{"id":158,"date":"2019-06-27T19:59:27","date_gmt":"2019-06-27T19:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.ryerson.ca\/publishing\/?page_id=158"},"modified":"2026-03-05T22:42:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T22:42:25","slug":"authoring-software","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/services\/authoring-software\/","title":{"rendered":"Authoring Software"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Library hosts several open source software packages that can be used for authoring books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pressbooks<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"351\" height=\"203\" data-src=\"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/files\/2026\/03\/TMU-Pressbooks-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1014 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 351px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 351\/203;width:304px;height:auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/files\/2026\/03\/TMU-Pressbooks-1.png 351w, https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/files\/2026\/03\/TMU-Pressbooks-1-300x174.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 351px) 100vw, 351px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Pressbooks is open source software that you can use to create web books that can also be formatted for downloading and reading in a variety of formats.&nbsp; The software is based on WordPress but has been enhanced to make it ideal for publishing books of all types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The TMU Library hosts a version of <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\">Pressbooks<\/a> that is available for all TMU faculty and staff.&nbsp; Accounts can be can request&nbsp; by emailing <a href=\"mailto:pressbooks@torontomu.ca\">pressbooks@torontomu.ca<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scalar<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/scalar.rula.info\/squirrels\/index\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"182\" data-src=\"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/files\/2019\/07\/Screen-Shot-2019-07-19-at-1.30.14-PM-300x182.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-354 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/files\/2019\/07\/Screen-Shot-2019-07-19-at-1.30.14-PM-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/files\/2019\/07\/Screen-Shot-2019-07-19-at-1.30.14-PM-768x465.png 768w, https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/files\/2019\/07\/Screen-Shot-2019-07-19-at-1.30.14-PM-1024x621.png 1024w, https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/files\/2019\/07\/Screen-Shot-2019-07-19-at-1.30.14-PM.png 1500w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/182;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Scalar is an authoring and publishing platform that\u2019s designed to make it easy for authors to write long-form, born-digital scholarship online.&nbsp; Media can be assembled from multiple sources and combined with author commentary with minimal technical expertise required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scalar gives authors tools to structure essay- and book-length works in ways that take advantage of the unique capabilities of digital writing, including nested, recursive, and non-linear formats. The platform also supports collaborative authoring and reader commentary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scalar is an open source project of the Alliance for Networking Visual Culture (ANVC) in association with <a href=\"http:\/\/vectorsjournal.org\/\">Vectors<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/iml.usc.edu\/\">&nbsp;IML<\/a>, and with the support of the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mellon.org\/\">&nbsp;Andrew W. Mellon Foundation<\/a>&nbsp;and the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.neh.gov\/\">&nbsp;National Endowment for the Humanities<\/a>. TMU Library has installed an instance of Scalar for use by TMU authors.&nbsp; If you would like to try out Scalar, please request an account by emailing Ann Ludbrook <a href=\"mailto:swilson@torontomu.ca\">aludbrook@torontomu.ca.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Overleaf and LaTeX<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Overleaf is designed to make the process of writing, editing and producing your research papers and project reports much quicker for both you and your collaborators. Overleaf can also be linked to other services to best fit into your workflow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As of&nbsp;<strong>July 1, 2025<\/strong>, Toronto Metropolitan University Libraries will no longer provide an upgrade to Overleaf Professional. Any Overleaf users currently participating in the Toronto Metropolitan subscription will downgraded to the free plan at that time. To understand what happens to your projects with the downgrade, please find details&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.overleaf.com\/learn\/how-to\/Overleaf_premium_features#What_happens_to_my_projects_if_I_downgrade_to_the_Overleaf_free_plan?\">here<\/a>. To subscribe for premium features, review student, individual, and group plans&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.overleaf.com\/user\/subscription\/plans\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.library.torontomu.ca\/overleaf\">Overleaf and LaTex<\/a> guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please note that if you want to use Latex to create mathematic teaching resources, <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/\">TMU Pressbooks<\/a> supports Latex to create equations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other Authoring Tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The TMU Library is willing to explore other authoring tools.&nbsp; We have worked on projects with <a href=\"https:\/\/gumroad.com\/\">Gumroad<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/ca\/ibooks-author\/\">iBooks Author<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/issuu.com\/\">issuu<\/a> and other tools.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Library hosts several open source software packages that can be used for authoring books. Pressbooks Pressbooks is open source software that you can use to create web books that can also be formatted for downloading and reading in a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/services\/authoring-software\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":39,"menu_order":15,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"templates\/hierarchysidebar.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-158","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1015,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/158\/revisions\/1015"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/publishing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}