Working in Pressbooks – Online Platform
How to Import a Textbook Using a Pressbooks File
If you have an account in Pressbooks and want to import an existing open textbook, the easiest way to do this is by importing it using a Pressbooks file of the textbook.
- Begin by downloading the Pressbooks file (WXR) of the textbook
- Then, create a book in your Pressbooks account. Pressbooks automatically sets up an Introduction in the Front Matter, Chapter 1 in the Main Body and an Appendix in the Back Matter. Delete all of these from the Text view before beginning the import. If this is not done, then all items will import into the Main Body.
- Go to the Dashboard of the new book and Import on the left-hand toolbar
- From Type of file drop-down menu, select WXR (WordPress eXtended RSS)
- Using the Browse button, select the downloaded Pressbooks file
- Click the Upload file button
Once the import has occurred, you will land on a page that says “Import” at the top, and on the left-hand toolbar “Tools” will be highlighted, and “Import” under that.
- To ensure that each item ends up in the right place in the book , confirm that the correct Part (Front Matter, Main Body, or Back Matter) is selected under each of those columns.
- Select each item to be imported by clicking on the box in the Import column. There is a Select all option at the top of the list.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the red Start button.
- Once this process has completed, you will be taken to the Text view.
- If an extra (and empty) Main Body Part appears after the import, delete it from the Text view.
This chapter is an adaptation of “How to Import a Textbook using a Pressbooks File” from the BC Open Textbook Authoring Guide by Lauri Aesoph and Amanda Coolidge. Images have been modified.