New and Noteworthy is the City Tech Library OER Team’s monthly roundup of notable open educational resources. We try to include at least one open resource relevant to each school at City Tech in every post. At the end of the month, these resources will be compiled and distributed by the library liaison for your department. Please contact us if you know of new or particularly interesting OER to share with our colleagues or would like more information about open educational resources initiatives at City Tech.
Architecture
- The Design of the Built Environment: The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Campus and Its Context, by Kevin J. Hinders, Windsor & Downs Press (2025). License: CC BY-NC
“Kevin J. Hinders’s The Design of the Built Environment offers an exploration of the architectural, cultural, and historical development of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus and its surrounding context. Structured around thematic walking tours, the manuscript examines architectural principles and then uses the campus and its surroundings to illustrate the concepts. It delves into the evolution of public spaces, technical design considerations, and the influence of local, regional, and national planning.”
Biological Sciences
- Applications of Control Charts for Quality Improvement in Health Care, by Jerome Niyiora, SUNY Polytechnic Institute (2020). License: CC BY-NC-SA
“This textbook introduces students to the application methods of control charts to improve quality in health care. The textbook is written to be accessible to any student in the areas of health information management, health care informatics, and health care industrial engineering. Additionally, samples of a Python code are included and can directly be accessed in a Jupyter Notebook at https://github.com/JeromeNN. This textbook is not meant to be a comprehensive manuscript regarding quality improvement in health care. Instructors and students can supplement the chapter reading with additional resources, such as those referenced in the bibliography section of this text. The reader is also encouraged to consult a complementary textbook by the same author, titled Basic Tools for Quality Improvement in Health Care Informatics.”
Business
- The Business Behind the Business: An Introduction to Supply Chain Management, by Evan Barlow; Francois Carrier; Hugo Decampos; Ben Neve; and Shane Schvaneveldt, Weber State University (2025).
License: CC BY-NC-ND
“The Business Behind the Business: An Introduction to Supply Chain Management is a relatively non-technical introductory resource into the field of operations and supply chain management. While it was developed as a textbook for sophomore-level business students, it can easily be adapted to teach advanced high school courses. While this book was written to serve the function of a textbook, anyone wanting to learn more about improving business performance would benefit from reading this book.”
Career & Technology Teacher Education
- Teaching Methods & Practices, by Jason Proctor, Online Consortium of Oklahoma (2025). License: CC BY
“This book is intended to serve as a resource for novice teachers as they master the art of effective classroom management, assessment, and lesson planning. At the undergraduate level, this book is designed to accompany the instruction in the EDUC 4353: Secondary Teaching Methods & Practices course before the full-internship experience. Each chapter presents a component of the teaching and learning process critical for teacher development and describes how that component is relevant to the classroom.”
Computer Systems Technology
- Beyond Coding, by David Tuffley, Griffith University (2025).
License: CC BY-NC
“In today’s competitive IT industry, technical skills alone are no longer enough to succeed. This book teaches essential soft skills that transform technical professionals into complete IT leaders. You will master clear communication for diverse audiences, build strong teams through collaboration and conflict resolution, and solve complex problems with structured thinking.”
English
- Technical Report Writing Guidelines, by Leah M. Akins, Milne Open Textbooks (2023). License: CC BY-NC-SA
“This document specifies the recommended format to be used when submitting a formal technical report in a variety of disciplines and purposes. Also, this manual can be used as a guide to compose less formal reports, such as lab reports, that may consist of a subset of the items presented here. It is a useful general guide from which faculty can specify the particular requirements for reports in their courses. Now in its eleventh iteration, the text was updated in July 2023 to include guidance on the use of AI in technical writing.”
Hospitality Management
- Applied Accounting for Hospitality, by Jangwoo Jo (2025).
License: CC BY-NC
“Applied Accounting for Hospitality equips hospitality majors and industry practitioners with the financial literacy required to make sound managerial decisions in hotels, restaurants, event venues, and related services. The resource emphasizes interpretation and application over manual bookkeeping: learners read financial statements, compute and analyze ratios and key performance indicators (KPIs), forecast demand and revenues, prepare budgets, and evaluate internal controls to safeguard assets and improve performance. Technology-enabled accounting (e.g., PMS/POS integrations and consolidated reporting platforms) is treated as the default operational context throughout.”
Human Services
- Human Services Practicum, by Yvonne M. Smith, Open Oregon Educational Resources (2025). License: CC BY
“This interactive and inclusive human services text assists diverse students in applying theory to practice in a variety of field settings including public and private nonprofit organizations as well as governmental agencies. The text is intended to accompany students’ fieldwork experience and covers the stages of an internship experience, the ethics and challenges of being an intern, as well as effective use of supervision. Each chapter includes student learning objectives aligned with the Council for Standards in Human Services Education (CSHSE). Special focus is given to diverse learning styles and experiences, the variety of service settings, and services across cultures. Each chapter is accompanied by a compilation of activities to help students and instructors get the most out of their reading. These activities include journal prompts, self-care activities, class discussion topics as well as suggested assignments.”
Mathematics
- Representation Theory, by Jan Grabowski, Open Book Publishers (2025). License: CC BY-NC
“This volume offers a fresh and modern introduction to one of abstract algebra’s key topics. Guiding readers through the transition between structure theory and representation theory, this textbook explores how algebraic objects like groups and rings act as symmetries of other structures. Using the accessible yet powerful language of category theory, the book reimagines standard approaches to topics such as modules and algebras in a way that unlocks modern treatments of more advanced topics such as quiver representations and even representations of Hopf algebras and categories. Aimed at undergraduate students with prior exposure to linear algebra and basic group theory, the book introduces categories early and uses them throughout, providing a cohesive framework that mirrors current mathematical research. Though technically sophisticated, it also includes examples and exercises designed to develop intuition and understanding.”
Mechanical Engineering Technology
- Introduction to Machining, by Micky R. Jennings, D.M. Donner, and Tim A. Bacon, Washington Open ProfTech (2025). License: CC BY
“Introduction to Machining is authored by experienced professionals from the machining industry who are now educators in Washington State. This book offers a diverse and practical perspective, drawing on the authors’ firsthand knowledge and expertise. Students will benefit from comprehensive insights into industry practices, real-world applications, and the foundational concepts essential for success in the field.”
Nursing
- Introduction to Healthcare Professions, by Anita Hedlund; Brandon Censon, Christine Malone, Karen Piette, Katie Baker, and Kristen Hosey, Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges (2025). License: CC BY
“Introduction to Healthcare Professions aims to act as a guide to community technical college students navigating the healthcare world for the first time. Our approach is meant to provide context to a diverse and dynamic field. We hope that learners will feel empowered to make the leap into a specific path or specialty based on the careers we have outlined.” - Human Development for Healthcare Professionals, by Jamie Peterson, Press Books (2025). License: CC BY-NC-SA
“This book provides an overview of lifespan developmental tasks, covering physical, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects from a psychological perspective. It explores the various stages of human development, discussing the key challenges and milestones encountered at each stage. It also includes foundational research and theory on health psychology, motivation and psychological disorders, as well as how health and identity intersect. This book is intended for students planning to pursue a career in healthcare.”
Radiologic Technology & Medical Imaging
- Introduction to Healthcare Professions, by Anita Hedlund; Brandon Censon, Christine Malone, Karen Piette, Katie Baker, and Kristen Hosey, Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges (2025). License: CC BY
“Introduction to Healthcare Professions aims to act as a guide to community technical college students navigating the healthcare world for the first time. Our approach is meant to provide context to a diverse and dynamic field. We hope that learners will feel empowered to make the leap into a specific path or specialty based on the careers we have outlined.”
City Tech OER team:
Cailean Cooney, Assistant Professor, OER Librarian: ccooney@citytech.cuny.edu Joshua Peach, Adjunct OER Librarian: jpeach@citytech.cuny.edu
Jo Thompson, Adjunct OER Librarian: jthompson@citytech.cuny.edu
Sara Sarmiento, Adjunct Reference and Instruction Librarian
