3.4 Library as Publisher

For some libraries, their role in supporting OER includes serving as the publisher of these materials. However, that path isn't for all libraries! Below you'll find an overview of the considerations librarians should review when deciding if and how to put together an OER publishing program, as well as some resources that you may decide to investigate in more depth.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Publishing1

Diversity, equity, and inclusion matter in higher education and publishing, and there is a lot to learn and do in addressing inequity. Here are definitions and starting points to keep in mind when it comes to creating open textbooks.

Diversity

Diversity refers to having a range of people across gender identities, racial backgrounds, geographic locations, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, ability, sexual orientation, and other characteristics represented and participating in a space, event, or community.

Although diversity has a lot to do with who’s in the (sometimes metaphorical) room — it’s more than that. A diverse community also considers whether people from a wide range of backgrounds can meaningfully engage at all levels of the community. This means diversity also has to do with whose perspectives are being heard, who gets to make decisions, and more.

Equity

Equity is another word for fairness. Equity is an approach that recognizes that the magnitude of systemic barriers posed to a particular person will vary based on their gender identity, race, geographic location, class, age, ability, sexual orientation and other factors. Equity recognizes that different people will need different amounts of resources or support in order to succeed and overcome these barriers. It is important to note that equity is different than equality, because equality-based approaches assume that everyone should be treated the same. Unlike equity, equality ignores the fact that different people begin with different resources and barriers, and therefore will need more or less support as a result.

Inclusion

Inclusion takes diversity one step further. When we talk about diversity, we are talking about having a wide range of voices and perspectives present and participating. When we talk about inclusivity, we are talking about communities, spaces, events, or solutions that are designed to be for people from a wide range of backgrounds. This means a space can be diverse, but not inclusive; you can have people from different backgrounds at an event, but do they feel welcome? Are you forcing them to adapt to a space that isn’t built for them? Designing an inclusive event translates to everything from physical space (are people using wheelchairs able to enter the venue you’ve chosen?) to workshop content (do your workshop materials assume that all participants will be coming from a similar social, cultural, or racial context?)

Definitions from Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion: Learnings & Next Steps (Links to an external site.)
 (CC BY 4.0 (Links to an external site.)). An OpenCon Report On Conference Planning. Version 1 - Released July 10, 2017.

Content Considerations

When writing an open textbook, include a wide range of perspectives and experiences, both in text and in images and examples. This can help ensure that more readers identify with and relate to the material. Some benefits are:

  • Engaging more students because they recognize themselves or their life experiences in the material
  • Appealing to instructors in a variety of educational settings
  • Creating a more interesting reading and learning experience

Whether intentional or not, ethnocentrism — “a tendency to view alien groups or cultures from the perspective of one’s own” — can creep into the content and presentation of a textbook, and it is something all authors should work to address.

Since the work is openly licensed, additional instructors may want to adapt the published work for use in their contexts. Some changes could include:

  • Translating the book into a different language
  • Adjusting the content to meet the local cultural, regional, and geographical needs
  • Revising the material for a different learning environment

Adapted from Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion (Links to an external site.) in the Self-Publishing Guide (Links to an external site.) by Lauri Aesoph (CC BY 4.0 (Links to an external site.)).

Additional Resources

Structuring the Work

Starting and maintaining an OER publishing platform is no easy task and will require careful consideration of the work roles necessary, funding model, resources and technology needed, and more. 

Publishing Platforms2

You may want to consider what authoring and publishing platforms you're in a position to support in your publishing program. Some programs leave it up to the author to work in whatever program they're comfortable in. However, that may mean a lot of editing and formatting for someone else in order to make the textbook accessible or available in a clean, portable format. There are many, many publishing platforms and tools. A few are frequently leveraged for open textbook production, and those are highlighted here.

  • Pressbooks
    • Authors can write directly in Pressbooks Links to an external site. or import the manuscript into it later. It's built on WordPress, so anyone familiar with using WordPress and a WYSIWYG may be comfortable using this tool. In addition to a making an online book, you're simultaneously creating your book in a variety of file formats, including EPUB, PDF, HTMLBook, and XML formats.
  • Ketida
    • Ketida Links to an external site. is an open source, web-based editing and production workflow tool that makes format-flexible documents. It includes project management capabilities, including the option to establish deadlines, assign reviewing tasks, manage communication, and set permission levels. Authors can review and respond to edits directly in the online system.
  • LaTeX
  • Google Docs & Microsoft Word
    • Arguably the two most popular authoring tools for writing textbooks are Google Docs and MS Word.
    • Google Docs is free and online. It allows for multiple authors and editing, which can work well for groups writing together. Collaborators can @ each other with comments, make suggestions, and track revisions. You can also upload existing files to Google Docs, and export to both PDF and EPUB.
    • Microsoft Word is a tool available for purchase and installation on a personal computer. Most people have access to it through their institution. Users have to deliver the file to others in order for them to access it, usually via email or online file sharing. It's possible to track changes and to ask others to leave comments and suggestions. You can save a Word file as a PDF.
  • OERPUB Textbook Editor

Common Roles3

It takes diverse expertise to produce a consistent, quality publication. In addition to the author, there are typically many other people involved in textbook production. Involving as many people in these key roles as possible per project will result in a consistent publication. You may have in-house expertise in the areas listed below, or choose to work with freelancers. 

  • Copy editor: Ensures the textbook makes sense and has a consistent structure and voice.
  • Developmental Editor: Provides consultation on content structure and flow at the early stages.
  • Graphic Designer: Designs cover and potentially other content, including illustrations and infographics.
  • Instructional Designer: Identifies consistent design elements for best student learning and textbook consistency. Similar to developmental editor.
  • Librarian: Ensures copyright, open license, public domain, and other compliance.
  • Marketer: Provides marketing plan and support to promote the book.
  • Printer: Provides print copies.
  • Project Manager: Ensures the success of the project by managing people, timelines, and processes to get the book to print. 
  • Proofreader: Reviews the textbook for grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors and makes corrections.
  • Typesetter: Creates consistent appearance of the textbook’s text, layout, and spacing.

The project manager may have the most important role. Read about the kinds of responsibilities this project leader may have. 

Funding4

In terms of money, open textbooks are free for students, faculty, and anyone else to use. But they’re not free to produce. If your institution decides to publish an open textbook, you'll need to think about how you're going to compensate not only the author but, potentially, others involved in the process as well. The cost of producing an open textbook is often underestimated.

Funding and compensation come in different forms. Besides cash, in-kind contributions should be considered. For example, you may be able to offer much of the necessary support by providing access to instructional designers, librarians, or in-house copy editors.

Typically, the creation of an open textbook is funded (often through grants) by:

  • Government (provincial or state, federal)
  • Philanthropic organizations (e.g., Hewlett Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
  • Professional societies (e.g., Association for Psychological Science)
  • Consortia (e.g., Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction)
  • A faculty author’s post-secondary institution (grant, release time, in-kind contributions, other)

Your library's publishing program may help authors by helping them find external funding, or by soliciting funding from within the institution. In the latter case, funding can take the form of a grant program, an award, or a stipend. 

Calls for Proposals5

It's up to each publishing program to define and select which open textbooks to support. This way, you can best accommodate your local student and faculty priorities. In some programs, the decision may be made based on self-selection, or a willingness to experiment. For example, a faculty member may show up at your door, asking for support in developing an open textbook. This can be a great opportunity to figure things out together, especially in emerging programs. Other publishing programs may choose to target high-enrollment courses or subject gaps.

Whatever your priorities, the call for proposals is your first opportunity to set expectations. Be clear about the author's roles and responsibilities in your application. For example, we recommend asking for author acknowledgement that they understand the CC BY requirements.

Here are a few institutional examples to check out:

In addition, here is a Sample Manuscript Information Sheet (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from the Library Publishing Curriculum (CC BY).

Author Agreements

Once you've selected your faculty authors, it'll be important to establish a contract with authors that aligns with your institution's policies while allowing the author to share the work as openly as they desire. The Adaptable OER Publishing Agreement (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (CC BY) was designed to be a starting point for higher education institutions that want to contract with their faculty to create OER. It was developed in a way that makes it easy for institutions to edit the agreement to meet their own campus intellectual property policy requirements. Creative Commons USA, the Rebus Community, and the Open Education Network worked together to create this document.

Putting the Adaptable OER Publishing Agreement to use will be a valuable process. Not only will it clarify expectations, but it will spell out who owns the copyright and reflect what faculty union/bargaining agreements may allow at your institution. Finally, watch the video below5 for an account by Meredith Jacob, Assistant Director, Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property, and Public Lead, Creative Commons USA, Washington College of Law, about why a publishing agreement is so important.

Additional Resources

If you'd like to further explore publishing, below are some resources to get you started.

Footnotes

  1. The text in this section is from Open Textbook Publishing Orientation (Pub101) by Open Education Network, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Links to an external site.
  2. The text in this section is from OEN Publishing Curriculum, adapted from Authoring Tools Links to an external site. in Authoring Open Textbooks by Open Education Network, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Links to an external site.
  3. The text in this section is adapted from "Defining Your Role Links to an external site." in Authoring Open Textbooks by Open Education Network, licensed under CC BY 4.0.  Links to an external site.
  4. The text in this section is adapted from Who Pays for This? Links to an external site. by Lauri Aesoph, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Links to an external site.
  5. The text in this section is adapted from the OEN Publishing Curriculum, licensed under CC BY 4.0.  Links to an external site.
  6. "Office Hours: MOUs, Contracts and Agreements Links to an external site." (2018) by Rebus Community and OEN on YouTube, licensed under CC BY 3.0. Links to an external site.

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