W&M Press partners with faculty to publish Open Educational Resources (OER)—teaching, learning, and research materials that are freely available for anyone to use, adapt, and share. We support a wide range of works, including scholarly books, course materials, and interdisciplinary projects.

The William & Mary University Press was formally established in 2024 as an open monograph digital publisher specializing in curriculum materials as a response to faculty requests for assistance as they discovered gaps in how they wanted to teach within their discipline. Within its first year, the Press published three open textbooks, has four textbooks in process, and is converting out-of-print monographs about the W&M Campus and Library history into open digital publications.

Mission

To advance William & Mary’s knowledge and scholarship by publishing high-quality open-access books that are freely accessible to all. We are committed to fostering intellectual exchange, supporting emerging and established scholars, and promoting innovation in the curriculum.

Vision

As a faculty service housed by William & Mary Libraries, we aim to support and enhance teaching and research, foster intellectual curiosity, creativity and lifelong learning. We embrace inclusive excellence. We strive to create a culture where all individuals feel welcomed, included, and represented. We are committed to learning. The libraries are places to discover, play, create, connect, and build community. Access to information is a human right and we advocate to remove barriers to information and create new pathways to discovery. People are our greatest strength. We invest in the personal and professional growth of university faculty and staff and promote a work environment built on trust and collegiality.

Values

1. Equitable Access. We champion open and inclusive access to information; and ensuring all learners have access to knowledge, tools and resources.
2. Intellectual Curiosity. We encourage exploration, discovery, critical thinking and inquiry, while maintaining academic rigor.
3. Empowered Learning. We support lifelong learning through collaborative, community-driven inclusive and innovative practices.

How the Process Works

You provide the content, we handle the rest—design, formatting, accessibility, and technical details.

1. Submit Your Proposal: Reach out to us to share your idea for an OER project.
2. Consultation: Our publishing team will meet with you to discuss your project and answer questions.
3. Prepare Your Manuscript: We provide clear guidelines and support as you prepare your manuscript and gather any multimedia materials (Word/LaTeX documents, images, other media, etc.).
4. Production & Publication: Our team handles all technical aspects—typesetting, formatting, accessibility, and creating multiple formats (web, PDF, EPUB, print-on-demand). You review and approve the final version.
5. Sharing & Promotion: We help maximize your OER’s reach by sharing it through official press releases, blog features, library catalogs, and major OER repositories. You’re encouraged to share your work through your own channels as well.