For those who are interested, the American Folklore Society, in collaboration with the Indiana University Library, is creating a web site of open-access electronic publications and media, including books, monographs, journals, grey literature and websites.  You can find out more about this pioneering project, and download materials, at http://openfolklore.org/.

Many of us who work in folkloristics in the US are exploring the production of texts that are primarily online, especially for materials such as student textbooks.  Open online publication offers some advantages in these cases: it keeps costs down for students, makes editing and updating materials faster and easier, and allows for the modular use of teaching materials -- students need not buy an entire textbook if the instructor only means to use a selection of articles and exercises in it.

Having said that, I don't think anyone in the AFS believes online publishing will solve the world's problems or provide the only platform for publishing in the future.  It will remain an option, and one that presents certain challenges -- which Dan has so beautifully and succinctly summarized in his recent post.

Best,
Sabina

Sabina Magliocco
Professor
Department of Anthropology
California State University - Northridge
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________________________________________
From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pitch [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2011 8:54 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] Academic ebooks

Aloha,

On 11/3/2011 3:41 PM, D G Mattichak jr wrote:

I belong to an ebook group on Linked in which posted this link to an article on the academic world's reliance on the paper printing industry:


This list is a good example of the possibilities of communication
and collaboration the article talks about.

The internet and electronic media do offer a much more open
and accessible schema for the fruitful exchange of information,
ideas, opinions, advice, and brainstorming than the existing
schema of academic publishing (tightly linked to career and
reputation within departments, institutions, and specializations).

The article suggests to me that disciplines that benefit most
from collaboration will probably lead the way in shifting to
open electronic publications that are accessible to both
career academics and freelance scholars. History, social sciences,
literature, and criticism may lag here.

Honestly, I am not at all sure which emerging technologies or
technologies in popular use might change the existing
academic publishing schema. But increasingly sophisticated
and capable hand-sized smart devices (we call them "smart
phones," but they do lots more) may play a bigger part than
dedicated reading devices. Simply because smart phones
are in wide use and their possibilities and advantages will be
noticed by more folks (despite, dare I say, objections by
academic mossbacks).

What I mean is that it may not be epublishing that begins
to change the academic publishing schema but rapid
collaboration that alerts groups of folks (what comes to my
mind is astronomy and medicine) to solve problems
quickly or assemble bodies of information quickly (here,
I'm thinking of surfers and wave scientists).

Musing I Still Have Serious Doubts About Magic Apps, Though! Rose,

Pitch