The document discusses the rising costs of textbooks and the potential for open educational resources (OER) to help address this issue. It notes that textbook prices have risen much faster than inflation or other costs like tuition. This has made textbooks unaffordable for many students and negatively impacted their academic performance. The document then introduces OER as freely available resources that can be legally adapted and shared, and provides examples of OER repositories and initiatives. It discusses evidence that using OER can reduce costs for students and institutions without harming learning outcomes. The document advocates for policies and programs to promote greater OER adoption.