Hellenic Academic Open Access E-textbooks -- The project "Kallipos" and its repository

[Christina Anastasopoulou]

I work for the "Kallipos" project, which is an open access repository with e-textbooks mainly in Greek.  Due to the publishing costs, we think that open access e-textbooks is the way to go, especially for Greece!    Even though in the beginning it was difficult to convince faculty members to convert their textbooks to e-textbooks, slowly they seem to embrace it and want to create more of the content that they teach into e-textbook! We only hope to get additional funding! Let me know if you know anyone that might be interested! Following is information regarding the project.

The "Kallipos" Repository is an online library for storing, managing, and sharing learning objects, aids and full text textbooks,which cover the entire spectrum of scientific disciplines of higher education in Greece. The Repository aggregates materials that are being produced as a result of the project "Hellenic Academic Electronic (Text)books”. The repository aims to systematically  record, organize and preserve the textbooks and learning objects of the academic community.

How will the academic community use the "Kallipos" Repository?

The Repository will provide its users the following services:

• Electronic access to hellenic academic electronic textbooks
• Full-text search and retrieval of content
• Learning objects, which can be a collection of content items, practice items, and assessment items that are combined to synthesize innovative approaches of higher education courses
• Long-term preservation and permanent availability of the material

The contents are organized into five (5) broad Subject Areas:

• "Humanities and Law - Liberal Arts and Letters"
• "Engineering and Computer Science/Informatics"
• "Physical Sciences"
• "Medical Sciences - Life Sciences"
• "Economic, Political, Social and Agricultural Sciences".

For each textbook which is available as an autonomous item, its chapters and its learning objects may also be available separately, on the grounds that they have learning value.

What are the types of digital items contained in “Kallipos”?

The Repository includes the following types of items:

• Electronic (text)books
• Book chapters
• Pictures
• Audio excerpts
• Video
• Mathematical objects
• Algorithms
• Maps
• Tables
• Interactive objects

The items are accompanied by a set of metadata that can be available in several formats. For example, the same set of metadata may describe an electronic (text)book (that is) available both in pdf format and in epub format.

Who has access to the "Kallipos" Repository?

Access to the "Kallipos" Repository is open and free to everybody that has access to the internet.