Orange Grove Texts FAQs

  OGT+ Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are open access textbooks? Open access textbooks are textbooks that are freely available with nonrestrictive licenses. They offer alternatives to the high cost of traditional textbooks through immediate, online access to the texts. They are available for free download, and print copies can often be ordered online through print-on-demand (POD) publishers, avoiding book shortages that sometimes occur.  Licensing often permits instructors to customize or modify the texts, to better meet their teaching and learning needs.

2. What are the differences between open access textbooks and e-textbooks? Most e-texts are only available online for a limited time period. At the end of the time period, users can no longer access them. E-texts usually have restrictions on the amount of material students can print out, and they do not permit modification of the original e-text.  Open access textbooks have few licensing restrictions and can be downloaded permanently by users. Most open textbooks are licensed to permit customization of the original text with attribution given to the original authors.
3. Have OGT+  items gone through a peer review or quality review? Many texts have been through a formal, independent peer review, but some have had only informal peer reviews by the author’s colleagues.  Information about the extent and type of peer review will be available in the descriptive information that is attached to each OGT+ item via The Orange Grove Repository.  Visit the Orange Grove at: http://florida.theorangegrove.org/og/logon.do   and select the “log in as guest” link to browse or search the Open Textbooks Collection.
4. How much will OGT+ books cost?
   Prices vary among textbooks, but these books are priced at 40-50% less than similar

   textbooks purchased at retail outlets, including online discounters.

5. How do I search for and use the books at Orange Grove Texts Plus?
   Visit the Orange Grove at: http://florida.theorangegrove.org/og/logon.do and select the “log in as guest” link. Click “Browse Collections” and then select the Open Textbooks Collection.  You can search for items by keywords, titles, and author names, or browse the textbooks.  For more details about searching in The Orange Grove, please visit: http://www.theorangegrove.org/tutorials.asp    

6. If I’m interested in authoring an open access text, whom do I contact?
   Please contact:

   Kara Schwartz, UPF Acquisitions Assistant, University Press of Florida, Kara@upf.com

7. How will OGT+ affect my campus bookstore? The OGT+ print-on-demand printer, Integrated Book Technology,  can print a large number of copies if a bookstore wants to offer them. However, to keep costs low,  the POD publisher can not accept returns. Bookstores can also offer used copies for sale. For more information related to bookstores, please contact:

   Dennis Lloyd, Sales and Marketing Director, University Press of Florida, DL@upf.com