Late August '21 - Blueprint Update - Print Version Now Available for v 1.4 / Spanish Translation Update

Hi All,

About a month later than intended (I will spare you the painful delay details), there is now a direct link to lulu.com for a print version of Blueprint for Success in College and Career v. 1.4. Huge thanks to Apurva Ashok, Kelsey Smith, and Amy Hofer for support and expediting the process.

In thinking forward and thinking aloud, I am ultra-aware of two things:

  1. The cost increased from $8.80 a few years ago to $18.06 (plus $4 shipping). I have checked with a few alternative print companies and for a black and white 508 page text with the least expensive options, and they are more than $40. I internally debate what I think the cost threshold “should be,” and note the expense, especially for a sole cost of paper and printing with no profit to the printer, authors, or publisher, as well as the time and labor involved in production for a print option. Personally, I prefer print, but I’m not sure I would pay $22 when the digital copy is free.

  2. I also wonder about revisions and timing cycles. Sometimes it seems like the best thing to do is to make an edit in the digital version when something is identified immediately (i.e. grammar, broken link, etc.), but the print version is static and then would not exactly match the digital version until the next print version is produced. I am leaning towards having a “print .pdf” file updated prior to each term to sync with any changes made in the digital version and potentially not continuing with providing a link for print versions. Students and faculty could use the print .pdf to see if their local graphics/bookstore, or other print source may print a low cost copy for them as desired/needed. If you would like to provide your thoughts on this, I welcome them.

Meanwhile, the OpenOregon grant funded project focusing on a Spanish adaption and translation of the main Blueprint OER text is rolling along (huge thanks to Amy Hofer, Linnea Spitzer, Norma Cardenas, and a team of Oregon instructors and students who have been diligently reviewing and revising content and creating a much more culturally relevant text. I am pleased that some of the recommendations reviewers made for this project have also been implemented in the English version with other recommendations to be implemented in the near future. Additional information on the Spanish adaption/translation is here.

Finally, thank you to Rechelle Mojica, Lynn Becerra, and Martha Madigan who have volunteered to be reviewers for future content and revisions.

Thanks for your continued interest and support of textbook affordability, access, quality, and equity.

I wish you all good health and a smooth term.

If anyone would like to be removed from this distribution list, please let me know.

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