CSU Bookstore and Open Educational Resources

Information about Open Educational Resources (OER).

Accessible Course Materials Options for Students

The CSU Bookstore understands course materials are necessary for student success, and having day-one access to the required course materials can dictate a student's success in class. The CSU Bookstore works with faculty and University Libraries to facilitate access to free or low-cost Open Educational Resources, or OER materials.

How to Find OER Materials at the CSU Bookstore

The CSU Bookstore provides multiple choices for CSU students based on how they learn best - free online content, or inexpensive printed versions. To find free online content, students can use the download links we provide in the store and on our course materials listings on our website. We also have a listing of courses using OER materials listed below.

image of a QR code shelf tag on the sales floor of the CSU Bookstore.

In-Store: Scan QR Codes

Students can access online course materials by scanning QR codes with a smartphone. Look for the GREEN tags around the store. These codes are located in the CSU Bookstore near other materials required for the course.

Image of an OER book listing on the CSU Bookstore website with a sample download link.

Online: Click to Access

For most OER materials, we will provide information about courses using OER in the course materials listing. 

Shop for Course Materials

Courses with OER materials will link to this page to download resources. Clicking on any of the links below will open a new tab/window where you can access the materials.

OER at Colorado State University

Colorado State University has a long track record, dating to the early 1990s, of using and creating high-quality open-educational resources and publishing peer-reviewed open-access publications that are frequently used to support instruction in undergraduate and graduate courses.

CSU also has a strong record of support for the use of OER and other low-cost instructional materials in courses across disciplines, a record that has contributed to steadily declining costs for course materials over the past several years. By increasing the use of OER, students benefit through high-quality peer-reviewed open-access publications that fit the classroom context and a reduced cost of course materials.

Learn More About OER

See Archived OER Data

The CSU Bookstore will keep OER adoption information up for at least three years after the term passes, providing this information for future courses. Please click the links below to access prior term OER data.

Spring 2025 OER Listing

The following table is a listing of OER materials instructors at CSU adopted for Spring 2025 and any applicable links to download materials. This information is compiled using information provided to us by instructors and course materials coordinators in the colleges and/or departments.

Some titles linked are on eReserve through the CSU Libraries. Other materials are restricted to use on an on-campus network. Students must access these titles from a computer on an on-campus network or using a secure proxy to access materials off-campus. Please connect with the CSU Student Help Resources for assistance with accessing electronic materials from the library.

IMPORTANT NOTE: While we make every attempt to ensure this information is correct, it is subject to corrections. Please note the section numbers listed below; some course sections may be using OER materials, while others may choose to use other materials. For the latest Course Materials adoptions, please click here.

If you are an instructor who is using OER materials in your course, please send an email to [email protected] so we can list your course materials requirements below.


Dept / Course Section(s) Author Title Link (If Available)
BUS 201 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 401, 402, 403, 404 Gittell Sustainable Business Case Book Download
BZ 110 1, 801, 835 Openstax Biology Download
BZ 110 1, 801, 835 Openstax Concepts of Biology Download
BZ 541 801 Small Cannabis: A Complete Guide Download
CIS 570 1, 2, 401, 801 Clark Beginning Microsoft Power BI
Student must be connected to an on-campus network or secure proxy to access these materials. 		Access
CON 151 1, 2, 3, 4 5, 6, 7, 8 Simmons Olin's Construction
Student must be connected to an on-campus network or secure proxy to access these materials. 		Access
ECE 457 1, 801 Peatross Physics of Light and Optics Download
ECE 502 1, 801 Peatross Physics of Light and Optics Download
HDFS 470A L01, L02, L04 Gilbert Emotion Coaching with Children and Young People in Schools
Student must be connected to an on-campus network or secure proxy to access these materials. 		Access
HIST 151 8, 10 Openstax US History Download
HONR 492 1 Ellis By the People Download
LIFE 102 720, 801 Openstax Biology Download
LIFE 103 720, 801 Openstax Biology Download
LIFE 205 1 Openstax Microbiology Download
LIFE 206 L01 Openstax Microbiology Download
MATH 301 1, 801 Adams Counting Rocks Download
MATH 369 3, 4, 5, 6, 801, 888 Kuttler First Course in Linear Algebra Download
MATH 463 1 Hoffstein An Introduction to Mathematical Cryptography
Student must be connected to an on-campus network or secure proxy to access these materials. 		Access
MIP 533 1 Sing Zoonoses: Infections Affecting Humans and Animals
Student must be connected to an on-campus network or secure proxy to access these materials. 		Access
REL 430 1 Brett Real Estate Market Analysis : Trends, Methods, and Information Sources, Third Edition
Student must be connected to an on-campus network or secure proxy to access these materials. 		Access
STAA 575 1, 801 Hoff A First Course in Bayesian Statistical Methods
Student must be connected to an on-campus network or secure proxy to access these materials. 		Access
STAA 577 1, 801 James An introduction to statistical learning : with applications in R
Student must be connected to an on-campus network or secure proxy to access these materials. 		Access