OpenStax Microbiology Book in the Works
OpenStax College, the Rice University-based publisher of free,
peer-reviewed textbooks, has partnered with the American Society for Microbiology
(ASM) Press to produce a new introductory microbiology textbook.
The new textbook is scheduled for release in spring 2016 and will be
available for free online or at low cost in print. This is the first
collaborative publishing agreement for both publishers.
“ASM Press and
OpenStax College will work together to recruit lead content authors and
reviewers, and ASM Press will also provide editorial guidance and interactive
media content,” said David Harris, editor-in-chief of OpenStax College,
in a prepared statement.
The textbook will align with ASM's latest curriculum guidelines, which the
organization "adopted in 2012 in response to the American Association for the
Advancement of Science’s “Vision and Change Report,” which
recommended sweeping changes to biology and life sciences curricula based on
input from thousands of life sciences educators worldwide," according to
information from Rice University.
OpenStax College first launched in 2012 with two titles. The publisher now
offers 10 titles for introductory physics, sociology, statistics, anatomy and
physiology, biology, precalculus, economics, United States history and
psychology. In addition to Microbiology, the publisher plans to add 10 more
titles by 2017 and eventually offer textbooks for the 25 most attended college
courses. So far, OpenStax College's textbooks have been used in more than 1,600
courses worldwide.
OpenStax College makes all of its textbooks available for free online or at
low-cost in print with the help of philanthropic gifts from major foundations,
including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Laura and John Arnold
Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the 20 Million Minds
Foundation, the Maxfield Foundation, the Calvin K. Kazanjian Foundation, the
Bill and Stephanie Sick Fund and the Leon Lowenstein Foundation.
Further information about OpenStax College's open education resources can be
found on the OpenStax site.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].