OSU Libraries & Press and Open Oregon State, launched an innovative partnership to create an Open Textbook initiative that aims to reduce the cost for course materials while also ensuring that the materials created are peer reviewed and undergo a rigorous editing process. Several different projects were outlined and RFP’s were issued.
OSU faculty have been solicited to submit proposals for textbooks that fit the OSULP’s area of emphasis. These imprints would be fully supported by the process that others manuscripts follow for publication, but would be available online at no-cost to students. These would also contain interactive multimedia.
OSU faculty have been solicited to submit “pub-ready” book manuscripts that could be used in OSU courses, and are in need of a publishing platform and distribution assistance. These works could be published under a separate OSULP/Open Oregon State imprint, with the Press acting as a consultant rather than publisher. However, if the subject matter was appropriate for the Press’ areas of specialization, a given work could be an official Press publication.
Proposals were submitted by faculty and chosen by a committee. Each is at a different stage in the process. This presentation seeks to highlight how the process has worked, how others can begin these partnerships and what the future could possibly hold for new projects.
