Grants:IdeaLab/Import and adapt open textbooks
Project idea[edit]
What is the problem you're trying to solve?[edit]
Despite potential to do so, Wikimedia projects have failed to produce a standard set of college text books, and Wikimedia projects are not providing a set of up-to-date-enough textbooks from any source. Enough time has passed to support the argument that this is not about to happen organically, but perhaps the problem is that if someone sets up infrastructure by making examples then the Wikimedia community can maintain textbooks which someone else establishes and sets up for distribution.
What is your solution?[edit]
Boundless is a United States-based textbook producer which compiles textbooks largely using Wikimedia content. Their textbooks have gotten high praise from good media sources. These books are compiled and published under Wikimedia compatible CC-licensing. They are available for download through the Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks platforms, but are not available through a free and open format. They are also available online. They are not available for download and cannot be viewed without an active data connection.
I propose that a person who could tolerate the tedious manual adaptation of these textbooks to a free and open format and into Wikimedia's own Wikibooks format be funded to establish the first downloadable, highly praised, contemporary textbooks that Wikimedia projects have ever offered.
I have no idea who this person might be, but they might first adapt one textbook and bill for their time somehow. If it seems clever, maybe they could do a few more, so that the Wikimedia community can have a base from which to develop this underserved communication channel. No one wants to be the first, and this work would be very boring, which is why I think this should be a paid position! Let's set a model for adapting this content here!
Another similar publisher with CC-By textbooks is OpenStax College, and their books likewise could be brought into Wikimedia projects for adaptation and redistribution.
Goals[edit]
Get Involved[edit]
Participants[edit]
Unaware of this proposal, I uploaded several open textbooks as pdf files into wikiversity --18:41, 24 April 2017 (UTC)
- v:File:Openstax Astronomy-LR.pdf
- v:File:College-physics-9.72.pdf
- v:File:CalculusVolume1-OP.pdf
- v:File:CalculusVolume2-OP.pdf
- v:File:CalculusVolume3-LR.pdf
- v:File:Openstax_University_Physics_Volume_1-LR.pdf
- v:File:University Physics Volume 2-LR 20161006.pdf
- v:File:UniversityPhysicsVolume3-LR.pdf
Endorsements[edit]
- There is already some Egyptian textbooks under open source loaded to Commons, those annd others could be the focus of such a project. ShakespeareFan00 (talk) 11:59, 4 September 2014 (UTC)