The checklist below is written for authors working with library staff to design a new open textbook.
In the Design stage of an open textbook project, you’ll need to:
- Learn how Pressbooks book themes work.
- Learn how to search for Pressbooks book themes.
- Familiarise yourself with Pressbook book themes for academic and educational texts.
- Learn how to use Pressbooks Theme Options.
- Learn how to create Custom Styles in Pressbooks.
- Apply your style guide to visual elements like formatting and design.
- Understand how accessibility relates to open textbooks.
- Understand how universal design relates to open textbooks.
- Follow the accessibility checklist for open textbooks.
- Add an accessibility statement to your textbook.
- Understand how diversity and inclusion relates to open textbooks.
- Consider how you can make your textbook diverse and inclusive.
- Avoid ‘Othering’.
- Acknowledge the limits of your perspective.
- Make a book cover for Pressbooks.
- Consider using the Pressbooks Cover Generator.
- Find out how to change your webbook cover.
- Find out how to create a print on demand book cover.
- Find out how to turn an ebook cover into a print cover.
- Remember to keep checking copyright.
Adapted from ‘Checklist’ in Authoring Open Textbooks by Melissa Falldin and Karen Lauritsen licensed under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
