Can a student get an open textbook in print if they prefer?
Answer
This information is for faculty at RDP.
Physical copies of course materials are often preferred by students and instructors. Like many modern educational resources, most OER start as digital files before being converted to other formats.
Since OER are openly licensed, you can legally print 100% of the work. There is usually a price attached to this, to cover the cost of the physical materials.
There are a few options to print OER:
- You can print the OER yourself. At Red Deer Polytechnic, printing is available at the RDP Library and the RDP Print Centre.
- The publisher may sell print copies. For example, The American Yawp is a popular open textbook that is distributed by Stanford University Press.
- The title may be available through the BCCampus Open Textbooks Print-on-Demand service.
- A third-party platform may sell print copies. For example, you can commission copies through Lulu.com or Amazon.
