Library Resources
While true OER is open and freely shareable, our goal is to reduce student costs and barriers to access. As such, we encourage the use of library resources and freely available web resources. In some cases, the library may even have access to the e-textbooks you're already using for your course.
Contact your liaison librarian for help locating resources within the library databases or online. They can provide assistance in finding high quality resources that meet your pedagogical goals without adding to student costs.
BearWorks, the University's Institutional Repository, is another resource to find open access content for use in your courses.
Using Library Resources
Be aware that downloading copies of articles from Missouri State University Libraries' databases and then uploading them to Blackboard for your students may violate copyright law. A better idea is to provide students with persistent links (also called permalinks) to the articles you want them to read on Blackboard. Students will be able to access the articles both on and off campus.
Search for your article:
Choose an article from your search results:
Select the article and locate the Permalink option under Tools on the right hand side:
Copy the permalink and paste where needed:
MSU Libraries has access to several video databases that make it easy to add video content to Blackboard. Please visit our Streaming Media subject guide to learn more about these databases. Use the same concept of embedding a permalink for an article that you would for a video.
Photocopied chapters and articles should only be used one semester under “fair use.” To use multiple times, you need to have permission from the publisher. When photocopying from a book no more than 10% of the book is allowed. When photocopying from a journal, only one article is allowed per issue.
For copyright questions, contact Joshua Lambert, Library Faculty or Jeff Mitchell, Associate General Counsel
