2020
This open online textbook on Environmental Toxicology aims at covering the field in its full width, including aspects of environmental chemistry, ecotoxicology, toxicology and risk assessment. With that, it will contribute to improving the quality, continuity and transparency of the education in environmental toxicology. We also want to make sure that fundamental insights on fate and effects of chemicals gained in the past are combined with recent approaches of effect assessment and molecular analysis of mechanisms causing toxicity. The book consists of six chapters, with each chapter being divided into several sub-chapters to enable covering all aspects relevant to the topic. All chapters are designed in a modular way, which each module having clear training goals and being flagged with a number of keywords. Most modules have an average length of 1000-2000 words, a limited number of references, and 3-5 figures and/or tables. A few modules are enlighted with short clips, animations or movies to allow better illustration of the theory. The introduction chapter of the book, for instance, contains a short interview with two key experts reflecting on the development of the field over the past 30 years. The book contains tools for self-study and training, like a (limited) number of questions at the end of each module. For the future we foresee the addition of separate exercises and other tools that may help the student in understanding the theory.
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Astronomy for Educators
Daniel Barth · University of Arkansas · 2018
Astronomy for Educators provides new and accomplished K-12 instructors with concepts and projects for low-cost, high-impact STEM classroom instruction that is built around the National Academies National Research Council's K-12 Framework for Science Education.
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Forest Measurements: An Applied Approach
Joan DeYoung · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2016
This is a forest measurements textbook written for field technicians. Silvicultural applications and illustrations are provided to demonstrate the relevance of the measurements. Special “technique tips” for each skill are intended to help increase data collection accuracy and confidence. These include how to avoid common pitfalls, effective short cuts and essentials for recording field data correctly. The emphasis is on elementary skills; it is not intended to be a timber cruising guide.
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Cell and Molecular Biology: What We Know & How We Found Out
Gerald Bergtrom · University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee · 2020
CMB5e is the latest edition of an interactive Open Educational Resource (OER) electronic textbook (iText), available under a Creative Commons CC-BY license. Like earlier editions, CMB5e opens with a short history of the discipline and a discussion of scientific method. The book remains focused on the understanding of evolution that informs all of the life sciences and continues to provide experimental support for what we know about cell and molecular biology. Having a sense of how science is practiced and how investigators think about experimental results is essential to understanding the relationship of cell structure and function, not to mention the natural world around us. CMB5e is available in three versions (plus a sample chapter): In each chapter of the Basic CMB5e iText, an introduction includes learning objectives and context-embedded links to short explanatory voice-over PowerPoint recordings (VOPs) and other web-links of interest. QR codes allow the reader just-in-time access to the VOPs on smart phones or any camera-enabled portable device. The Annotated CMB5e adds pre-written, interactive context-embedded Challenge boxes to the Basic version of the book. These contain open-ended questions that expand on text readings. Any or all of them can be the basis of informal class and online discussion or as graded assignments. The Instructor’s CMB5e iText adds a series of 25 Words or Less essay questions that the author used as short (i.e., easy to grade!) writing assignments to strengthen student’s critical thinking and writing skills. A CMB5e Sample Chapter. The Art and Illustration Resource for Cell and Molecular Biology contains high resolution JPGs of figures in all CMB5 digital and print versions. JPGs are all public domain or CC-BY licensed (a source list is included).
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Pulmonary Pathophysiology for Pre-Clinical Students
Andrew Binks · Virginia Tech Publishing · 2022
Pulmonary Pathophysiology for Pre-Clinical Students is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge of pulmonary pathophysiology. This text is designed for a course pre-clinical undergraduate medical curriculum and it is aligned to USMLE(r) (United States Medical Licensing Examination) content guidelines. The text is meant to provide the essential information from these content areas in a concise format that would allow learner preparation to engage in an active classroom. Clinical correlates and additional application of content is intended to be provided in the classroom experience. The text assumes that the students will have an understanding of basic cardiovascular physiology that will be helpful to understand the content presented here. This resource should be assistive to the learner later in medical school and for exam preparation given the material is presented in a succinct manner, with a focus on high-yield concepts. The 82-page text was created specifically for use by pre-clinical students at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and was based on faculty experience and peer review to guide development and hone important topics. Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting parts or the whole of the text are requested to register their interest at: https://bit.ly/interest-preclinical. Instructors and subject matter experts interested in and sharing their original course materials relevant to pre-clinical education are requested to join the instructor portal at https://www.oercommons.org/groups/pre-clinical-resources/10133.
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Nursing: Mental Health and Community Concepts
Elizabeth Christman; Kimberly Ernstmeyer · Chippewa Valley Technical College · 2022
This textbook is an open educational resource with CC-BY licensing developed specifically for prelicensure nursing students. The e-book and downloadable versions are free. Affordable print versions are published in collaboration with XanEdu and available on Amazon and in college bookstores. Content is based on the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) statewide nursing curriculum for the Nursing Mental Health and Community Concepts course (543-110), the NCLEX-RN Test Plan, 1 and the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Education Council’s Crosswalk Toolkit: Defining and Using Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Skills in Undergraduate Nursing Education. 2 Mental health and community health concepts are discussed while emphasizing stress management techniques, healthy coping strategies, referrals to community resources, and other preventative interventions. Nursing care for individuals with specific mental health and substance use disorders is examined, and the nurse’s role in community health needs assessments and caring for vulnerable populations is introduced. The e-book is free and can be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF or other formats for offline use. Affordable print versions are also published in collaboration with XanEdu and are available on Amazon and in college bookstores.
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Fundamentals of Nursing
Christy Bowen; Lindsay Draper; Heather Moore · OpenStax · 2024
Fundamentals of Nursing aligns with the outcomes and competencies of a nursing fundamentals course. It is designed to provide students with the foundational knowledge and practical expertise essential for delivering holistic and patient-centered care. The authors emphasize the application of clinical judgment across diverse healthcare environments, ensuring readiness to deliver high-quality, compassionate care in an inclusive and supportive manner. Composed of 43 chapters, Fundamentals of Nursing offers an in-depth exploration of the roles and responsibilities of the nursing profession, the healthcare environment, and the application of critical thinking and evidence-based practice. Fundamentals of Nursing features a variety of engaging and informative resources designed to prepare students for real-world clinical environments. By simulating patient interactions, students develop critical communication skills essential for effective nursing care. Insights from practicing nurses provide real-world perspectives, helping bridge the gap between theory and practice. The offering builds student confidence and competence through its focus on Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN), inclusion of robust unfolding case studies, and integration of NCLEX practice.
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Pharmacology for Nurses
Tina Barbour-Taylor; Leah Mueller (Sabato); Donna Paris; Dorie Weaver · OpenStax · 2024
Pharmacology for Nurses is intended for nursing students in an introductory program. It provides a fundamental understanding of the therapeutic use of drugs, so the nurse can provide safe and effective care to the client. Along with a discussion of each body system, the text also reviews the pathophysiology of various disease processes and medications used in treatment. The table of contents presents 40 chapter topics, organized into 11 units. The first unit, consisting of 3 chapters, provides a broad overview of pharmacology, with the following 10 units focused on specific body systems. Pharmacology for Nurses helps students prepare for the licensing exam and their careers by offering applicable, real-life content in short, manageable sections. The material focuses on common client conditions that nurses will encounter throughout their career and embraces a skills orientation (what does a nurse do). The text presents information in a holistic manner that ties the disease process to its pharmacological treatment. As a result, Pharmacology for Nurses will give students the confidence to safely administer medications to clients, as well as provide medication education to clients and their caregivers.
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Maternal-Newborn Nursing
Amy Giles; Regina Prusinski; Laura Wallace · OpenStax · 2024
Maternal-Newborn Nursing introduces students to the concepts and skills related to pregnancy, birth, postpartum, newborn care, reproductive health, and social determinants related to those topics. Written and thoroughly reviewed by experienced nurse educators, the material focuses on patient safety, mental health, and inclusive care, and offers robust real-world scenarios and situational patient education experiences to apply concepts to practice. Maternal-Newborn Nursing builds on the students’ existing knowledge and skills and expands their learning to new concepts and considerations. Students will be able to implement the Clinical Judgement Measurement Model to recognize, analyze, prioritize, create, act on, and evaluate outcomes throughout the many conditions presented across the life stages. The offering integrates core frameworks such as QSEN, and its robust sets of practice questions, unfolding case studies, and additional resources support the Next Generation NCLEX.
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Health Promotion in Health Care – Vital Theories and Research
Gørill Haugan; Monica Eriksson · Springer · 2021
This open access textbook represents a vital contribution to global health education, offering insights into health promotion as part of patient care for bachelor’s and master’s students in health care (nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiotherapists, social care workers etc.) as well as health care professionals, and providing an overview of the field of health science and health promotion for PhD students and researchers. Written by leading experts from seven countries in Europe, America, Africa and Asia, it first discusses the theory of health promotion and vital concepts. It then presents updated evidence-based health promotion approaches in different populations (people with chronic diseases, cancer, heart failure, dementia, mental disorders, long-term ICU patients, elderly individuals, families with newborn babies, palliative care patients) and examines different health promotion approaches integrated into primary care services.
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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.