LibGuides: Open Educational Resources (OER): English

Open Resources

These textbooks have been created for free use in courses. These resources may be adopted for use as classroom text, modified to create new texts (if licensing allows), or used as a supplemental learning tool to aid in understanding key concepts.

Composition

Intermediate College Writing: Building and Practicing Mindful Writing Skills by Dawn Atkinson and Stacey Corbitt
Publication Date: 2022
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Designed for use in university‐level courses that focus on cultivating study skills alongside effective academic and workplace writing skills.
Oregon Writes Open Writing Text by Jenn Kepka
License: CC BY 4.0
An open text created as part of the Open Oregon initiative, intended to guide students through rhetorical and assignment analysis, writing processes, rhetorical modes, and critical reading.
Writing in College: From Competence to Excellence by Amy Guptill
Publication Date: 2016
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
An open textbook from SUNY, written by Amy Guptill. It is intended to help new college students navigate the world of college writing, from understanding their assignments to identifying sources and working on clarity.
Writing Spaces Volume 4 by Dana Driscoll, Megan Heise, Mary Stewart, & Matthew Vetter (Editors)
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (unless noted otherwise)
This is a collection of Creative Commons licensed essays for use in the first year writing classroom, all written by writing teachers for students. Topics include linguistic diversity, digital privacy, feedback, online source evaluation, grading criteria, social media, racial literacy, public writing, primary data analysis, digital collaboration, writing workflows, genre theory, knowledge transfer, archival research, and accessibility.

Literature

Becoming America by Wendy Kurant (Editor)
ISBN: 9781940771465
Publication Date: 2018-12-31
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Featuring sixty-nine authors and full texts of their works, the selections in this open anthology represent the diverse voices in early American literature. This completely-open anthology will connect students to the conversation of literature that is embedded in American history and has helped shaped its culture.
British Literature I Anthology by B. J. Robinson & Laura Getty (Editors)
ISBN: 9781940771281
Publication Date: 2018-04-30
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
The University of North Georgia Press and Affordable Learning Georgia bring you British Literature I: From the Middle Ages to Neoclassicism and the Eighteenth Century. Featuring over 50 authors and full texts of their works, this anthology follows the shift of monarchic to parliamentarian rule in Britain, and the heroic epic to the more egalitarian novel as genre.
Literature, the Humanities, and Humanity by Theodore Steinberg
ISBN: 9781942341031
Publication Date: 2013-10-23
License: CC BY-SA
Literature, the Humanities, and Humanity attempts to make the study of literature more than simply another school subject that students have to take. At a time when all subjects seem to be valued only for their testability, this book tries to show the value of reading and studying literature, even earlier literature. It shows students, some of whom will themselves become teachers, that literature actually has something to say to them.
Writing the Nation by Bleil; Berke; Cofer; Davis (Editors)
ISBN: 9781940771342
Publication Date: 2016-01-01
License: CC BY-SA
Writing the Nation: A Concise Guide to American Literature 1865 to Present is a text that surveys key literary movements and the American authors associated with the movement. Topics include late romanticism, realism, naturalism, modernism, and modern literature.

Below are locations where you may find novels and nonfiction books that are openly licensed or in the public domain, available for use in courses or for your own enjoyment!

HathiTrust
HathiTrust is a partnership of academic and research institutions, which offers millions of titles that have been digitized from libraries around the world. The collection contains many classical works that are in the public domain. Below are links to some of their novel collections.

Project Gutenberg This link opens in a new window
Project Gutenberg is a collection of more than 57,000 free eBooks, most of which are classical works that are in the public domain in the United States. They have a vast collection of classical works of literature. Included below are links to some of their 'bookshelves.'

LibriVox
LibriVox is a site of free, public domain audiobooks read and submitted by volunteers worldwide. Users can listen to, download, and share the audiobooks.

English Composition

UNC Writing Center: Tips & Tools
License: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 for most handouts
UNC has made available a number of writing handouts and videos.
Excelsior Online Writing Lab
License: CC BY 4.0
The Excelsior OWL is intended to help students begin the process of writing for college-level courses, as they transition to writing outside of their introductory courses. It provides multimedia support for writers, including a variety of interactive activities, quizzes, videos, and games.

Literature

Public Domain Review
License: CC BY-SA 3.0
The Public Domain Review is an online journal and not-for-profit project that endeavors to help students explore the rich wealth of public domain works. It contains collections of images, books, audio, and film files; publishes biweekly long-form essays offering insight and reflection on resources, as well as a curated gallery of highlighted resources. All of the primary source materials are in the public domain, and any works created by The Public Domain Review are licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 3.0 license.

Plagiarism

Understanding Plagiarism
License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
A brief video tutorial outlining examples of plagiarism.

Literature Reviews

Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students
License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
This video tutorial helps introduce students to the process of writing a literature review, and what they should expect when writing one.

Disclaimer

The content provided in this guide is intended for informational purposes only. The Melvin J. Zahnow Library at SVSU does not make any assurances as to the accuracy of the information contained within linked resources, or as to the licenses and permissions granted for the use of these works. Always be certain to check the permissions for each resource before using the work.

Questions? Contact Tiler Jewell at tbjewell@svsu.edu.