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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 [log in to unmask] ________________________________________ 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