The training programme for 2025 includes five cornerstone workshops alongside additional sessions designed to maintain momentum and foster collaboration among cohort members:
January 2025: Introductory Session
The programme kicks off with an introductory session, providing cohort members with the opportunity to meet one another and share details about their book projects. This session emphasises building connections and understanding the diverse goals of each participant.
- Structuring Your Book: Interactive exercises help participants draft initial frameworks for their books, ensuring a strong foundation for the writing process.
- Padlet Workspaces: Collaborative workspaces are introduced, enabling teams to share resources and ideas effectively throughout the programme.
- Pressbooks Demonstrations: Participants receive an overview of the platform’s features and functionalities, culminating in the distribution of official Pressbooks logins to begin their projects.
February/March 2025: Integrating Third-Party Content
The February/March workshop focuses on sourcing and incorporating third-party content into open books. Participants will learn:
- Techniques for finding high-quality, open-licensed resources.
- Best practices for attribution and compliance with copyright laws.
- Methods to seamlessly integrate external content into their work while maintaining originality and coherence.
Spring/Summer 2025: Building Accessible Content
Accessibility is a cornerstone of open educational resources. The April session equips authors with the tools and techniques to ensure their books are inclusive and usable by all readers, including people with disabilities. Topics covered include:
- Designing accessible layouts and formats.
- Utilising alternative text for images.
- Ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies.
Autumn 2025: Peer Review Essentials
The September workshop introduces participants to the principles and practices of peer review. This session highlights:
- The importance of peer review in ensuring quality and credibility.
- Strategies for effective feedback and constructive collaboration.
- Preparing manuscripts for review and incorporating feedback.
Winter 2025: Boosting Book Visibility
The programme concludes with a session on maximising the reach and impact of open books. Authors will explore:
- Promotion strategies.
- Using digital tools and social media to promote work.
- Ensuring discoverability through metadata optimisation and indexing and how the Library can help.
Write Here, Write Now Sessions
In addition to the core workshops, Write Here, Write Now sessions provide authors with structured, goal-oriented writing time. These sessions are designed to help cohort members maintain momentum, refine their drafts, and collaborate with co-authors and colleagues in a supportive environment. Dates for these sessions will be confirmed later.
- Focused Writing Blocks: Dedicated time for uninterrupted work on book drafts.
- Peer Collaboration: Opportunities to share progress, seek feedback, and exchange ideas with fellow authors.
- Facilitator Guidance: Access to real-time advice and support.
Ongoing Support
Throughout the programme, authors can rely on the Libraries Open Education Team for additional support. The team offers expertise in:
- Navigating the Pressbooks platform, including troubleshooting technical issues.
- Adhering to copyright and licensing requirements.
- Incorporating accessibility features to meet diverse user needs.
- Guidance on these topics is continually updated and made available on this site, ensuring authors have access to the latest resources and recommendations.