📚 Open Access eBooks & OER Hub
Comprehensive directory of free, peer-reviewed academic eBooks and Open Educational Resources for STEM programs
🎓 About This Collection
This curated hub provides direct access to open access ebook platforms and Open Educational Resources (OER) maintained by universities, academic publishers, and educational institutions worldwide. Every resource listed is 100% free, academically rigorous, and legally accessible under open licenses (Creative Commons or similar).
50,000+
Free eBooks
30+
Platforms
100%
Open Access
24/7
Available
⚠️ Citation Requirement
All resources must be properly cited in APA 7th edition format when used in academic work. Failure to cite sources constitutes plagiarism and may result in academic penalties.
🌍 Comprehensive Multi-Disciplinary Collections
Large-scale platforms with thousands of books across all academic disciplines
OAPEN Library
21,000+ Books Peer-Reviewed Multi-Language
Open Access Publishing in European Networks – the world’s largest repository of peer-reviewed open access books. Predominantly academic with rigorous quality control from major global publishers including university presses and scholarly publishers.
Coverage: Computer science, engineering, mathematics, technology, with particularly strong European academic publisher representation. Multiple languages available.
Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)
70,000+ Books Discovery Service Quality Controlled
Comprehensive discovery service indexing open access books from publishers worldwide. Search across thousands of publishers in one interface with quality assurance and direct links to full-text downloads.
Coverage: All STEM fields, multidisciplinary. Aggregates content from university presses, academic publishers, and institutional repositories globally.
IntechOpen
5,800+ Books STEM Focus 100M+ Downloads
World’s leading open access publisher specializing in science, technology, and medicine. Community of 103,000+ authors from 160 countries. Exceptionally strong in computer science, engineering, and emerging technologies.
Coverage: Computer science & engineering (570 books), physical sciences (2,800+ books), engineering (1,100+ books), AI, robotics, nanotechnology, materials science. Cutting-edge research focus.
HathiTrust Digital Library
17+ Million Items Academic Libraries Preservation
Partnership of major research libraries preserving millions of digitized volumes including scientific and technical texts. Extensive public domain collection with full-text access.
Coverage: Historical scientific texts, mathematics, engineering foundational works, computer science classics. Strong in public domain technical literature.
📖 Open Textbook Platforms
Peer-reviewed textbooks designed specifically for university courses
OpenStax
Rice University Expert-Authored Course-Aligned
Free, peer-reviewed textbooks from Rice University meeting scope and sequence requirements for most college courses. Used by millions of students worldwide with continuous updates and improvements.
Coverage: Mathematics (calculus, statistics, algebra), physics, biology, chemistry, computer science (Python, introduction to programming). Aligned to standard course curricula.
LibreTexts
100,000+ Pages 12 Libraries Customizable
Multi-institutional collaborative OER platform providing customizable textbooks across disciplines with exceptional strength in STEM. Faculty can adapt and remix content for their specific courses.
Coverage: Engineering (chemical, mechanical, electrical), chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, statistics, biology. Interactive content with simulations and exercises.
Open Textbook Library
1,000+ Textbooks Faculty-Reviewed Curated
University of Minnesota’s curated collection of open textbooks with faculty peer reviews and quality ratings. Organized by subject and level with detailed review information.
Coverage: Information technology, computer science, business, mathematics, engineering, sciences. Includes adoption data and faculty reviews for informed selection.
Bookboon
Student-Focused Concise Format STEM Emphasis
Free engineering and IT textbooks designed for students. Practical, concise books covering core technical topics with regular updates. PDF downloads without registration.
Coverage: Engineering (electrical, mechanical, civil), IT fundamentals, programming, mathematics, business management. Focused on practical application and exam preparation.
🎓 University Presses & Academic Publishers
Open access books from prestigious university presses and scholarly publishers
MIT Press Direct
MIT Press Technical Excellence Research-Level
Open access books from MIT Press in science, technology, design, and computational fields. Authoritative technical content from one of the world’s leading technology universities.
Coverage: Computer science, artificial intelligence, robotics, cognitive science, design, architecture, engineering, neuroscience. Graduate-level technical depth.
Cambridge Open
Cambridge University World-Class Research Monographs
Cambridge University Press’s growing open access collection. Rigorous peer review and world-class scholarship across academic disciplines including STEM fields.
Coverage: Science, technology, engineering, mathematics, computer science. Research monographs, edited collections, and reference works.
SpringerOpen
Springer Nature 30+ OA Journals SpringerBriefs
Springer Nature’s open access platform with thousands of STEM books. Includes SpringerBriefs – concise summaries of cutting-edge research and practical applications.
Coverage: Engineering (civil, mechanical, electrical), computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry. Recent research and SpringerBriefs for rapid knowledge transfer.
MDPI Books
Academic Publisher Rapid Publication Open Access Model
Leading open access publisher with books across science and technology. Known for rapid publication, rigorous peer review, and high editorial standards.
Coverage: Engineering, technology, applied sciences, computer science, materials science. Monographs, edited volumes, and journal reprints.
Taylor & Francis Open
4,000+ Books CRC Press Routledge
Major academic publisher with 4,000+ open access books on OAPEN. Includes prestigious CRC Press engineering titles and Routledge academic works.
Coverage: STEM (engineering, computer science, technology), behavioral sciences, social sciences. Open textbooks and research monographs.
De Gruyter Open
270+ Books Mathematics European Excellence
German academic publisher’s open access platform with strong STEM offerings, particularly in mathematics, computer science, and theoretical sciences.
Coverage: Mathematics (pure and applied), computer science, engineering, physics. European scholarly perspective with high academic rigor.
🎥 Open CourseWare & Learning Platforms
Free university courses with textbooks, lectures, and complete learning materials
MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW)
2,500+ Courses MIT Content Complete Materials
Free publication of virtually all MIT course content including lecture notes, exams, videos, and complete course materials. No registration required. Permanent MIT initiative since 2002.
Coverage: Computer science (algorithms, AI, programming), electrical engineering, mathematics, physics, mechanical engineering. Includes undergraduate and graduate-level courses with complete syllabi and assignments.
Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative (OLI)
Carnegie Mellon Interactive Free to Learners
High-quality online courses with embedded assessments and immediate feedback. Research-based learning science approach. Free for independent learners, with instructor options for classroom use.
Coverage: Statistics, biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, engineering. Interactive modules with built-in assessments and adaptive learning features.
OpenLearn (Open University)
1,000+ Courses UK University Free Learning
Free learning platform from The Open University with nearly 1,000 free courses, interactive content, videos, and complete study materials across all levels.
Coverage: Science, technology, engineering, mathematics, computing, business. Certificate-bearing courses available. Extensive STEM collection.
Saylor Academy
100+ Courses Nonprofit Self-Paced
Nonprofit offering free, self-paced online courses with college-level content. Complete courses with textbooks, readings, assessments, and certificates of completion.
Coverage: Computer science, engineering, mathematics, business, economics. Full course sequences from introductory to advanced levels.
Khan Academy Computing
Interactive Beginner-Friendly Practice Exercises
Free interactive tutorials on computer programming and computer science fundamentals. Self-paced learning with instant feedback and progress tracking.
Coverage: JavaScript programming, SQL databases, HTML/CSS web development, algorithms, cryptography. Includes Hour of Code activities and AP Computer Science prep.
🔬 Specialized Resources
Subject-specific collections and technical documentation
FreeTechBooks
Computer Science Engineering Organized by Topic
Extensive collection of free computer science, programming, and engineering books. Well-organized by programming language and technical topic with quality indicators.
Coverage: Programming languages (Python, Java, C++, JavaScript), networking, software engineering, computer architecture, algorithms, data structures, web development, mobile programming.
National Academies Press
5,000+ Publications Authoritative Research Reports
Over 5,000 publications from National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. All books free to read online with PDF downloads available. Authoritative technical reports and research studies.
Coverage: Engineering practice and policy, technology assessment, science policy, research methodologies, technical standards, biomedical engineering, environmental engineering.
Mozilla Developer Network (MDN)
Web Development Technical Docs Tutorials
Comprehensive web development documentation and tutorials. Industry-standard reference for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and web APIs with practical examples and best practices.
Coverage: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, web APIs, HTTP, web security, accessibility, responsive design. Complete learning paths from beginner to advanced.
W3Schools
Web Development Interactive Tutorials
Free tutorials and references on web development technologies with interactive code editor. Practical examples and exercises for hands-on learning.
Coverage: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, SQL, PHP, Java, C++, React, Node.js. Interactive “Try it Yourself” editor for immediate practice.
Green Tea Press (Think Books)
Programming Free Downloads Beginner-Friendly
Collection of free programming textbooks by Allen Downey including Think Python, Think Java, Think Stats, and more. Clear, accessible writing for learners.
Coverage: Python programming, Java programming, data science, statistics, Bayesian statistics, digital signal processing. PDF and HTML versions freely available.
📚 General Academic Repositories
Large collections including technical and scientific works
Project Gutenberg
70,000+ Books Public Domain Multiple Formats
Largest collection of free public domain books. Includes classic scientific and mathematical texts, foundational works in computing, and historical technical literature.
Coverage: Historical scientific texts, mathematical classics, physics foundational works, early computing literature. No registration needed, multiple download formats (EPUB, Kindle, HTML, PDF).
Open Library
Millions of Books Internet Archive Lending Library
Internet Archive’s lending library with millions of books including extensive technical texts, textbooks, and research materials. Borrow or download public domain works.
Coverage: Textbooks (all subjects), technical manuals, computer science books, engineering handbooks, mathematics texts. Constantly expanding collection.
JSTOR Open Access
Open Subset Academic Archive Free Registration
Subset of JSTOR’s extensive collection available as open access, including books, primary sources, and community collections. Free registration provides broader access.
Coverage: Primary sources, historical scientific papers, research collections. Strong in foundational academic works and historical documents.
OER Commons
100,000+ Resources OER Hub STEM Section
Public digital library of open educational resources including textbooks, full courses, lesson plans, and multimedia. Dedicated STEM section with curated materials.
Coverage: Complete courses, textbooks, simulations, videos, lesson plans across all STEM fields. Community-contributed and peer-reviewed materials.
MERLOT
Curated OER Peer-Reviewed Quality Ratings
Curated collection of free and open online teaching and learning materials with peer reviews and quality ratings. Faculty-contributed resources across all disciplines.
Coverage: All academic subjects with strong STEM representation. Includes tutorials, simulations, case studies, and complete course materials with faculty ratings.
💡 How to Use These Resources Effectively
- Start with textbook platforms (OpenStax, LibreTexts) for course-aligned materials
- Use DOAB or OAPEN to search across multiple publishers simultaneously
- Check the license before using – most are CC-BY or CC-BY-NC
- Download PDFs when available for offline access and study
- Verify publication date – ensure content is current for rapidly evolving fields
- Cite all sources using APA 7th edition format (see our APA Guide)
- Combine multiple sources for comprehensive understanding
- Look for faculty reviews on textbook platforms for quality assurance
📧 Need Help Finding the Right Resource?
Our librarians can help you find the perfect eBook or OER for your research, coursework, or certification preparation