California Passes Bills to Create Open-Source Digital Library for College Textbooks

UPDATED 10/4: Response to AAP By Million Minds Foundation

UPDATED 10/4: This Road to “Free” is Paved with Misinformation
The AAP weighs in on open textbooks includes their own version of infographic below.

UPDATED 9/29: Governor Jerry Brown Signs Open Textbook Legislation (via Creative Commons)
From VentureBeat

The California State Senate today [Friday, August 31, 2012] passed two bills, SB 1052 and SB 1053, designed to provide students at public postsecondary institutions with access to free digital textbooks for popular lower-division courses and to open source the curriculum to facility members.
The bills are said to create the nation’s first free open source digital library for college students and faculty. California Governor Jerry Brown’s signature is required before the bills are enacted into law.

From 20 Million Minds Foundation News Release:

The legislation creates a competitive “Request for Proposals” (RFP) process inviting faculty, publishers, and others to develop high quality digital open source textbooks and related courseware.  The materials would be placed under a “Creative Commons” licensing structure that would not only allow students and faculty free access, but would also allow instructors to create customized materials from the textbooks and other courseware.  To ensure the materials meet the rigorous standards of college core curricula, all material would be reviewed and approved by subject matters.

Read the Legislation

SB-1052: Public postsecondary education: California Open Education Resources Council
SB-1053: Public postsecondary education: California Digital Open Source Library

Filed under: Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Digital Collections, Interactive Tools, Libraries, News