We hope to see other libraries and publishers collaborating on this type of resource. It makes sense.
From WVU:
West Virginia University Press and the WVU Libraries have launched West Virginia History: An Open Access Reader, a free, online collection of previously published essays drawn from the journal West Virginia History and other WVU Press publications.
The collection covers the history of the territory that became West Virginia from European settlement to mountaintop removal, and is especially suitable for use in courses on state history.
“I love everything about this project – serving the needs of students, sharing the history of West Virginia, harnessing the power of technology, and collaborating between West Virginia University and Marshall,” WVU President Gordon Gee said. “This is the kind of responsive and innovative work that we want to become the ‘new normal’ for higher education in meeting the needs of our state.”
Ken Fones-Wolf, professor of history and Stuart and Joyce Robbins Chair at WVU, selected essays for the project along with Kevin Barksdale, associate professor of history at Marshall University.
This e-textbook is available in HTML, PDF, and EPUB formats.
Read the Complete Announcement
Direct to West Virginia History: An Open Access Reader Website
Direct to Table of Contents