By Sarah Thompson, W&M Libraries
William & Mary Press releases a “showcase book” to demonstrate for faculty how the Press produces books that are more accessible, interactive, and well-suited for their courses.
W&M Press is the publishing division of W&M Libraries. It focuses on publishing digital open access books that fill gaps in the curriculum. The publications are created via the Pressbooks platform.
Kay Helm, open publishing specialist, is a co-author of the showcase book. She lives and breathes Pressbooks, but most don’t know what it can do and that can make the process feel unapproachable. Her mission was to deliver a visual guide for people to see the potential in action.
“When we say write a book, people only think of print,” Helm said. “What we do is interactive and accessibility-driven, so when we say write a book, we mean so much more.”
As Helm scrolled through the sections of the showcase book, she rattled off a list of features faculty could choose to incorporate in their work. They can integrate the book into their class platforms like Canvas and Blackboard, facilitate class discussions directly in the book, gamify sections to build retention through built-in interactive elements, embed audio files, and much more.
In his statistical textbook, mathematics professor Larry Leemis’ complex equations can be read by screen readers. In Jack Martin’s Mvskoke Language Patterns, audio files of the alphabet and basic words are included to help readers practice pronunciation. In the republishing of the College of William & Mary: A History, the online format includes color images whereas the original print only had black & white. None of which could be done through traditional publishing.
Tools are constantly evolving. Attention to detail is important, which means Helm works for months on projects to ensure everything functions properly. Her motivation never wavers.
“When I’m working, I’m thinking about who will benefit,” she explained. “With open access work in particular, you never know where it will end up or who will use it, who it will impact, and that’s a big motivator.”
This week (March 2-6) marks the celebration of Open Education Week. A global effort to make education more affordable and accessible. Helm felt that the release of the showcase book during OE Week was timely and necessary. She hopes to continue updating it as she learns new practices and tools.
“It can be difficult to imagine what is possible when creating an open educational resource, because they do not need to mimic traditional publications,” said Mary Oberlies, head of publishing and open access. “We’re excited to highlight several possibilities faculty can integrate into an open textbook published with W&M Press and hope the showcase book will serve as inspiration and a launching pad for endeavors.”
View W&M Press current & forthcoming projects. View W&M Press showcase book on Pressbooks.