Interested in using an open textbook? This guide can help you get started:
Alternately, assemble a set of open resources based on your course content and structure.
See example from McGill's MATH 141 course.
Most open textbooks will be licensed under a Creative Commons license. These licenses permit varying levels of reuse, adaptation, and distribution rights.
Below is a chart to help you navigate what the licenses mean.
All licenses permit linking to, downloading, copying, and using the book provided you give credit to the original author.
License | Commercial use ok? | Can modify and adapt? |
CC BY | Yes. | Yes. So long as you provide credit to the author. |
CC BY SA | Yes. | Yes. Provided new work is also licensed CC BY SA and you provide credit to the author. |
CC BY NC | No. | Yes. So long as you provide credit to the author. |
CC BY ND | Yes. | No. |
CC BY NC SA | No. |
Yes. Provided new work is also licensed CC BY NC SA and you provide credit to the author. |
CC BY NC ND | No. | No. |
Still unsure about the usage and adaptation rights of a particular book? Contact us.
McGill Library • Questions? Ask us!
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