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Open Textbook Library Reaches 1,000 Titles

Just in time for its 10-year anniversary, the Open Textbook Library's collection of open education resources has surpassed 1,000 titles. Launched in 2012, the Library is an online catalog of openly licensed materials hosted by the Open Education Network (OEN), a membership community based at the University of Minnesota's Center for Open Education.

The Library offers faculty book reviews and downloadable textbooks in multiple formats (including PDF, ODF, XML and Ebook), covering subjects such as business, computer science, education, engineering, humanities, journalism, law, mathematics, medicine, natural and social sciences and student success. The thousandth book in the collection: Botany in Hawaiʻi, by Daniela Dutra Elliott and Paula Mejia Velasquez, added in March. OEN expects to grow the Library "as OER garners increasing acceptance and approval from faculty, and as the broader open education movement continues to gain momentum," according to a news announcement.

"The Library visibly demonstrates our commitment to a more equitable higher education system," commented David Ernst, executive director of the OEN and founder of the Open Textbook Library, in a statement. "At this 10-year milestone mark, we're thrilled with the Library's success and see it as a reflection of the community's generosity with their time, expertise and resources."

"It has been exciting to watch the Open Textbook Library's continuing development," said Merinda McLure, OER co-lead and health & human sciences librarian at the University of Colorado Boulder. "It is difficult to describe adequately the central importance of the Library to supporting educators' adoption, adaptation, and creation of open textbooks across higher education institutions."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

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