Free the Fruit Flies! An OER Journey

When biologists John Jaenike and Thomas Werner began their journey to share everything they knew about fruit flies, they hadn’t planned on publishing a multi-volume encyclopedia. But with the help of co-author Tessa Steenwinkel, an undergraduate studying biological sciences, and librarian Annelise Doll, that’s exactly what happened. Published open access on Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech, The Encyclopedia of North American Drosophilids: Volume 1: Drosophilids of the Midwest and Northeast and Volume 2: Drosophilids of the Southeast is a successful open education resource that has had more than 1500 downloads since November 2020. Join us for a lively and informative discussion with the authors and librarian who brought The Encyclopedia of North American Drosophilids to life. Topics include developing the encyclopedia, making the decision to “go open,” the publishing process, outcomes so far, and plans for future volumes.