(Information from http://cartridgecatalog.blackboard.com)

What are Course Cartridges?
Course Cartridges are pre-packaged course materials, ready to use in Blackboard Learning System. They contain a variety of materials that can include slides, documents, multimedia files, links to related websites, test banks, and quizzes, all of professional editorial quality. The cartridge materials often correlate to a textbook or eBook, although some cartridges are meant to be used stand-alone. All Cartridge materials can be customized once they've been downloaded to your specific course site.

Check Availability and Demo Courses
You may be able to preview the course content in Blackboard by going to Blackboard Course Cartridge Catalog.

Does it have any Cost?
No for the instructor institution. Students typically purchase an access key in the bookstore, either bundled with or available separately from the textbook or other materials for the course. Students are prompted to enter a Student Access Code or Student Access Key the first time they encounter publisher content within a course. This is a one-time entry. After the key is entered, students will not need the key again and will be able to access the publisher content - from any PC/Mac - in the same way they access other content areas within a course.
Generally, each key may be used only once, so each student must have his or her own Student Access Code.

Can I Blend my Notes and Lectures with the Cartridge Content?
Yes. Publisher cartridges are totally customizable. You can pick and choose which elements you would like to use and blend it with your course content.

For additional information on how instructors use course cartridges, please review the following document: