Hello Code4Lib,

Thought I would share the news during Open Access Week... Best wishes. Cyril


SUNY Faculty and libraries published two free online open textbooks
today; *Literature,
the Humanities and Humanity* by Theodore Steinberg, and *Native Peoples of
North America* by Professor Susan Stebbins, Ph.D. are being released as
part of Open Access Week <http://www.openaccessweek.org/>, a global event
now in its sixth year that aims to promote open access in scholarship,
research, teaching, and learning.



Open SUNY Textbooks <http://opensuny.org/> is an open access textbook
publishing initiative established by State University of New York libraries
and supported by SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grants. This
initiative publishes high-quality, cost-effective course resources by
engaging faculty as authors and peer-reviewers, and libraries as publishing
infrastructure. The pilot launched in 2012, providing an editorial
framework and service to authors, students and faculty, and establishing a
community of practice among libraries. The first pilot is publishing 15
titles in 2013, with a second pilot to follow that will add more textbooks
and participating libraries.


Participating libraries in the 2012-2013 pilot include SUNY Geneseo,
College at Brockport, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY
Fredonia, Upstate Medical University, and University at Buffalo, with
support from other SUNY libraries and SUNY Press.



“Digital textbooks are the future of the academic publishing world,” said
Carey Hatch, SUNY associate provost for academic technologies and
information services. “The average college student nationally spends $1,200
on textbooks per year, and Open SUNY Textbooks positions us to cut those
costs for our students while putting them on a more direct path toward
completing their degree, which is still the most effective way to save
students money.”


The Open SUNY Textbook program will publish 15 books this fall on subjects
such as Anthropology, Business, Computer Science, Education, English,
Geological Sciences, Mathematics, Music Education, and Physics. Open SUNY
Textbooks will be made available for download at www.opensuny.org.



The two books released this week are:

   - *Literature, the Humanities and
Humanity<http://opensuny.org/omp/index.php/SUNYOpenTextbooks/catalog/book/76>
   * written by SUNY Fredonia Distinguished Teaching Professor Ted
   Steinberg, a professor at the college for more than 40 years. The book
   focuses on the reading and teaching of literature and will be used most
   frequently by English education majors.

“My profession has done a great job of taking literature away from people,
of making it seem inaccessible. This is my answer to that,” said Dr.
Steinberg. "As my career is winding down, I would like to give literature
back, make people realize that they can read literature and enjoy it. I
really believe in this project and the book.”



   - *Native Peoples of North
America<http://opensuny.org/omp/index.php/SUNYOpenTextbooks/catalog/book/75>
   * written by SUNY Potsdam Professor of Anthropology Dr. Susan
   Stebbins. The textbook is an anthropological introduction to the Native
   peoples of what are now the United States and Canada, focusing on
   presenting both historical and contemporary information from
   anthropological categories such as language, kinship, economic and
   political organization, religion and spirituality and art.

* *

For more information about the program, please see:  http://opensuny.org or
contact: Cyril Oberlander, Open SUNY Textbook PI, [log in to unmask]

-- 

Cyril Oberlander, Director, Milne Library
SUNY College at Geneseo
1 College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454
Email: [log in to unmask]  -  TEL: 585-245-5528  -  FAX: 585-245-5769  -
 Skype: cyriloberlander