Print on demand is a service for which individual copies of a textbook can be printed as requested (on demand).

Print on demand (PoD) is a service or process by which individual copies of a textbook or other resource that is usually available as a digital file can be printed upon request. This method allows publishers to provide books for a fixed cost per copy regardless of order size, be it one or one hundred copies. Prior to the digital age, most information was available in books that were printed by publishers in large (and expensive) allotments using offset printing. The idea of requesting — and printing — a single copy of a book was unheard of.

The PoD model began in the 1990s as digital press technology — as well as printing and binding methods — developed and improved, allowing publishers to retreat from printing large runs of books and then dealing with unsold copies. Replacing the standard large-book-inventory method with on-demand book printing afforded publishers other savings, too, including a reduction in storage costs, less labour needed for handling inventory, and lower inventory management fees. In 2008, UBC Press — Canada’s third largest university press — began using the print-on-demand and short-run digital printing models as part of its workflow to keep book inventory at workable levels.

While the price of each print-on-demand copy is typically higher than those produced with offset printing, the average PoD cost is lower for small print runs because setup costs for digital printing — including technical configuration — are much lower than those for offset printing. This advantage not only reduces the publisher’s risks, but also leads to more choices for the consumer, such as the ability to order a discrete, professionally produced book. Still, less publisher liability can also mean lower quality control of the printed book.

Nevertheless, the PoD model aligns well with open textbooks. For instructors who take full advantage of the open-copyright licence (the tool that makes a textbook open) by customizing the book to suit their teaching methods and curricula; updating it regularly to keep the material current; and/or inviting students to contribute to the book as part of a course assignment (in line with open pedagogical practice), printing textbooks on demand is the ideal way to go.

Anyone, anywhere may print and distribute an unlimited number of copies of an open textbook without asking the copyright holder for permission.

Chapter table of contents

Copyright concerns

The course pack precedent

Printing open textbooks

• Open-copyright licences
• Public domain

Copyright concerns

Post-secondary institutions should understand the importance of educating their instructors and students about how copyright applies to teaching and learning, including with regard to the printing of copyrighted materials. Many individuals remain confused about copyright law and are hesitant to print anything, afraid they might be committing copyright fraud. Martin Warkentin, Copyright Librarian at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, B.C., says, “Many folks I deal with who are conscientious about copyright are wary about physical printing — the (wrong) gut instinct seems to be printing a substantial part of anything is akin to infringement.”

The open-copyright licence is not the only device designed to make copyrighted educational materials easier to use and print: another is fair dealing. This copyright exception, added to the Canadian Copyright Act in 1921, allows the use and printing of copyrighted works for educational purposes without permission as long as certain parameters are followed. Like copyright in general, fair dealing and how it impacts the printing of course materials is covered in many university and college handbooks. At the University of British Columbia (UBC), for example, their “Copyright Guidelines for UBC Faculty, Staff and Students” includes a section entitled Is copying of the work permitted under the Copyright Act? The Fair Dealing Exception. Adding openly licensed resources to the what-can-I-print discussion can further muddy the waters.

Christina Hendricks, Academic Director for the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology at UBC, says, “There has been a lot of conversation at my institution over the past few years about ensuring one follows copyright rules when photocopying works, or making print copies of works and distributing them to students. Faculty might be worried that they could run afoul of copyright rules when reusing open educational resources if they don’t have enough knowledge about how open licences work.”

The course pack precedent

The commonly used course pack is a study in how copyright can affect the printing of teaching materials. Examining the course pack’s history provides the context within which educators have operated for the past several decades in order to provide their students with the best learning resources possible.

Course packs are “printed collections of readings assembled by teachers to supplement college and university courses.” The practice of collecting handouts in one packet for a course as supplemental materials or to replace a textbook began in earnest in the 1980s and ’90s, when photocopying became easy. However, it is the fair dealing provision in Canada’s copyright law — followed by landmark decisions by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004 and 2012 — that confirmed course packs are permitted and showed how they should be assembled under copyright law.

Since then, instructors who use course packs and the librarians and staff who compile them have been careful during the copyright review phase of course pack creation, a step that requires time and money.

The cost to produce a course pack at UBC through its bookstore, for example, varies depending not only on the number of pages in each packet and the quantity printed, but also on permission fees charged by copyright holders to use content that is beyond the scope of fair dealing or not covered by an institution’s Access Copyright licence.

The University of Victoria (UVic) requires that course pack orders be submitted two months prior to a course’s start date in order to conduct a complete copyright review, including receiving copyright permissions. Copyright permissions for course packs are typically granted for one academic term. This window of permission for a select classroom audience may result in the course pack being prohibited from inclusion in its institution’s course reserve, as is the case at UVic.

More recently, some institutions are asking faculty to consider not only copyrighted materials, but also those in the public domain as well as open educational resources when compiling course packs as a way to save time and money. For an example of institutional recommendations, see Copyright guide for Camosun College and navigate to “Coursepacks” under the “In Class” tab.

Printing open textbooks

Anyone, anywhere may print and distribute an unlimited number of copies of a textbook released with an open-copyright — or open — licence without asking the copyright holder for permission. These openly licensed books are called open textbooks. Unfortunately, says Brendan Hunter, Course Materials Supervisor for the Langara Bookstore in Vancouver, “most people have no idea what the boundaries of open (i.e., open-copyright licences) are.”

Open-copyright licences

Many, if not most, open textbooks are copyrighted. Copyright refers to the legal rights held by the copyright owner of a creative work who is often (but not always) the creator of the material. Typically, copyright holders choose to retain all their rights. What makes an open textbook different from a closed textbook is that, with the former, the copyright holder has released their work with an open-copyright licence. A licence is a contract or agreement by which the copyright holder gives permission to another entity or individual to copy and disseminate their work.

The open licences used most often with educational materials are Creative Commons (CC) licences. Like other copyright licences, CC licences are legal tools. A CC licence gives the copyright holder the ability to provide advanced permission to everyone to use their work. There is no limit to how many times the permissions afforded by a CC licensed work may be used, and these permissions have no expiration date. The only condition imposed when using an open work is that the user must attribute, or give credit to, the author.

Public domain

When copyright does not apply to a work because copyright has expired or the author has waived their copy rights, then that work is considered to be in the public domain. This means that anyone and everyone — i.e., the public — can use this work in any way they wish. Examples of creative works in the public domain are Shakespeare’s plays, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Beethoven’s compositions.

Students, instructors, and others are free to print and make multiple copies of textbooks in the public domain. Without copyright in place, public domain resources are without legal restrictions or ownership and thus are bound by fewer conditions than textbooks covered by an open licence. It can be said that:

• Copyrighted textbooks without an open licence have all rights reserved
• Openly licensed textbooks have some rights reserved
• Textbooks in the public domain have no rights reserved

Unfortunately, it isn’t always clear if a resource is in the public domain, though public domain tools do exist for marking these works. Therefore, it is up to the individual to ensure that a textbook or educational resource is without copyright before printing it. Searching in repositories known to hold public domain resources is a good place to start. And even though giving credit to the author of a work in the public domain is not legally required, doing so is considered good academic practice.

Open textbooks released with a CC BY-NC licence may be sold as long as the price is set for cost recovery, not for profit.

Many wonder if it’s permissible for an individual or service to sell printed open textbooks that include the NonCommercial feature as part of the Creative Commons licence.

The answer is yes. So why are so many people concerned that they are breaking the law by doing so?

Authors who are worried that their freely available work might be used for financial gain by an individual or company can add the NonCommercial (NC) option to a work with a CC BY licence. The NC component prohibits anyone from using “the material for commercial purposes.” Creative Commons defines “commercial purposes” as those that are “primarily intended for commercial advantage or monetary compensation.”

The CC BY-NC licence and other NC variations have caused confusion and concern, as members within the open education community have grappled with how or if they are permitted to sell printed copies of NC-marked textbooks, especially in college or university bookstores.

If the price set for an NC-marked textbook is for cost recovery, and not for profit or “commercial purposes,” then selling is allowed. “Cost recovery” refers to setting the price of an item such that it recovers or recoups the costs of a given expense. The costs recovered for an on-campus print-on-demand service might include the price of materials needed to produce a printed textbook, such as paper and ink, or labour costs.

Third-party printing services

Many students and instructors prefer printed textbooks over online versions.

Some people prefer to get their information from the printed page, not computer screens. Anecdotally, reasons for this range from personal preference to memories of being read to as a child. Some feel it’s easier to make notes when reading a physical book. Others are uncomfortable reading online or using technology. Still others like the flexibility of having a textbook that’s available both online and in hard copy. Hearsay aside, research supports the fact that not everyone’s first choice is digital.

Some professors prefer print

According to a print-on-demand survey, instructors expressed an array of preferences when it came to their teaching materials, be they print, digital, or a combination of both. These personal tastes are reflected in other research, too.

A survey of faculty conducted by the National Association of College Stores during the 2016–17 academic year found that half the instructors surveyed preferred a print textbook over a digital one. One-fifth said they liked to have both print and online components available, while 7 per cent favoured an exclusively digital format for teaching.

Some students prefer print

Even in this technological age, there are students who want to learn from an old-fashioned printed textbook. Some college bookstores in British Columbia report there are students who still lean toward printed textbooks for courses. Jodie Pickering, kinesiology instructor at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, B.C., reports that many of her students “like to have a paper copy to highlight and make notes in. Plus they like to be able to bring their textbook into the lab.”

Research conducted at Adams State University, a small Hispanic-serving institution in rural Colorado, explored what format students prefer for their textbooks: print or digital. The resounding choice was print, at almost 80 per cent.

Figure 1: Media Preference [Image Description]

When probed about their favourite type for reading assignments, the majority of student respondents (49.1 per cent) again selected the printed page over a screen. Another 7.5 per cent said they need printed copies.

Figure 2: Medium Preference for Textual Material [Image Description]

Dr. Naomi Baron, a Professor of Linguistics for the Department of World Languages and Cultures at American University in Washington, D.C., asked over 300 university students in the U.S., Japan, Germany, and Slovakia which media they preferred for “serious” reading. Over 90 per cent of students said they concentrate best when using a hard-copy book. The problem with reading online, says Dr. Baron, are the diversions scattered across the Internet. Printed books, on the other hand, have few to no distractions.

Personal library

In addition to a preference for reading on paper, some students like the idea of keeping their textbook after a course is finished. More than half of the surveyed Adams State University students said holding onto their printed textbook was important or very important for either personal interest or professional reference.

Figure 3: Keeping Textbooks [Image Description]

There are other reasons to hold onto an old textbook. In her blog post “10 Reasons Why You Should Not Sell Back Your Textbook,” Jessica Lyons adds that a book that has been annotated and marked up during the learning process serves as a valuable personal reference.

Long descriptions

Figure 1 long description: Horizontal bar graph displaying answers to the question, “What are your media preferences for consuming information? (Select all that apply).” The data, based on 159 responses, is as follows:

• 127 respondents (79.9 per cent) selected “I prefer my information in printed form.”
• 82 respondents (51.6 per cent) selected “I prefer my information in visual form.”
• 76 respondents (47.8 per cent) selected “I prefer my information in graphic/picture form.”
• 46 respondents (28.9 per cent) selected “I prefer my information in sound/audio form.”

[Return to Figure 1]

Figure 2 long description: Pie chart displaying responses to the prompt “For textual material, rate your paper/screen preference (screens include computers, tablets, phones, etc.).” The data, based on 159 responses, is as follows:

• 49.1 per cent of respondents said, “I prefer paper but can read on a screen.”
• 36.5 per cent of respondents said, “I can read from paper or screens equally.”
• 7.5 per cent of respondents said, “I require paper for readings.”
• 5.7 per cent of respondents said, “I prefer screens but can read on paper.”
• 1.2 per cent of respondents said, “I require screens for readings.”

[Return to Figure 2]

Figure 3 long description: Vertical bar graph displaying responses to the question “How important is being able to keep your texts (books, research articles) after the end of the class / end of term / after graduation / leaving the University?” The data, based on 159 responses, is as follows:

• 43 respondents (27 per cent) felt it was important
• 42 respondents (26.4 per cent) had no feeling of importance (neutral)
• 39 respondents (24.5 per cent) felt it was very important
• 26 respondents (16.4 per cent) felt it was not very important
• 9 respondents (5.7 per cent) felt it was unimportant

[Return to Figure 3]

Some students require a printed textbook because of their learning style, literacy level, or accessibility needs.

Chapter table of contents

Learning style

Learning English

• Adult Basic Education (ABE)
• English Language Learner (ELL)

Accessibility

Learning is a complex process that involves acquisition of information through experience, instruction, and study. According to Gagné and Glaser, how well a student learns depends on several factors, such as working memory and academic ability. Learning by reading the printed or digital page taps into even more competencies, including vocabulary, prior subject knowledge, and the speed — and comprehension level — at which one reads.

Some research suggests that choosing to read digital versus physical text can sacrifice a student’s depth of knowledge because of practices characteristic when using a screen: faster reading and extensive scrolling. Adding these effects to the learning challenges experienced by certain students makes the printed page a better choice — or even a necessity — for some.

Learning style

Many faculty and staff have observed that content format influences how well some of their students learn. Jennifer Kirkey, Chair of the Physics Department at Douglas College in British Columbia, says that she has “a small, but significant, number of students for whom print is essential due to problems with reading on the screen.”

Jennifer Stacey, Course Materials Manager for the University of British Columbia Bookstore, points out that learning differences mean that various formats should be made available for students in order to increase accessibility, comprehension, and success.

“Students should be able to access materials that support needs or preferences for how they best learn,” she says, “and, for some students, that means having a print option available.”

Learning English

Adult Basic Education

Shantel Ivits, Department Head of Basic Education at Vancouver Community College, says that having textbooks available in print ensures a level playing field for students who do not own the technology or possess the computer literacy skills to access textbooks online.

“For adult literacy learners who are already working hard to learn to decode text,” explains Ivits, “the online interface adds an extra layer of intimidation and challenge. Printed texts remove this barrier and help make literacy learning a more comfortable experience.”

English language learning and foreign language learning

Learning another language is difficult for most people. In English-speaking countries, like Canada and the United States, we refer to these programs as ELL (English language learning), ESL (English as a second language), and EFL (English as a foreign language). A broader term given to language learning is FLL (foreign language learning). Regardless of the label, the form in which these learning materials are provided can affect the road to fluency.

At the Acsenda School of Management in Vancouver, where over 80 per cent of students come from outside Canada, Ali de Haan, Manager of Library and Instructional Services, says that many international students report feeling more comfortable with a printed book.

“A common bit of feedback I’ve heard,” says Ali, “is that it is easier to understand English in print, and they feel like they can take their time with it. Also, I think there is a comfort factor with print, as many of them haven’t used an eBook in their studies before.”

This approach can also be applied to students who are native English speakers and learning a foreign language, such as French or Mandarin. In a 2019 paper from Indonesia, Pardede reviewed literature on reading comprehension among ELL students who were using digital text. He reported that, compared to the printed page, online reading requires a complex set of strategies, such as scrolling, navigating, decision making, and visual processing. These demands may result in lower comprehension scores for some students.

Accessibility

Finally, for some students, online resources present accessibility problems. Susan Fleming, Educational Technologist at College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, B.C., says she has worked with students who have difficulty reading from a screen for more than a couple of minutes due to visual impairments, visual processing problems (e.g., dyslexia), and visual focusing issues. More specific conditions that can cause problems, says Fleming, include Meares-Irlen Syndrome, which can result in chronic dizziness that can trigger psychiatric issues, and Computer Vision Syndrome.

Students with no or limited computer and/or internet access need a printed book for courses that use an online textbook.

It should not be assumed that all students have reliable, fast, or any internet access — or computers or mobile devices — at home or on campus. The B.C. provincial government reports that, while 93 per cent of its urban households have internet access at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) target speeds of 50/10 Mbps, approximately two-thirds of its rural and Indigenous communities do not.

For post-secondary institutions in remote regions, pulling up an online open textbook can be difficult or impossible. For these situations, a printed textbook is needed. Jason Wallace, Purchasing Manager for Print and Retail Services at North Island College in Comox, B.C., concurs, stating, “Not all students have access to high-speed internet and computers. We have students and programs in very remote communities, and online-only is not a viable option.”

The reasons for poor connectivity within a community, on campus, or for an individual or family are many, as listed on Connected Communities: Success Factors. Connected Communities, an initiative of the B.C. Ministry of Citizens’ Services, was designed to “support the digital readiness of local governments, First Nations and rural communities.”

The five success factors on the Connected Communities list are leadership and support, connectivity, digital capability, sustainability, and community well-being. From these can be drawn three general areas that need attention by regions looking to upgrade internet service. These are:

1. Leadership’s willingness and ability to collaborate with the internet service provider and strategically plan and implement steps to install (and maintain) online services
2. Assurance that internet service will not only be affordable for the community, but provide adequate bandwidth and speed for students learning online and individuals working online
3. A pledge that affordable training is made available for users with little or no computer and/or internet skills

Carolee Clyne, BCcampus’ Open Education Advisor for Northern B.C., sums up the issue this way:

“Challenges with internet in the rural areas can be linked to distance from major urban centres. The farther away and the smaller the population, the less likely there is consistent access. Both cellphone service and wired internet services are limited. For many residents, the cost to have the services is more than they can afford, so they do without. Often, the computer literacy is limited, given this scarcity of access. In many communities, a key community centre will have access, and this would be the only place for access in these areas. People using the centre will also have limited opportunity to explore online for a couple of reasons: the quality of the connection is often poor and low bandwidth, so response times are slow, and this resource is shared with the community, so times are limited.”

Using an on-campus printing service eliminates shipping time and costs.

Print-on-demand options for open textbooks and other OER have been available as part of various collections and repositories for several years. Providing this same service at a student’s college or university offers two advantages over a service that is far away: it’s faster and cheaper. Martin Warkentin, Copyright Librarian at the University of the Fraser Valley, points out that savings include more than time and money.

“From a sustainability perspective,” says Martin, “it makes sense for printing to occur locally with minimal transportation requirements … (and to avoid) unnecessary generation of more packaging and fuel consumption.”

It’s faster because the purchaser doesn’t need to wait for an off-campus service to process the order, then print, bind, and ship the book. It has been observed, for example, that B.C. students and faculty ordering from the B.C. Open Collection store receive shipments sooner than customers in eastern Canada and across the border in the United States.

A campus-based print-on-demand service is cheaper because shipping is not part of the cost. Of course, the pricing structure for printed open textbooks and educational resources varies between institutions. A common topic among individuals interested in print on demand for OER is how to offer students an affordable printed alternative to traditional commercial textbooks.

Jason Wallace, Purchasing Manager for Print and Retail Services at North Island College, points out some of the problems observed on his campus among students seeking printed books.

“We have many students,” says Jason, “including remote students, with limited or no access to internet and electronic devices who find it unaffordable to photocopy materials through some place like Staples; others don’t even have access to a copy shop. Some people have trouble reading from screens. Some people don’t have a credit card to order a book online. So being able to go to their campus store and get what they need, often through funding — which they can’t use online — is not only convenient, but sometimes essential.”

Familiarity with an institution’s values, culture, and process gives the on-campus print-on-demand service an advantage over an outside provider.

In his 2012 article “The University Culture,” Joseph Simplicio writes about the “unique and cherished culture.… [that is] steeped in tradition” at universities. He says that these values are important to an institution’s viability because they create “stability and continuity” for its members. These shared values and experiences, as well as familiarity with institutional practices and policies, create a bond between individual members of a post-secondary community.

Each post-secondary institution can come up with a list of ways that a campus-based printing service might access and incorporate its traditions and values. Here are some ideas:

1. Showcase. Display printed open textbooks in the campus bookstore window to expand awareness.
2. Normalize. Place open textbooks on bookstore shelves alongside other printed resources, such as commercial textbooks and course packs, to standardize open textbook use.
3. Brand. Kwantlen Polytechnic University includes the KPU logo on the covers of open textbooks, such as Getting to Know Your International Students.
4. Educate. Ask the campus copyright officer to compose a statement about open licences that can be added to open textbooks.
5. Celebrate. Highlight open textbooks revised by the institution’s instructors. For example, Thompson Rivers University published an article when Renée Anderson adapted Clinical Procedures for Safer Patient Care to create Clinical Procedures for Safer Patient Care – Thompson Rivers University Edition. For more information, see this article called “TRU Makes Textbooks Free and Available Online.”

An on-campus PoD service allows control over setup and flexibility to make changes as needed.

Having control over how a print-on-demand service is constructed — and the flexibility to adjust the process as needed — are two more advantages of printing open textbooks on campus. However, before arranging for an open textbook PoD option, it is wise to consult with departments and individuals that will be involved in the process — the textbook touchpoints — to save time and aggravation later on.

Textbook Touchpoints [Image Description]

Some of the individuals and groups who use or handle textbooks are listed below.

Faculty: adoption and teaching

The decision about whether or not to use an open textbook in a course often rests with the instructor. At the very least, it is the instructor who must determine how the textbook will be used in the classroom and how it fits within the curriculum. Long term, the instructor might also consider how best and how often to make legally permitted changes to an assigned open textbook.

The convenience of an on-campus service that is willing and able to print open textbooks on demand benefits faculty in several ways:

1. Convenience. On-campus services are nearby.
2. Familiarity. Instructors are acquainted with their institutions’ bookstores and printshop ordering procedures.
3. Special orders. Campus bookstores and printshops are designed to support faculty and students, making it easier for instructors to request printed copies of textbooks, including adaptations.

Printshop: production

The printshop is the expert on the process, materials, and pricing models needed to process orders. They also know what their department can reasonably manage if in-house print-on-demand services are expanded or added.

Bookstore: inventory and sales

An institution’s bookstore and its printshop are often inextricably linked. This relationship provides advantages for students who are assigned an open textbook and also want a printed version. Offering this option, either on demand or as pre-printed copies on the bookstore’s shelves, makes shopping for textbooks easier.

Library: catalogue and course reserve

Post-secondary libraries manage the curation, collection, and cataloguing of resources that support their institutions’ curricula. One way this is done is by ensuring current copies of required materials — including open textbooks — are included in the library’s reserve collection.

Office of the Registrar: course schedule and registration

The registrar’s office is responsible for posting course schedules and administering enrolment services for students. Some registration systems include as part of each course description the required textbook and materials; some take this a step further and mark books that are open and free. Other colleges, institutes, and universities may note that an “open source” or open textbook is available for a course, but do not provide the name of the book.

For post-secondary institutions that offer textbook print-on-demand services, adding information about this option to course registration listings makes for a clearer connection between course sign-up and course material availability and choices.

Students: using and learning

The end user of an open textbook — the student — should be included in a discussion about if and how a book should be made available in printed form. Students are appreciative when their institution makes affordable course materials available. They are also thankful when the process for how this information is shared is clear and easy to find.

Long descriptions

Textbook Touchpoints image description: The standard textbook touchpoints include faculty, students, and the institutional bookstore and printshop. Other textbook touchpoints include the registrar’s office, articulation committees, the library, department chairs, and academic governance. [return to Textbook Touchpoints]

A successful print-on-demand service is not only easy for faculty and students to find and use, but is part of an institution’s regular workflow.

Installing a successful print-on-demand service for open textbooks begins with a plan that takes into account the available resources of the college, institute, or university, as well as the needs of its students and instructors. It anticipates potential problems during operation and includes a tracking method that can used during the service’s review and evaluation.

If the goal of an open textbook print-on-demand service is to successfully provide students and instructors with an option that is easy to locate and simple to use, a good place to start is to invite representatives from textbook touchpoint groups to provide input about the service and how they think print on demand for open textbooks should function. The below planning considerations box lists questions that can be used during this first step.

Planning lists

Once feedback has been gathered, a planning committee can be formed by those who provided input and others to begin the work of determining if and how a PoD service should be implemented. The below documents are provided to help guide each phase of the planning process. (The information gathered from these records can also be used to take inventory of open educational activity and interest on campus.)

• Planning timeline [Word file]
• Brainstorm blueprint [Word file]
• Departments and groups [Word file]
• Requirements and budget [Word file]
• Messaging plan [Word file]
• Tracking and assessment [Word file]

Service partners

Each institution will have a different set of individuals and departments that participate in the planning and undertaking of a PoD service. This guide covers three of those groups: the Printshop, Bookstore, and Library.

Printshop staff, as the experts who fill printing orders, are important contributors to the planning and setup of an open textbook PoD service.

The campus-based printshop is the on-the-ground workhorse that makes an open textbook print on demand possible. Its staff not only print open textbooks, but possess the skills to handle equipment and technology, know the process to complete jobs, and are familiar with its institution’s courses and programs, as well as the needs of its faculty and students (see Familiarity and Values).

The on-site printshop also offers flexibility and convenience at a reasonable price (see Control and Flexibility and Faster and Cheaper). For example, a faculty member who has revised an open textbook that they don’t plan to share with the global community can still have their course-specific version printed for their students at a reasonable cost, which is something that may not be possible through a publisher specializing in instructor-customized textbooks. Students, looking to print a select number of pages or chapters for personal use, are also well served.

A nearby printshop is not only handy, but allows individuals to ask questions directly of its staff, thus making complex orders less daunting. A book with many images, for example, might require special attention to colour printing and the expertise of a printshop staffer. Staff may determine that a book slated for heavy use requires a more sturdy construction than the typical printed book, such as with a book that a student plans to use for several courses or terms or an order for the library course reserve.

Each printshop will have its own operational procedures and capacity, which may depend on the number of staff and available equipment. For those contemplating the addition of an open textbook print-on-demand service, below are items to consider during setup.

Printshop instruction sheets

The permissions granted by the copyright holder of an open educational resource (OER) present unique opportunities — and uncertainty — for those wanting to print OER. Below are suggestions of what to include on instruction sheets for faculty and students using an open textbook print-on-demand service.

• Faculty instructions
  • List the permissions allowed with an open-copyright (such as Creative Commons) licence, including the right to change, copy, keep, and share the work. Reassure the user that an openly licensed textbook or other educational resource may be changed or copied without risk of copyright infringement.
  • Point out the flexibility of open textbooks, such as the right to print select portions of an open textbook (individual pages or chapters) or the entire book.
  • Mention the ability to print an open textbook in which content has been removed, changed, or added to better suit the needs of the instructor and their course.
  • Suggest adding a page to the printed book describing what has been changed or added to an open textbook, the revision date, and the institution’s policy or goal for open education.
• Student instructions
  • Provide the definition of an open textbook. Explain that an openly licensed textbook or other educational resource may be changed or copied without risk of copyright infringement.
  • List the advantages to students of using open textbooks:
    • Cost: the online version is free
    • Open pedagogy: course assignments that include students in meaningful activities, such as the generation of material that can be used by others
    • Cooperation: allows and encourages collaboration among students and between students and instructors.
  • Include a list of reference materials targeted at students, such as the OER Student Toolkit and the Textbook Affordability Student Toolkit.

Textbook cover options

For printed open textbooks that require a cover, below are several options:

• If the cover of an existing textbook is openly licensed, make a copy and save as a digital file.
• Use the book cover feature in Pressbooks.
• Use the BCcampus Open Textbook Cover Toolkit in Appendix A.
• See Textbook Cover in the Self-Publishing Guide.

The bookstore, often the first stop for students searching for course materials, is well positioned to collect information about open textbook adoptions and sell printed copies to those who want or need them.

The bookstore contains the campus experts on textbooks and materials required for its institution’s courses. Bookstore staff note faculty adoptions, stock and manage inventory, and assist students buying these resources, while simultaneously maximizing student savings and attending to student concerns.

Post-secondary bookstores have also had to keep up with the times as sales from textbooks have eroded due to digital books, books for rent, the used market, and big box and discount online stores. To survive, campus bookstores — which, decades ago, carried mostly textbooks — have downsized and diversified by carrying products like clothing and snacks. Rajiv Jhangiani, Associate Vice Provost of Open Education at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, says that on-campus print-on-demand options provide a new potential revenue stream for bookstores.

University and college bookstores can, and often do, work with their campus’s print service to arrange for print-on-demand copies of open textbooks and other educational resources. These arrangements might involve individual orders from students or bulk orders requested by instructors for courses. Mark Adams, Director of Ancillary Services for Langara College, is responsible for overseeing bookstore and print services operations at his college bookstore, where he says students continually request hard copies of books.

“Giving students options,” he says, “is ideal.”

The below list of considerations is a starting point for bookstore and course materials managers and staff to explore this topic.

Bookstore templates

Asking faculty to report open textbooks as adoptions — even if the online version is free — helps students who look to the bookstore for assistance identifying and gathering course materials. Below are two templates that can assist the bookstore in this effort:

• Faculty open textbook adoption form [Word file]
• Open textbook adoption checklist [Word file]

Bookstores in action

University of British Columbia (UBC)

The UBC Bookstore has a page called Instructors: Course Materials Resources that includes a section on OER and links to open repositories. The bookstore also posts links to open repositories on the list of UBC Vancouver Publisher Contacts and allows instructors to place orders for open resources. A procedure is in place to add this information to student book lists and the course registration website, according to Jennifer Stacey, Course Materials Manager. If a faculty member lets the bookstore know they are using an open resource, the bookstore will provide printed copies if printable files are available and the material can be properly bound.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU)

In KPU’s LibGuide on open educational resources, there is a page with a print on demand setup tutorial video that instructs faculty to submit to the KPU printshop print-optimized PDF files for open textbooks selected for their course. Students pay for these books in the bookstore or online and can pick up their order 24–48 hours later, using the rain check procedure. Books are available in loose-leaf format.

Douglas College

At the Douglas College Bookstore, the Open Education Resource Assistance section of the Douglas College faculty intranet provides this guidance to instructors:

Douglas College Bookstore is committed to the accessibility and affordability of course materials. In addition to digital initiatives and involvement with national associations that enable us to find lower cost alternatives, we also actively support the Open Educational Resource movement. If OER materials are adopted, students who wish to print the material may quickly use their allotment of free printing. If you would like the OER materials available for students to have in printed form, the Bookstore can, dependent upon the rights associated with the material, reproduce the materials into a physical Coursepack. The Coursepack could be listed as optional for the course and be available for sale at the Bookstore in a double sided format. To begin this process, please contact the Coursepack & Copyright Coordinator. If the OER materials are available in printed format direct from OpenStax, the materials can be purchased by the store for sale as an optional item for the course. As OERs continue to evolve, so will the Bookstore, but here are a few things that we are doing right now to assist with this initiative:

• We include listings of required OERs on our Booklist so students can see all required course materials “at-a-glance” (on their personalized booklist).
• The Bookstore can provide inexpensive print-on-demand options for students who prefer to study and make notes in traditional print form.
• The Bookstore collaborates with faculty members and educational departments to ensure that OER communication and delivery is optimized.
• The Bookstore is dedicated to keeping up-to date on new trends in OERs to ensure we are able to adjust and add services that will improve the student experience on our campus.​

Adding printed open textbooks to the library provides examples for instructors considering adoption and access to students who need or want a physical book.

Like at UVic, the Langara College library and bookstore have a strong partnership with the goal of providing “students and instructors with a centralized place to gather course materials, whether print or digital, commercial or openly licensed.” Instructors who use OER in the classroom are asked to inform the Langara Bookstore so these items can be added to the course materials list.

Besides including open textbooks and other OER in its bookstore, Langara College is one of several post-secondary institutions in British Columbia that stocks open textbooks on its library shelves as course references. Still, not everyone agrees that college and university libraries should include printed open textbooks. The below list of considerations is a good place for libraries to begin the discussion about where they stand on this matter.

Respondents to the BCcampus Print-on-Demand Survey were split on whether or not printed copies of open textbooks should be part of a post-secondary library’s collection. This is what they said.

Library templates

Here are templates to plan and direct the library’s participation in an open textbook printing service:

• Printed open textbook decision form [Word file]
• Open textbook tracking form [Word file]
• Open textbook options for adoption [Word file]

Libraries in action

Opinions aside, several colleges and universities are choosing to include printed OER in their library stacks. In addition to Langara College, other examples are listed below.

Douglas College

Debra Flewelling, Open Education & Emerging Technologies Librarian at Douglas College, says that, in the past, her department would buy bound copies of select open textbooks so faculty could assess them as they considered adopting an open educational resource. If an instructor chose to use an open textbook, a printed copy was placed in the library’s course reserve.

“What’s changing our practice these days,” adds Flewelling, “is that some of our faculty have moved beyond adoption to adaptation. We’re now experimenting with printing and Cerlox-binding textbooks in our printshop in order to include open textbooks in our course reserves.”

University of British Columbia (UBC)

The UBC Library houses several Open Collections, including UBC publications and theses and dissertations by its students. cIRcle, UBC’s open access digital repository, contains published and unpublished materials authored by UBC staff, faculty, students, and its partners and the surrounding community.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU)

At KPU, the library does not automatically put required open textbooks on reserve. Instead, it allows each faculty member to decide whether their adopted textbooks should be placed there.

“We also leave it up to the student whether they would like to use the online or print copy of a required open textbook,” says Caroline Daniels, Librarian at KPU. “We have made print-on-demand (PoD) services available in a number of ways in hopes of accommodating all the different scenarios that may arise. While faculty can make arrangements in advance with the KPU bookstore to make printed books available to students within their courses, the library can also help students obtain print copies of open textbooks for any of their courses for the price of printing.”

This is done, explains Daniels, either through KPU’s print services or, for books in the B.C. Open Collection, through SFU Document Solutions (see Appendix B). KPU has made a special arrangement with SFU whereby print-on-demand open textbooks are delivered at no charge to a KPU campus through B.C.’s post-secondary interlibrary loan service.

“In the end,” says Daniels, “we try to think of what suits the student best.”