New OER from the ISU Digital Press

[Elder, Abbey K [LIB]]

[Apologies for cross-posting]

Happy August, everybody! We made it to the start of a new school year in the U.S. and for many, classes are already underway. For those looking ahead to next year, I'm happy to share some exciting news from the ISU Digital Press, including new open textbooks! Announcement graphics for the new books are attached for those who want to boost the news to relevant audiences. 

New Supplementary Materials Repository

We recently launched ISU Digital Press +, a free collection of supplementary materials which support publications from the ISU Digital Press! While it is still in active development with our partners at Janeway, we have already added in materials from our authors to accompany 5 books so far, and we plan to allow external submissions of materials from instructors who have adopted our publications soon.

Items in the Digital Press+ collection are also visible in the "Linked Items" section of their accompanying book's catalog page: Example Book with Linked Materials

New Publications

Biology Laboratory Manual: Introduction to Molecular, Cellular, and Physiological Principles 

This lab manual is designed for students enrolled in the second lab course in the introductory biology sequence at Iowa State University. It is a semester-long lab course, required by most life-science-related majors at ISU, and includes activities on the scientific method, molecular and cellular biology, energetics, genetics, plant anatomy and physiology, and animal anatomy and physiology.

Fashion and Apparel Consumer Behavior 

This open textbook, adapted from Introduction to Consumer Behaviour by Andrea Nisoi, invites readers to examine the internal forces that shape consumer decision making, such as perceptions, motivations, personality, and attitudes as well as the external ones, such as social and situational influences, culture, and subcultures, especially those related to our appearances and clothing. 

Introduction to Soil Science, Second Edition

This textbook introduces readers to the basics of soil science, including: the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils; soil formation, classification, and global distribution; soil health, soils and humanity, and sustainable land management. The second edition brings forward new information about soil water and soil chemistry alongside updates to the core chapters.

Inclusive Design Methodology 

These method cards were designed to empower academics, practitioners, and students to create more inclusive and empathetic solutions. By evolving, combining, and refining existing approaches, it introduces new strategies for identifying barriers and enhancing accessibility. Methods are not confined to a single phase but can be applied flexibly across different stages, depending on each project’s needs. A website with additional materials is currently being developed by the authors.

Thank you as always for sharing and promoting the work of our authors. These texts can be found in OER Commons, the Pressbooks Directory, and the Open Textbook Library, as well as on the ISU Digital Press website. We hope that they can be useful resources for your instructors and students!

Sincerely, 

--

Abbey K. Elder she, they

Open Access & Scholarly Communication Librarian, Iowa State University

Statewide Open Education Coordinator, Iowa OER

ORCiD: 0000-0003-2289-0166

E: ael...@iastate.edu

P: (515) 294-5753