Textbooks, courses, and readers:
Introduction to Literature (Lumen Learning course)Online course with readings. 8 main sections: Genre Introduction, Literary Conventions, Writing About Literature, Literary Analysis, Poetry Readings and Responses, Drama Readings and Responses, Fiction Readings and Responses, Nonfiction Readings and Responses. Also includes a “Faculty Resources” section at the beginning with assignment ideas and in-class writing activities; request instructor access for these materials. Online format. Course has CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license overall, but please note that each page of this open course lists specific attributions at the bottom of each page, which may have different licenses.
Literature, Critical Thinking, & Writing (Lumen Learning course)Lumen Learning online course developed via "Achieving the Dream" OER initiative. Course focuses heavily on critical thinking and literary analysis, and modules include analyzing short fiction, poetry, and plays. Faculty requests, including essay prompts, are available upon verified request. Course overall is licensed CC BY SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike), but individual pages may have additional or different licenses.
Literature, the Humanities, and HumanityPeer-reviewed text by SUNY instructor, 2014. This text "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.” 10 chapters (9 of which focus on major authors and specific works). PDF and ePub formats available. CC BY NC SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike) license.
"Writing about Literature: The Basics" chapter (CK-12)“This chapter introduces students to the basics of reading literature. It introduces students to subjective and objective reading, and goes over the basic ideas behind reading for plot, character, setting, and theme.” Chapter includes vocabulary list. Written for high school level, but adaptable to community college level. Online format but can be integrated into Canvas via a CK-12 app. Last updated in 2017. CC BY NC (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial) license.
"Writing about Literature: Analyzing Prose" chapter (CK-12)“This chapter covers the basics of close reading, with a focus on connotation vs. denotation, simile, metaphor, repetition, and imagery. The chapter also introduces students to different narrative modes.” Chapter includes vocabulary list. Written for high school level, but adaptable to community college level. Online format but can be integrated into Canvas via a CK-12 app. Last updated in 2020. CC BY NC (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial) license.
Reading anthologies:
Open Readings (OER collection)LibGuide created by Indian River State College Libraries, last updated May 2020. A collaborative anthology, comprised of literary selections, with tabs for Fiction Books, Plays, Poetry, Short Stories and more, with links to open access works and Word documents of public domain works. Each tab of resources organized alphabetically by author. Also includes links to copyrighted works that are only accessible via that library system.
Reading Anthology: Three Levels (Lumen Learning course)Online reading anthology organized into three modules/levels with openly licensed/public domain readings. Each level includes both creative and non-fiction readings. Online format, also includes a PDF for offline use or file. Course has a CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license overall, but please note that each page of this open course lists specific attributions at the bottom of each page, which may have different licenses.
Thematic Reading AnthologyThis anthology is a curated collection of openly licensed or public domain primary texts, organized thematically, including themes of Food, Culture, Nature & Conservation, Technology, Health Care, Politics, and Literature.
Supplemental tools and materials (incl. games, lessons, videos, exercises, etc.):
OER 30+ Reading ActivitiesSybil Priebe, North Dakota State College of Science, 2019. Booklet of 30+ reading activities, many incorporating technology and open resources. Includes examples of activities at the end.
ENGL 111 - Introduction to Literature I (Open Course Library)From SBCTC's Open Course Library, last updated in 2018. Note that course uses a low-cost textbook as well as online videos, along with openly licensed course materials. Google Drive folders organized into “Course Modules” (with five course modules) and “Course Resources” (includes assessments and assignments). Course materials licensed under a CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
Great Writers InspireUniversity of Oxford site. "[A] variety of illuminating resources such as academic lectures and talks, ebooks and contextual material produced for this project. These materials are arranged into collections about individual authors whose writing is important to literary studies.” CC BY NC SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike) license.
What is Literature, and Why Does It Matter?From Great Writers Inspire site, University of Oxford. “This section brings together some resources… to illustrate how these can be used as a starting point for exploration of or classroom discussion about the questions ‘What is Literature?’ and ‘Why Does it Matter?’” Includes tabs of resources for audio (podcasts), video, and other (articles). Great Writers Inspire has a CC BY NC SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike - license), but some of the resources in this collection may have different licenses/permissions.
Online resources - The British Library siteCollections of primary sources from the British Library relating to different (primarily British) works of literature, including artifacts, images, literary drafts, notebooks, letters, reviews, newspaper articles, sound recordings, photographs, etc. Collections include: 20th century literature; Medieval literature; Shakespeare and Renaissance writers; Romantics and Victorians; Poetry and Performance; Texts in Context, and more. Teacher notes also included for some collections. Browse by title of literary work, creator, or form of literary work.
Recommended to add to guide by TCC instructor Kristina Young
Literature and Poetry - Library of Congress Teachers sitePrimarily focused on American literature and poetry. Includes primary source sets, lesson plans, exhibitions, and online activities and sites for students. Public domain resources.
Canvas course shells:
ENGL& 244 American Literature I (WACTC OER course)Tip: Log into your Canvas faculty account *before* clicking on this link! OER Canvas course shared by SBCTC, 2020. Includes modules with readings, assignments, quizzes, and discussions. CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
American Lit (OER Canvas course)Tip: Log into your Canvas faculty account *before* clicking on this link! Canvas course shared by Cindy Pierce, Northwest Mississippi CC, 2020. Focuses on modern American authors and readings, including William Faulkner, Katherine Anne Porter, Jack London, John Steinbeck, and Flannery O'Connor. Organized into weekly modules, with readings, powerpoints, discussions, and assignments. Public domain license.
Textbooks, courses, and readers:
Becoming America: An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonical to Post-RevolutionNew textbook, Univ. of North Georgia Press. "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." PDF format. CC BY SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - ShareAlike) license.
The Open Anthology of Earlier American Literature (Robin DeRosa)Developed by Robin DeRosa, 2015. Organized into 13 sections, starting with Native American and Ethnographic Texts and ending with Mark Twain. Online format. CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
The Open Anthology of Earlier American Literature (Abby Goode)Compiled by Abby Goode, Plymouth State University, 2017. Includes all the readings from DeRosa's compilation, but adds companion essays and a "Where is American Literature Now?" section of essays. PDF and editable Word formats. CC BY (Creative Commons Attribution) license.
Writing the Nation: A Concise Introduction to American Literature, 1865 to PresentPeer-reviewed textbook, 2015, Univ. of North Georgia. 6 chapters, organized chronologically. Surveys key literature movements and a diversity of American authors associated with each movement. PDF format. CC BY SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - ShareAlike) license.
American Literature I (Lumen Learning course)Lumen Learning course developed by Columbia Basin College instructor. Faculty resources, including a PDF version and assignments, available upon request. Online course organized into 5 modules: Reading and Interpreting Literary Texts, Early American and Puritan Literature, Enlightenment Literature, Romantic Literature, and Writing About Literature. Course overall is licensed CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution), but each page may have different permissions.
American Literature II (Lumen Learning course)Lumen Learning online course. Instructor resources available with verified log-in. Student Resources module includes how to annotate a text and write about literature. Remaining modules and texts organized thematically (e.g. Immigration, American Protest, Humor, etc.), not chronologically. Course overall is under a CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license, but each page may have different licenses or terms of use.
Digital American Literature AnthologyPrimary literary materials collected by literature professor. Organized into two main parts, 12 total chapters, from "Native Peoples, Native Influences" to "Writing Slavery." Web and PDF formats available. Last updated in 2019. Includes links to academic web resources. CC BY NC SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike) license.
Supplemental tools and materials (incl. games, lessons, videos, exercises, etc.):
English Literature: Victorians and Moderns (OER textbook)James Sexton, Camosun College, created 2014, updated 2019. "In addition to providing annotated teaching editions of many of the most frequently-taught classics of Victorian and Modern poetry, fiction and drama, it also provides a series of guided research casebooks which make available numerous published essays from open access books and journals, as well as several reprinted critical essays from established learned journals such as English Studies in Canada and the Aldous Huxley Annual with the permission of the authors and editors. Designed to supplement the annotated complete texts of three famous short novels: Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World." Online, PDF, EPUB, and editable OpenDocument formats. CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
ENGL 246 – American Literature I (Open Course Library)SBCTC's Open Course Library, last updated in 2013. Course uses low-cost textbook, but course materials are openly licensed with a CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license. Google Drive folders organized into "Course Units" (3 course units) and "Course Resources" (assessments and assignments).
Digital Public Library of America - Primary Source Sets“Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop critical thinking skills by exploring topics in history, literature, and culture through primary sources. Drawing online materials from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States, the sets use letters, photographs, posters, oral histories, video clips, sheet music, and more. Each set includes a topic overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide.” CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
Literature and Poetry - Library of Congress Teachers sitePrimarily focused on American literature and poetry. Includes primary source sets, lesson plans, exhibitions, and online activities and sites for students. Public domain resources.
TCC-created resources:
Textbooks, courses, and readers:
British Literature I Anthology: From the Middle Ages to Neoclassicism and the Eighteenth CenturyPeer-reviewed textbook, 2018, Univ. of North Georgia Press. "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." Organized into 4 main parts chronologically; each part includes learning outcomes and key terms. PDF format. CC BY SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - ShareAlike) license.
British Literature II: Romantic Era to the Twentieth Century and BeyondPeer-reviewed textbook, 2018, Univ. of North Georgia Press. "Featuring 37 authors and full texts of their works, the selections in this open anthology represent the literature developed within and developing through their respective eras." Organized chronologically into 3 main parts (Romantic Era, Victorian Age, and 20th Century and Beyond). CC BY SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - ShareAlike) license.
An Anglo-Norman ReaderJane Bliss, 2018. Online, PDF, and HTML formats. "It presents a distinctive variety of Anglo-Norman works, beginning in the twelfth century and ending in the nineteenth, covering a broad range of genres and writers, introduced in a lively and thought-provoking way. Facing-page translations, into accessible and engaging modern English, are provided throughout, bringing these texts to life for a contemporary audience. The collection offers a selection of fascinating passages, and whole texts, many of which are not anthologised or translated anywhere else." CC BY NC (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial) license.
English Literature I (Lumen Learning course)Lumen Learning online course authored by a community college instructor that examines major British tests from the Anglo-Saxon period to the 18th century. Includes several complete texts that are in the public domain. Faculty resources available upon verified request. Course overall has a CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) request, but individual pages may have additional or different licenses.
English Literature II (Lumen Learning course)Lumen Learning online course, developed via the "Achieving the Dream" OER initiative. Course organized into units, including The Romantics, The Victorians, and The Moderns. Faculty resources, including assessments, available upon verified request. Course overall is licensed under CC BY NC (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial), but individual pages may have additional or different licenses.
Literature, the Humanities, and HumanityPeer-reviewed text by SUNY instructor, 2014. This text "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.” 10 chapters (9 of which focus on major authors and specific works). PDF and ePub formats available. CC BY NC SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike) license.
Supplemental tools and materials (incl. games, lessons, videos, exercises, etc.):
English Literature: Victorians and Moderns (OER textbook)James Sexton, Camosun College, created 2014, updated 2019. "In addition to providing annotated teaching editions of many of the most frequently-taught classics of Victorian and Modern poetry, fiction and drama, it also provides a series of guided research casebooks which make available numerous published essays from open access books and journals, as well as several reprinted critical essays from established learned journals such as English Studies in Canada and the Aldous Huxley Annual with the permission of the authors and editors. Designed to supplement the annotated complete texts of three famous short novels: Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World." Online, PDF, EPUB, and editable OpenDocument formats. CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
Great Writers InspireUniversity of Oxford site. "[A] variety of illuminating resources such as academic lectures and talks, ebooks and contextual material produced for this project. These materials are arranged into collections about individual authors whose writing is important to literary studies.” CC BY NC SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike) license.
What is Literature, and Why Does It Matter?From Great Writers Inspire site, University of Oxford. “This section brings together some resources… to illustrate how these can be used as a starting point for exploration of or classroom discussion about the questions ‘What is Literature?’ and ‘Why Does it Matter?’” Includes tabs of resources for audio (podcasts), video, and other (articles). Great Writers Inspire has a CC BY NC SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike - license), but some of the resources in this collection may have different licenses/permissions.
Online resources - The British Library siteCollections of primary sources from the British Library relating to different (primarily British) works of literature, including artifacts, images, literary drafts, notebooks, letters, reviews, newspaper articles, sound recordings, photographs, etc. Collections include: 20th century literature; Medieval literature; Shakespeare and Renaissance writers; Romantics and Victorians; Poetry and Performance; Texts in Context, and more. Teacher notes also included for some collections. Browse by title of literary work, creator, or form of literary work.
Recommended to add to guide by TCC instructor Kristina Young
Canvas course shells:
Shakespeare Station (OER Canvas course)Created and shared by James Shifflett, Virginia's Community Colleges, 2019. “This ... is designed to acclimate students to reading and understanding Shakespeare's often difficult language. It can be used as an introduction to Shakespearean English or a refresher course. Each module focuses on one linguistic technique and features creative writing labs and quizzes.” CC BY NC SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike) license.
British Literature I - From Beowulf through Shakespeare (OER course by Tacoma Community College)Tip: Log into your TCC Canvas faculty account *before* clicking on this link! OER Canvas course shared by TCC instructor Kristina Young, 2019. Includes modules, assignments, quizzes, and discussions. CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
Library e-books with unlimited user access:
Supplemental tools and materials (incl. games, lessons, videos, exercises, etc.):
Literature, the Humanities, and HumanityPeer-reviewed text by SUNY instructor, 2014. This text "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.” 10 chapters (9 of which focus on major authors and specific works). PDF and ePub formats available. CC BY NC SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - Non-Commercial - Share Alike) license.
Shakespeare’s complete works (public domain)All of Shakespeare’s works available via Project Gutenberg site. All works on the Project Gutenberg site are available in multiple formats, including HTML, EPUB, and Kindle. Public domain.
Textbooks, courses, and readers:
World Literature I: Beginnings to 1650Peer-reviewed text, 2015. Sections of the text are divided by time period in three parts: the Ancient World, Middle Ages, and Renaissance, and then divided into chapters by location. Includes introductory text and images before each series of readings. Public domain readings, and textbook is licensed under a CC BY SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - ShareAlike) license.
Compact Anthology of World LiteraturePeer-reviewed text, 2016, slightly updated version by same authors of "World Literature I" text. 4 main chapters/sections. PDF format available. CC BY SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - Share Alike) license.
Compact Anthology of World Literature II: Volumes 4, 5, and 6 (OER textbook)University of North Georgia, 2018. Continues the "Compact Anthology of World Literature" into the 17th and 18th centuries (Part 4); 19th century (Part 5); and 20th century and Contemporary Literature (Part 6). "Texts from a variety of genres and cultures are included in each unit. Additionally, each selection or collection includes a brief introduction about the author and text(s), and each includes 3 – 5 discussion questions. Texts in the public domain--those published or translated before 1923--are replicated here. Texts published or translated after 1923 are not yet available in the public domain. In those cases, we have provided a link to a stable site that includes the text." PDF and ePUB formats, for both the entire text and specific parts. CC BY SA (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike) license.
Open Anthology of Early World Literature in English Translation (OER collection)Columbus State University, 2015. "A collection of free and open primary texts in digital formats for the study of early world literature in English translation. Multiple English translations are provided for comparison and study, as well as open secondary and supplemental resources." Includes Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern literature for Near Eastern, Persia/Middle East, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Indian, French, Greco-Roman, Greek, Roman, Spanish, Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse, English, and Native Americans. Online LibGuide and accessible PDF formats. CC BY NC SA (Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike) license.
Antología Abierta De Literatura Hispana (Open Anthology of Hispanic Literature)Peer-reviewed textbook, 2017. "A critical anthology of literary texts from the Spanish-speaking world. A focus on canonical authors and an attempt to include voices that have been marginalized. Each text includes an introduction and annotations created by students." Please note that readings are in Spanish. Multiple formats available, including PDF, ePub, and online. CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
Oral Literature in Africa (OER collection)Ruth Finnegan, originally published in 1970, revised edition 2012. "This revised edition makes Finnegan’s ground-breaking research available to the next generation of scholars. It includes a new introduction, additional images and an updated bibliography, as well as its original chapters on poetry, prose, "drum language" and drama, and an overview of the social, linguistic and historical background of oral literature in Africa." Also includes link to Finnegan's original recordings of stories and songs from the Limba country (Sierra Leone). Online, PDF, and EPUB formats. CC BY (Creative Commons Attribution) license.
TCC-created resources:
Women's Literature (OER course by Tacoma Community College)Tip: Log into your Canvas faculty account *before* clicking on this link! OER Canvas course shared by TCC instructor Kristina Young, 2019. Includes modules, assignments, quizzes, and discussions. CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
Textbooks, courses, and readers:
The Inside, Outside, and Upside Downs of Children's Literature: From Poets and Pop-ups to Princesses and Porridge (OER textbook)Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, University of South Florida, 2016. "Children’s literature is written for children and youth, but the analysis of children’s literature requires careful attention to text as well insightful interpretation of the ways in which authors and illustrators present the human condition, the physical world, imaginative experiences, and global forces." Organized into 12 chapters, with video readings for each chapters. PDFs of the entire text and individual chapters, as well as video files to download. CC BY SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - ShareAlike) license.
The ABC of It: Why Children's Books Matter (Open access book)Leonard S. Marcus, Univ. of Minnesota, 2019. "For fourteen months beginning in June 2013, the New York Public Library hosted an exhibition about the role of children’s books in world culture and in our lives. Now with this book, a collaboration between the University of Minnesota’s Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature and children’s literature historian Leonard Marcus, the nostalgia and vision of that exhibit can be experienced anywhere." PDF download. Open access book.
Telling Tales: The Impact of Germany on English Children’s Books 1780-1918David Blamires, 2009. "[T]he first comprehensive study of the impact of Germany on English children’s books, covering the period from 1780 to the First World War. Beginning with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, moving through the classics and including many other collections of fairytales and legends, it covers a wealth of translated and adapted material." Online, PDF, and HTML formats. CC BY NC ND (Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative) license.
Textbooks, courses, and readers:
Sci-fi & Fantasy Anthology (OER reader)Amanda Hoppe, Whatcom Community College, 2015. "This course introduces students to the genres of science-fiction and fantasy, focusing on major themes and how speculative fiction addresses contemporary human concerns." Online, PDF, and web links formats. CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
TCC-created resources:
Textbooks, courses, and readers:
Writing and Literature: Composition as Inquiry, Learning, Thinking, and CommunicationPeer-reviewed textbook, 2017. "Students learn the various writing styles appropriate for analyzing, addressing, and critiquing these genres including poetry, novels, dramas, and research writing. The text and its pairing of helpful visual aids throughout emphasizes the importance of critical reading and analysis in producing a successful composition. Writing and Literature is a refreshing textbook that links learning, literature, and life." PDF format. CC BY SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - ShareAlike) license.
Literature, Critical Thinking, & Writing (Lumen Learning course)Lumen Learning online course developed via "Achieving the Dream" OER initiative. Course focuses heavily on critical thinking and literary analysis, and modules include analyzing short fiction, poetry, and plays. Faculty requests, including essay prompts, are available upon verified request. Course overall is licensed CC BY SA (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial - ShareAlike), but individual pages may have additional or different licenses.
Literature for the Humanities (OER course)OER course developed by Florida State College at Jacksonville. Organized into 6 modules, focusing on foundations of reading and analyzing fiction, poetry, and drama. Online format. CC BY (Creative Commons - Attribution) license.
"Writing about Literature: The Basics" chapter (CK-12)“This chapter introduces students to the basics of reading literature. It introduces students to subjective and objective reading, and goes over the basic ideas behind reading for plot, character, setting, and theme.” Chapter includes vocabulary list. Written for high school level, but adaptable to community college level. Online format but can be integrated into Canvas via a CK-12 app. Last updated in 2017. CC BY NC (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial) license.
"Writing about Literature: Analyzing Prose" chapter (CK-12)“This chapter covers the basics of close reading, with a focus on connotation vs. denotation, simile, metaphor, repetition, and imagery. The chapter also introduces students to different narrative modes.” Chapter includes vocabulary list. Written for high school level, but adaptable to community college level. Online format but can be integrated into Canvas via a CK-12 app. Last updated in 2020. CC BY NC (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial) license.
Supplemental tools and materials (incl. games, lessons, videos, exercises, etc.):
The Writing Center @ UNC-Chapel HillExcellent handouts and videos around key writing concepts, including Writing the Paper; Citation, Style, and Sentence Level Concerns; Specific Writing Assignments or Contexts; and Writing for Specific Fields. Licensed under CC BY NC ND (Creative Commons - Attribution - NonCommercial - No Derivatives).
