Video Tutorials
To get better acquainted with the databases and e-resources, Database Finders: Compendium of Open Access Databases recommends to access these video tutorials for further details.
Electronic Books
Electronic Books are digital file containing a body of text and images suitable for distributing electronically and displaying on-screen in a manner similar to a printed book. E-books can be created by converting a printer’s source files to formats optimized for easy downloading and on-screen reading, or they can be drawn from a database or a set of text files that were not created solely for print.
The BCcampus OpenEd, funded by the Ministry of Advanced Education in British Columbia, is a searchable collection of open textbooks created to make post-secondary education more accessible by reducing student expenditures through the use of openly licensed textbooks and other educational resources. The curated collection aligns with the top 40 subject areas in BC, including art and design, business, sciences, education, engineering, humanities, language, law, mathematics, and social sciences. Many of these textbooks have been reviewed by faculty, fulfill specific accessibility standards, and/or include supplemental content like quizzes, test banks, slides, videos, and so on. These textbooks are available to view online, download, and print.
Filipinas Heritage Library is a part of Ayala Foundation’s Arts and Culture Division. It is a digital research library in the Philippines with a mission to spark interest in the different aspects of artistic literature of Filipinos. It aims to develop its wide variety of collections and materials made by Filipino or is about the Philippines. Its collection, mainly focusing on history and culture, allows users to have access to it even if you don't have an account. It also promotes a love of reading.
​FreeComputerBooks serves as a compilation of retrievable links to free online resources (particularly eBooks, lecture notes, tutorials, etc.) mainly concentrated in the fields of Information Technology, Computer Science, and Mathematics. This database includes 13 top-level categories, namely, Computer Languages, Computer Science, Data Science/Databases, Electrical Engineering, Java and Java EE (J2EE), Linux and Unix, Mathematics, Microsoft and .NET, Mobile Computing, Networking and Communications, Software Engineering, Special Topics, and Web Programming. End users can explore this directory through category search, pattern search, and keyword search. Each item/search result features an eBook’s bibliographic information, book description, author information, reviews, ratings, recommendations, and its read and download links. Its developers encourage end users to share free online resources (free from copyright violations) that haven’t been listed in this database.
The HathiTrust Digital Library is a non-profit digital repository that shelters 17+ million preserved and digitized items initiated and obtained by a cooperative effort of academic and research libraries from distinguishing sources such as Google, the Internet Archive, Microsoft, and in-house member institution initiatives. This highly functioning repository imparts prolonged full access to digital contents of scholarly works and collections, permissible by the U.S. copyright law. This repository primarily caters to users from partner institutions to attain access to a larger number of volumes and features more than guest readers. Users can locate titles through the primary catalog search, full-text search, and full-text advanced search. As part of their user-friendly agenda, users are allowed to build their personalized collection by adding titles to their customized collections. This platform is ensured to be of great credibility as community standards and best practices are strictly observed to properly maneuver the entirety of the open infrastructure, including the contents and services.
​The papers and journals of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are published by the National Academies Press (NAP). The NAP publishes over 200 books per year on a variety of topics in science, engineering, and medicine, offering credible, independently-researched information on important scientific and health policy. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, non profit organizations that provide expert advice on some of the nation's and world's most pressing issues.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) of the Philippines is the country's overall policy-making, coordinating, and grants-giving body for the preservation, development, and promotion of Philippine arts and culture. It also serves as an executing agency for the policies it develops, as well as administering the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts (NEFCA), a fund dedicated solely to the successful execution of culture and arts programs and initiatives. The site offers resources for culture and development, education, artistic excellence, promotions for culture and arts, conservation of cultural heritage, and cultural diplomacy.
The Open Textbook Library is a free and open-access library that contains open textbooks that have been licensed by authors and publishers to be freely used and adapted. Users are free to download, edit, and distribute. This database now has 1019 open textbooks and is constantly expanding. The Open Education Network is the supporter of the Open Textbook Library.
​The PHL CHED Connect Platform is an online platform that contains higher education course materials in the form of text, media, and other digital assets which can be used for teaching, learning, and research. They enable educators to integrate and update numerous educational resources, providing for more multidisciplinary teaching and learning experiences. PHL CHED Connect provides access to a variety of resources for teaching, learning, and research. including course materials, modules, lectures, videos, and podcasts where anyone can search across numerous disciplines, education levels, and education standards.
The Pressbooks Directory is an excellent site to look for open educational resources (OER). Over 2500 open textbooks and other free educational materials are available to browse and use. This directory contains a database of 3,537 books from 113 different Pressbooks networks. When combined with a PressbooksEDU Authoring & Editing Platform, which enables users to clone, revise, remix, and redistribute all of the publicly licensed material found through this Directory, the Pressbooks Directory becomes even more valuable. They assist individuals and organizations in developing and sharing ideas. Educators, writers, researchers, scholars, artists, and makers have access to strong content creation, adaptation, and sharing capabilities.
Open Culture is a free and open database that may be accessed from anywhere in the world. This database is also multidisciplinary, which means that its users can access a wide range of subjects for free. Materials for K-12 students and teachers, as well as college students and instructors, are included. This database also contains materials in many media, such as audio books, e-books, podcasts, and so on. Open Culture searches the web for the most effective educational media. Open Culture discovers free courses and materials that users require, language lessons and educational videos that users want, and lots of enlightenment in between.