Nonprofit publishers plan to offer free introductory-level textbook title in spring 2016.
Rice University-based publisher OpenStax College and the American Society for Microbiology Press are teaming up to produce Microbiology, a new introductory-level textbook due for release in spring 2016 that will be free online and low-cost in print.
The collaborative publishing agreement — the first for each partner — will produce a peer-reviewed, open-copyright textbook. More than 300,000 U.S. college students take an introductory microbiology course for allied health majors each year, and the new book could save them an estimated $30 million over the next four years, according to Richard Baraniuk, the founder and director of OpenStax College and Rice’s Victor E. Cameron Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
“Partnering with OpenStax College on this new microbiology textbook shows our interest in delivering the highest-quality scholarly content as broadly and accessibly as possible,” said Christine Charlip, director of ASM Press.
(Next page: More details on OpenStax College’s textbook plans)
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland's prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism. Latest posts by Laura Ascione (see all) - Weak tech could push students, faculty to other institutions - April 13, 2026
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