Points of Engagement: What is the Open Textbook Collaborative and How to Get Involved

In renewing the Open Textbook Program grants this past year, the U.S. Department of Education updated their Absolute Priorities to focus on addressing gaps in the “Open Textbook Marketplace.” This reprioritization reflects the success of initiatives such as OpenStax and the Open Textbook Network in providing for general education courses as a way to maximize the financial impact of their efforts. Our (now-funded) proposal to create a Community College-led, state-wide Open Textbook Collaborative in New Jersey seeks to fill an important need for Open Textbooks that support Vocational and Career Education programs, reducing the burdens borne, in many cases, by students from historically-disadvantaged groups and providing them with pathways to remunerative career opportunities in growth industries. In this session, we will discuss different ways attendees can get involved in our career-oriented Open Textbook publishing initiative based on a library-led collaboration between educational institutions, professional associations, and industry partners