Full featured Pressbooks software

Pressbooks offers free-trials for use of the software and will then prompt the user to upgrade to subscription plans. There are, however, multiple entry points to use Pressbooks software through initiatives designed to support education and libraries. The needs of the staff, faculty, or community member help determine which path will be the most appropriate. 

Through Minnstate

There is a formal process to submit textbooks as an official OER resource through the MinnState system. MinnState offers access to full featured Pressbooks using Pressbooks EDU. Note that:

• Minnstate is only allowed 30 of these textbooks to be created a year
• There is an approval process before the textbook can be created
• Pressbooks EDU may have additional plugin integrations with H5P for embedded media and interactive content

Through this process, there are currently 25 texbooks from multiple MinnState schools in the directory from both two-year and four-year institutions.

Through the Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project (MLPP)

There is an additional statewide purchase of the Pressbooks software through the Minnesota Libraries Publishing Project (MLPP), utilized by multiple types of libraries. It is:

• Available to be used for broader purposes (novels, dissertations, poetry collections, children’s books, etc.) without prior approval
• Available to Minnesota residents based on geolocation IP authentication
• Not equipped with the H5P plugin capability

While used for broader purpose, this subscription still allows for more options than just using the Pressbooks software from the site itself.

Librarian Kendall Larson used this access point for class book writing projects in the Leadership Education and the Education Doctorate Programs. The software was used to compile student book chapters, and uploaded to OpenRiver, WSU’s Digital Repository. These are the examples:

• https://openriver.winona.edu/leadershipeducationbooks/
• https://openriver.winona.edu/educationeddbooks/

Kendall Larson also presented at a conference with several other librarians about how to use Pressbook software and what other resources might help in the creation of a Pressbooks publication. More about the panel is available through Digital Commons @ Macalester.