Research Guides: * Earth and Environmental Sciences: Create Alt Textbooks

What to Consider Before Creating Open Textbooks

Even though an increasing number of openly licensed educational materials are available, some instructors prefer authoring their own open textbooks. A video series from the Rebus Community walks you through issues instructors may want to consider before embarking on the journey of creating new open educational resources. A companion publication, The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (So Far), is also available.

University of Kentucky instructors who have questions about the production of an open textbook are welcome to contact the library. We provide consultation and can put you in touch with relevant service points on campus as appropriate. Additionally, the following resources may be helpful:

Discussion of Creating Open Educational Resources

OpenStax College has created subject-related hubs for instructors to share teaching resources. Similarly, the Rebus Community connects instructors, librarians, and students who wish to collaboratively create openly licensed educational materials. It also hosts Webinars in which speakers share their insights and experiences of authoring and publishing open textbooks. Below are some of such Webinars.

Resources for Creating Open Educational Resources

Thanks to community efforts, a variety of resources are available to guide instructors along the way to create openly licensed educational materials. University of Kentucky faculty members who have questions are welcome to contact UK Libraries.

Open Textbook Network Publishing Curriculum
This online course was developed by the Open Textbook Network and is designed to provide pragmatic support to anyone involved in the creation of open textbook.
Creating, Licensing, and Publishing OER
Created by SUNY OER Services, this online course aims to inform instructors (especially those from SUNY) of what to consider before they start creating new OER from scratch.
Authoring Open Textbooks
The Open Textbook Network has released this guide to support individuals engaged in the production of open textbooks in higher education and K-12. The book covers case studies, textbook organization, writing resources, and useful tools.
Self-Publishing Guide
Created by BCCampus, this book offers assistance in the preparation, planning, writing, publication, and maintenance of an open textbook.
The OER Starter Kit Workbook
This guide includes "worksheets to help instructors practice the skills they need to confidently find, use, or even create open educational resources."
The Rebus Guide to Publishing Open Textbooks (So Far)
This "book-in-progress" is based on the Rebus Community's "two years of collaboration, innumerable conversations and exchanges, and a wide range of collective knowledge and experience."
A Guide to Making Open Textbooks with Students
Compiled by the Rebus Community, this book aims to assist instructors with the practice of open pedagogy by involving students in the creation of open textbooks and ancillary materials. Examples of OER-enabled pedagogy can be found on this page from the Open Education Group.
Open Pedagogy Approaches: Faculty, Library, and Student Collaborations
This is a compilation of case studies about open educational resources and open pedagogy projects that took place at U.S. higher education institutions.
Modifying an Open Textbook: What You Need to Know
This guide aims to help instructors assess the effort, expertise, and technical tools needed for modifying or customizing an open textbook.
Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Open Educational Resources
This guide aims to help adopters, adapters, and authors with fair use issues when they use or create open educational resources.
Open Attribution Builder
This online tool helps people generate an attribution statement when they reuse material that is made available under a Creative Commons license or is in the public domain.
Build a Lesson Using Free Government Resources
This presentation covers how to use government documents to create open educational resources and how to integrate government publications into teaching and learning.
Accessibility Guides and Evaluation Rubric
Affordable Learning Georgia has shared various resources regarding accessibility for open textbooks.
BC Open Textbook Accessibility Toolkit
This toolkit provides educators and other content creators with resources for the creation of truly open and accessible textbooks.

More resources for accessibility issues are available from this list compiled by the Rebus Community. Other helpful guides include the Open Textbook Toolkit and this page from the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials.

Authoring and Publishing Platforms

Some of the commonly used online platforms for creating open textbooks are as follows:

The University of Oklahoma Libraries has developed a markdown converter to enable open educational resources authors to turn well-structured documents into PDF, HTML, EPUB, and DOCX file formats. The video below shows how the converter works.

Adapting and Authoring OER: Lessons Learned

In the Webinar below, a librarian from Central Oregon Community College discusses how she worked with faculty members on developing an alternative textbook for a technical writing course. University of Kentucky faculty members who have questions are welcome to contact UK Libraries.