The creation of this work “Revolution: Theorists, Theories & Practice” was supported by Open CU Boulder 2020-2021, a grant funded by the Colorado Department of Higher Education with additional support from the CU Office of the President, CU Office of Academic Affairs, CU Boulder Office of the Provost, and CU Boulder University Libraries. It is also a product of the assistance given by Caroline Sinkinson, Merinda McLure, Melissa Hart Cantrell, and Leslie Reynolds. They are the engine and the fuel of Open CU Boulder. Without their guidance and help this work would not have been possible.

My students working in Covid pods in my Revolutions class embraced the idea of creating a no-cost textbook for future students of the course and in most respects, I believe worked harder than they would have to write a normal research paper for the course. Their results exceeded my best expectations. My colleague, Mateusz Lesczcynski did a great deal more than grade their chapters. He worked very hard to get the students to improve their product and did significant writing and editing of them as well.

I came to embrace the Open Access movement after more than twenty years in academe. It was due not only to the exorbitant cost of textbooks (which my students have complained they cannot afford at the beginning of each semester), and the extraordinarily little remuneration that goes to the authors, but also due to the unreasonable costs of academic journals charged to our library which are then passed on to our students in increased tuition. The growth of library budgets has not kept pace with the inflation of journal costs. The cost of providing peer review cannot possibly explain these increases particularly since print journals are rarely provided anymore.

I also wish to acknowledge the contributions of my wife, Mary. She provided me a thorough indoctrination to the importance of Open Access as only a career librarian could do. I could not champion this very worthy cause without her knowledge, and support.

Gregory D. Young

Cover art and design by Susan E. Metros