What is Pressbooks?

Pressbooks is simple ebook publishing software used to host open textbooks that faculty either create or adapt from existing open textbooks. It is a web-based authoring tool based on the popular WordPress web-authoring platform. Working in Pressbooks is similar to working within WordPress or a learning management systems such as Blackboard or Moodle. MacEwan University Library is maintaining an installation of Pressbooks for the MacEwan community, but you can also try out Pressbooks for free at Pressbooks.com.

In addition to creating content directly in the platform, you can import a number of different file formats into Pressbooks for editing, including Word, ePub, and HTML. As well, it has the ability to clone and modify existing books hosted in other installations of Pressbooks including those indexed in the Pressbooks Directory. Pressbooks will output a completed textbook as a mobile-friendly website, and other formats including an ePub document (for use in e-readers), and a PDF (for printing).

To work within Pressbooks, MacEwan faculty and staff require an account, which is set up by MacEwan University Library. To learn more, visit About MacEwan Open Books, or email us at digitalscholarship@macewan.ca.
Content adapted from “What is Pressbooks?” in the Ryerson Open Textbook Authoring Guide by Ryerson University and licensed under CC-BY 4.0.

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MacEwan Open Textbook Authoring Guide by MacEwan University Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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