Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Wikibooks

Wikibooks is a collaborative, wiki-based project hosted by the , designed to create and maintain a free collection of open-content textbooks, annotated texts, instructional guides, and manuals that anyone can edit and contribute to. Launched on July 10, 2003, as the fifth official Wikimedia project, it originated under the names Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks to address the need for accessible educational resources beyond . The platform operates on the principle of open collaboration, where volunteers worldwide author, revise, and organize content into structured "books" covering diverse subjects such as mathematics, history, programming, and foreign languages. Unlike traditional publishing, all materials are released under free licenses like Creative Commons, enabling unrestricted reuse, adaptation, and distribution for educational purposes. Wikibooks supports multiple language editions, fostering global accessibility and cultural relevance in learning materials. As part of the broader Wikimedia ecosystem—which includes projects like and —Wikibooks emphasizes instructional depth over neutral factual summaries, encouraging the development of comprehensive, step-by-step resources for self-directed learning and formal education. By November 2025, the English edition alone features over 3,300 books comprising nearly 100,000 pages, with ongoing contributions from an active community of editors.

Introduction and Overview

Purpose and Founding

Wikibooks is a collaborative, wiki-based platform hosted by the for the creation of free, open-content textbooks, manuals, and educational resources that anyone can edit and contribute to. The project emphasizes the development of structured, instructional materials under open licenses, such as the Attribution-ShareAlike and , enabling free distribution, modification, and reproduction worldwide. This approach fosters a community-driven effort to build comprehensive learning tools accessible to all, without commercial restrictions. Established on July 10, 2003, Wikibooks emerged as one of the early sister projects of the , building on the success of to expand into specialized educational content. Initially known as the Wikimedia Free Textbook Project, it was designed to address the need for freely available textbooks in an era when many educational resources were proprietary and expensive. As the fifth official Wikimedia project—following , , and others, with launched concurrently—Wikibooks integrated into the foundation's ecosystem of open knowledge initiatives. In distinction from Wikipedia's focus on encyclopedic, reference-style articles, Wikibooks prioritizes that guide learners through subjects in a sequential, pedagogical manner. This includes step-by-step manuals, annotated texts, and full textbooks rather than standalone entries, allowing for deeper exploration of topics. From its , the project's early goals centered on providing structured learning resources tailored for students, educators, and self-learners, promoting global access to high-quality, adaptable educational content.

Core Principles and Features

Wikibooks adheres to core principles that align with the broader Wikimedia ecosystem, emphasizing open editing where anyone with can contribute or modify content, provided they adhere to community guidelines. This collaborative model fosters a global pool of volunteer contributors who build and refine educational resources. Central to its operation is a commitment to neutrality, requiring content to present information fairly without bias or advocacy, and verifiability, mandating that all material be supported by reliable, published sources rather than original research or personal opinion. Additionally, Wikibooks prioritizes a pedagogical structure, organizing content into textbook-like formats that support learning objectives, sequential progression, and instructional clarity, distinguishing it from more encyclopedic projects like . Key features of Wikibooks revolve around its modular book format, where individual books are composed of hierarchical chapters, subpages, and sections that can be independently edited and linked, enabling scalable and navigable educational texts. Multimedia integration allows the inclusion of images, diagrams, and other visual aids sourced from , enhancing comprehension in technical and instructional topics. Export functionalities further support usability, with built-in tools for generating PDF versions of entire books or sections via extensions, and print-on-demand options that permit physical copies through partnered services, making content accessible beyond digital screens. Wikibooks is powered by the software, an open-source platform that underpins all major Wikimedia projects, providing robust tools for , including detailed revision histories that track every edit with timestamps, authors, and diff comparisons to ensure transparency and accountability. Content is released under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, which requires attribution to original creators and mandates that derivatives be shared under the same terms, promoting free reuse while preserving communal ownership. Unique to Wikibooks is its treatment of books as evolving, community-driven projects rather than static documents, complemented by a shelving system that organizes titles into thematic departments (e.g., computing, humanities) and subject-specific shelves for intuitive discovery and browsing. Accessibility remains a foundational aspect, with a -friendly delivered through the MobileFrontend extension, which reformats for smaller screens and touch interactions, automatically redirecting users on mobile devices for seamless reading. As of 2025 updates to the platform, enhancements to web rendering and beta features have further improved responsiveness and usability across devices. Offline reading capabilities are enabled via , an open-source tool that allows users to download and access full Wikibooks libraries without internet connectivity, supporting educational use in low-bandwidth or remote environments.

Historical Development

Launch and Early Years

Wikibooks was officially launched on July 10, 2003, as a project initiated in response to a by Wikipedia contributor Karl Wick for creating open-content textbooks to supplement educational resources. The project emerged directly from discussions on Wikipedia's , aiming to address the need for freely editable instructional materials without a formal beta phase, though initial setup involved integrating the software with the existing Wikimedia infrastructure. In its nascent stage, Wikibooks encountered technical hurdles stemming from shared server resources with and other early Wikimedia sites, including bandwidth constraints and processing delays that impacted page loads and editing during periods of high activity in late 2003 and early 2004. These limitations were exacerbated by the rapid influx of users transitioning from , requiring optimizations to the database and caching systems to support collaborative book development. The platform's initial content emphasized (STEM) subjects, with early books such as those on , physics, and "General Astronomy" serving as foundational examples of structured, modular textbooks built collaboratively. These works drew from sources and original contributions, establishing a model for hierarchical organization with chapters and subpages to facilitate progressive learning. From its in , when it had approximately 500 pages, Wikibooks experienced steady expansion, reaching around 5,000 pages by late 2004 and over 16,000 by mid-2005, fueled primarily by crossovers from the Wikipedia editing community who adapted encyclopedic knowledge into instructional formats. This growth reflected broader interest in , with hundreds of book shells initiated across emerging categories. Significant milestones included the registration of the wikibooks.org domain on July 19, 2003, which provided a dedicated online presence shortly after launch, and the transition to language-specific subdomains on , 2004, to better support contributions and prevent monolingual dominance. Early community governance involved appointing trusted editors as administrators to handle technical maintenance and , ensuring the project's scalability amid rising participation.

Expansion and Key Milestones

In 2006, Wikibooks expanded its multilingual capabilities following the 2004 split into language-specific subdomains, enabling broader international participation and content creation across multiple languages. That year, the edition of Wikibooks achieved a significant milestone by reaching 1,000 book modules, demonstrating early growth in non-English language versions. During the , Wikibooks benefited from enhanced mobile accessibility through and the Wikimedia Foundation's mobile initiatives starting in 2012, allowing users to browse and contribute via and devices through the mobile website. PDF export features were further refined around 2017 with improvements in rendering and formatting via tools like the PDF service, facilitating easier offline access to complete books. Partnerships with educational institutions grew during this period, with Wikibooks content integrated into curricula at universities for collaborative development, such as through open educational resource initiatives. By 2010, Wikibooks had expanded to support content in at least 20 languages, reflecting steady internationalization efforts. In the , updates included ongoing developments in tools to aid content verification and formatting across Wikimedia projects, alongside increased emphasis on features like improved compatibility in response to heightened demand for digital educational tools. The Wikimedia Foundation's 2025 AI strategy emphasizes supporting human editors, benefiting projects like Wikibooks. Quantitative milestones underscore this scaling: the English Wikibooks edition surpassed 3,000 books by 2018, and as of 2025, it hosts over 3,333 books across 78 active language versions comprising more than 352,000 articles.

Wikijunior Subproject

Wikijunior is a subproject of Wikibooks dedicated to creating open-content, books tailored for young readers from birth to age 12. It was initiated in 2004 following a proposal submitted by Wikimedia Foundation grants coordinator Danny Wool, who secured a US$10,000 grant from the Florence E. and Robert H. Bartolme Foundation (commonly referred to as the Beck Foundation) to develop the initiative. The project officially began on November 7, 2004, after approval at a board meeting, with initial content development starting on the Wikibooks platform shortly thereafter. This launch aligned with Wikibooks' early expansion efforts to diversify educational resources beyond adult-oriented textbooks. The primary purpose of Wikijunior is to produce simplified, engaging materials on diverse subjects such as , , , , and languages, using age-appropriate language and abundant illustrations to foster learning among children. Books emphasize conceptual clarity over complex details, often incorporating interactive elements like quizzes, puzzles, and activities to encourage active participation. For instance, Wikijunior: Solar System explores planetary facts with colorful diagrams, a dedicated puzzles section, and a final test to reinforce knowledge, while Wikijunior: Kings and Queens of England presents historical figures through illustrated timelines, fun facts, and review questions. Since its inception, Wikijunior has been fully integrated as a department within Wikibooks, benefiting from the parent project's collaborative editing model while maintaining a distinct focus on youth education. By 2025, the subproject had grown to include more than a dozen well-developed books across various stages of completion, with dozens more in development, covering topics from alphabets and animal kingdoms to ancient civilizations and . This steady expansion reflects ongoing volunteer contributions, with hundreds of sections across titles being refined for publication. Unique guidelines for Wikijunior prioritize visual storytelling through illustrations and diagrams, simple sentence structures to suit young audiences, and interactive features to promote hands-on learning, ensuring content remains accessible and educational without overwhelming detail.

Content Creation and Organization

Book Structure and Editing

Books on Wikibooks are organized in a hierarchical structure, with each serving as a top-level container that encompasses , , subsections, and optional appendices to facilitate logical progression of . This allows authors to divide complex topics into manageable parts, such as major for core concepts and subsections for detailed explanations, following naming conventions like "Book/Chapter/" for clear . The editing workflow begins with users clicking the "Edit" tab on any page, which opens a text box for entering content using wiki markup syntax, such as double asterisks (**) for bold text or double equals (==) for headings to structure sections. Media files, including images and diagrams, are uploaded separately via the "Upload file" tool on , then embedded in pages using syntax like [[File:Example.jpg|thumb|Description]], enhancing in textbooks. Collaboration occurs through associated talk pages, where editors discuss revisions, resolve disputes, and coordinate contributions to maintain content coherence. As of November 2025, the community is developing a policy on generative to guide its use in content creation and editing. Quality controls emphasize and evaluation to ensure accuracy and completeness, with the Flagged Revisions extension allowing experienced editors to review and approve changes from new or anonymous users before they appear on the live site. Books achieving "featured" must demonstrate high standards, including comprehensive coverage of the , factual reliability, and engaging that inspires further improvements, as determined by and processes. Versioning is managed through a complete edit history accessible via the "View history" tab, enabling users to compare revisions, revert to previous versions with the rollback feature for quick vandalism fixes, and patrol recent changes to monitor and approve edits in real-time as of 2025. This system preserves all modifications with timestamps and user attributions, supporting transparency and accountability in collaborative editing. Best practices for authors include modular writing, where content is developed in independent sections that can be easily expanded or rearranged, and incorporating cross-references via internal wiki links (e.g., [[Chapter 2]]) to connect related topics seamlessly. Textbooks often integrate exercises at section ends for practical application and glossaries for key terms, promoting pedagogical depth while adhering to the platform's emphasis on structured, reader-friendly organization.

Licensing and Open Access

Wikibooks content is licensed under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0), which allows users to freely share, copy, distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercial uses, provided that appropriate attribution is given to the original authors and any derivative works are licensed under the same or compatible terms. This share-alike requirement ensures that modifications and adaptations remain open and freely reusable, preventing the creation of proprietary derivatives while promoting collaborative expansion. Earlier content may also fall under the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) due to dual-licensing arrangements, allowing reuse under either license as long as compatibility conditions are met. The platform's open access model makes all Wikibooks materials publicly available without paywalls or restrictions on access, hosted on Wikimedia Foundation servers to facilitate global distribution and educational reuse. This approach aligns with the broader Wikimedia ecosystem, where content is treated as a public good, enabling educators, students, and researchers to download, print, and integrate books into curricula without cost. Regarding copyright policies, Wikibooks requires that all contributions be original or sourced from compatible licenses, with external text, images, or incorporated only if they comply with CC BY-SA terms or qualify under provisions of U.S. . For images and other non-text , guidelines permit limited inclusion—such as for criticism, commentary, or educational illustration—provided the use is transformative, minimal, and does not harm the market for the original work; however, non-free content must be clearly tagged and justified on a case-by-case basis to avoid deletion. Contributors are encouraged to upload or freely licensed to for seamless reuse across projects. The licensing framework evolved from the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL), adopted at Wikibooks' launch in 2003 to support documentation-style works, to a dual GFDL and Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-SA 3.0) system in July 2009, which broadened compatibility with other open content initiatives. By 2023, in line with other Wikimedia projects, Wikibooks transitioned to CC BY-SA 4.0, incorporating improvements like better international applicability, clearer handling, and enhanced formalization of database rights. This update ensures ongoing relevance in a global digital landscape while maintaining the core commitment to openness.

Subject Categories and Examples

Wikibooks organizes its content into subject categories known as "shelves," which group books by thematic areas to facilitate and . The primary shelves include , , , Sciences, Social Sciences, and specialized areas such as Cookbooks and Languages. These categories encompass a broad spectrum of educational materials, ranging from technical manuals to introductory overviews, all developed collaboratively under open licenses. In the Computing shelf, books cover programming languages, software development, and database systems; for example, "Structured Query Language" provides detailed tutorials on , queries, and database design for learners at intermediate levels. The Engineering shelf focuses on applied technical disciplines, including and design, with titles like "Digital Circuits" offering step-by-step explanations of and simulation tools. Humanities books explore , , and , such as "Consciousness Studies," which examines interdisciplinary perspectives on human awareness through and . Sciences content includes and physics, exemplified by "Human Physiology," a comprehensive resource with diagrams of anatomical systems, physiological processes, and interactive quizzes for medical students. Social Sciences addresses sociology, economics, and political , with "Introduction to Sociology" detailing social structures, , and cultural influences. Specialized shelves like Cookbooks feature practical guides, such as recipes for international cuisines in ":International," while Languages offers self-study materials, including grammar and vocabulary for "." The platform's content demonstrates diversity in accessibility and depth, from beginner-friendly guides like "Chess," which teaches rules, strategies, and basic tactics with illustrated boards, to advanced texts such as "," analyzing strategic models in and . This range supports learners at various stages, with subprojects like Wikijunior providing simplified books for children on topics such as . As of November 2025, Wikibooks hosts 3,331 books comprising 98,526 pages, reflecting steady growth in .

Multilingual Dimensions

Language Support and Editions

Wikibooks supports 78 active language editions as of November 2025, enabling the creation and maintenance of open textbooks in diverse linguistic contexts. Each edition operates as a distinct subdomain, such as the edition at fr.wikibooks.org, fostering independent communities that develop content tailored to local educational needs and cultural nuances. These separate wikis allow for language-specific book modules while maintaining a unified project structure under the . Navigation across editions is facilitated through interwiki links, which connect equivalent pages between language versions, promoting discoverability and collaboration. Additionally, Wikibooks integrates with translatewiki.net, a centralized platform for localizing the site's interface messages, ensuring that user tools and navigation elements are available in multiple languages through volunteer-driven translations. Key features enhance multilingual accessibility, including a language selector on the main site powered by the Universal Language Selector extension, which allows users to switch editions seamlessly based on their preferred language. Cross-edition book mirroring is supported through manual and machine-assisted translation policies, enabling contributors to adapt and replicate books from one language edition to another, though this process relies on community efforts rather than automated synchronization. Despite these mechanisms, language editions exhibit varying maturity levels; the English edition remains the largest with over 98,000 book modules, while others, such as and , have grown through dedicated volunteer translators contributing to smaller but expanding collections. This disparity highlights ongoing challenges in resource allocation and community engagement across non-English editions, where growth depends on localized volunteer participation to build sustainable content ecosystems.

Usage Statistics and Trends

As of November 2025, Wikibooks hosts 353,656 articles and pages across 78 active language editions, supported by 1,780 recently active editors globally. The English-language edition accounts for a significant portion of this content, with 98,526 pages organized into 3,331 books. Historically, Wikibooks has shown steady expansion since its launch in 2003. By mid-2004, the project had reached approximately 4,500 total pages across early language editions, growing to around 10,000 pages by 2005 as additional languages were added and content development accelerated. By 2025, the total content volume has increased more than 35-fold, reflecting consistent but moderated growth; post-2020 annual increases have averaged 5-7%, driven by incremental contributions in established editions. User engagement remains robust, with Wikibooks attracting nearly half a billion page views annually as of October 2025, translating to over 40 million monthly views worldwide. Traffic patterns exhibit seasonal peaks during educational periods, such as back-to-school months in the , underscoring its role as an open educational resource. Editor participation shows a concentration in the English edition, though recent trends indicate rising involvement from the Global South, facilitated by mobile editing tools that lower barriers for users in developing regions. Reports from 2025 highlight stagnation or declines in smaller language editions, such as the Wikibooks, which lost half its content modules amid low activity in 2025. Looking ahead, emerging tools offer potential to boost content generation and translation, though challenges in smaller languages persist without targeted interventions.

Community and Governance

Contributors and Participation

Wikibooks relies on a global of volunteers, including educators, students, and subject matter experts, who contribute to building open textbooks and manuals. These contributors range from individual authors writing on specialized topics to groups collaborating on comprehensive resources, fostering a diverse pool of knowledge creation. As of November 2025, Wikibooks has approximately 1,800 active editors across its multilingual editions, with over 4.8 million total registered users participating in content development. Participation occurs through various models, such as solo authorship by enthusiasts, school-based projects where students co-create educational materials, and institutional collaborations like courses that assign Wikibooks editing as coursework to enhance learning outcomes. The contributor demographics skew predominantly male, with many being tech-savvy individuals aged 25-45, reflecting broader patterns in open-source communities. Since 2018, the has implemented outreach initiatives to diversify participation, targeting underrepresented groups through partnerships and targeted campaigns. Key motivation factors for contributors include in sharing knowledge freely, building professional portfolios through visible contributions, and earning recognition via like barnstars, which highlight exemplary efforts. Despite these drivers, Wikibooks faces retention challenges, including a high among new contributors due to the project's collaborative nature and . To address this, programs exist within Wikimedia projects, pairing newcomers with experienced editors to guide their integration and sustain long-term involvement.

Policies and Tools

Wikibooks maintains core content policies that ensure the reliability and objectivity of its educational materials. The neutral point of view (NPOV) policy requires all content to present facts fairly and without bias, adapting Wikipedia's principles to suit instructional contexts where balanced explanations support learning. Similarly, the no original research (NOR) policy prohibits unpublished material or personal interpretations, mandating that all information derive from verifiable, reputable sources to uphold . Citation requirements enforce verifiability, with every significant claim needing attribution to published works, often using templates like {{cite book}} to facilitate reader checks. Complementing these, the Wikibooks Manual of Style provides guidelines tailored to educational writing, emphasizing an instructional tone that is clear, step-by-step, and reader-friendly. It recommends for explanations, consistent terminology, and structures like introductions, exercises, and summaries to enhance teachability, distinguishing Wikibooks from encyclopedic formats. Governance on Wikibooks relies on community consensus, with administrators—trusted users elected through Requests for Adminship—handling technical tasks like protecting pages and blocking vandals. Deletion processes occur via Requests for Deletion (RfD), where editors nominate ineligible content (e.g., off-topic or low-quality books), and the community discusses before administrators act, prioritizing salvageable material through forking or merging. Community tools support moderation and editing efficiency. Watchlists allow users to monitor recent changes on followed pages, aiding quick vandalism reversions. Bots perform routine maintenance, such as detecting suspicious edits via and alerting in IRC channels like #cvn-wb-en for counter- efforts. The , introduced in 2013, offers a interface for non-technical users, simplifying formatting and reducing the for book creation. Dispute resolution begins informally on talk pages, where editors discuss changes and seek consensus. Escalated issues may refer to the Arbitration Committee, a group of experienced users that issues binding rulings on persistent conflicts, invoked by the community. In 2025, the introduced enhancements applicable to its projects, including AI-assisted anti-vandalism tools to flag anomalous edits more accurately and updated inclusivity guidelines promoting diverse contributor participation through targeted outreach and bias audits.

Impact and Reception

Educational Applications

Wikibooks serves as a key resource in (OER) initiatives, providing free, editable textbooks that supplement formal curricula in both K-12 and settings. Educators integrate Wikibooks content into classrooms to offer customizable materials that align with specific learning objectives, such as using existing books for reference or assigning students to contribute to collaborative projects. For instance, the "" Wikibook functions as a tailored to the exam, supporting high school students in preparing for college-level coursework. In , Wikibooks facilitates collaborative authoring assignments that promote constructivist learning, where students actively build knowledge through and . A from a third-year undergraduate in information systems demonstrated how students developed an introductory using Wikibooks, enhancing their understanding of distributed and empowering them as content creators. Another cross-institutional involved graduate students from universities in the United States, , and co-creating Wikibooks on educational topics, fostering global teamwork despite cultural and logistical challenges. These applications highlight Wikibooks' role in environments, where it combines online with traditional to deepen subject mastery. The platform's benefits include zero cost for access and adaptation, making it ideal for resource-limited settings, and its open structure allows real-time updates to reflect current events or local contexts. Research indicates that such collaborative editing boosts student engagement, with studies reporting improved cognitive involvement, attendance, and attitudes toward learning compared to individual assignments. In K-12 contexts, teachers have used Wikibooks for interactive projects, such as group-written chapters on topics like science or history, encouraging ownership and multimedia integration. In developing countries, Wikibooks contributes to affordable by reducing reliance on expensive printed texts, enabling local adaptation to cultural needs and building teacher capacity through OER reuse. For example, initiatives like the Global Text Project have leveraged wiki-based platforms to deliver free textbooks to underserved regions, addressing access gaps in primary and . Programs in , such as Siyavula's open textbook efforts, parallel Wikibooks' model by providing customizable math and resources that lower costs and promote among educators. These adoptions in the and beyond have supported OER integration in national curricula, enhancing efficiency and local content development. Globally, Wikibooks' multilingual editions extend its reach to non-English curricula, with over 469 million page views in the past year across more than 11 million unique visitors from diverse regions. This usage underscores its value in and school systems worldwide, where translations aid accessibility in resource-constrained .

Criticisms and Limitations

Wikibooks' content quality has been criticized for inconsistencies arising from its volunteer-based model, where contributions vary in depth and reliability due to the lack of formal standards. Many suffer from incompleteness, with the vast majority remaining underdeveloped or abandoned, hindering their utility as comprehensive educational resources. This stems from the platform's loosely coupled structure, characterized by minimal interaction among contributors, which limits collaborative refinement and . Critics highlight the absence of expert oversight, distinguishing Wikibooks from traditional textbooks produced by subject specialists and peer-reviewed processes, potentially compromising factual accuracy in specialized topics. also raises concerns about inherent biases, as individual contributors may introduce subjective perspectives without systematic checks, echoing broader challenges in crowdsourced platforms. Technical limitations have further impeded accessibility, particularly in non-English editions where interfaces lag in localization and support for right-to-left scripts or complex character sets. Mobile optimization progressed slowly before major Wikimedia updates in 2024, resulting in suboptimal experiences for users on handheld devices during earlier years. Sustainability issues arise from the platform's reliance on Wikimedia Foundation donations for infrastructure and operations without dedicated project-specific funding. In response to emerging technologies, the Wikibooks community began developing a policy on generative AI in 2025 to guide its use in content creation and address potential quality concerns. The community has organized drives to complete stalled books, while external academic reviews have validated select titles through comparative analyses with established texts.

Relation to Other Wikimedia Projects

Wikibooks serves as a complementary resource to by providing instructional materials that build upon encyclopedic knowledge. While focuses on factual overviews and neutral summaries of topics, Wikibooks emphasizes structured how-to guides, tutorials, and textbooks that offer practical, step-by-step guidance. Content creators in Wikibooks frequently link to articles for contextual background, enabling users to definitions or historical details before diving into applied learning. This synergy allows Wikibooks to extend 's breadth into depth for educational purposes without duplicating encyclopedic content. Wikibooks shares notable overlaps with Wikiversity, another Wikimedia project dedicated to learning resources, though their scopes differ in format and interactivity. Wikibooks primarily develops static s and manuals suitable for self-paced study, whereas Wikiversity hosts dynamic courses, activities, and environments. Occasional content merges occur between the two, such as transferring foundational textbook modules to Wikiversity for expansion into interactive modules, to avoid redundancy and enhance resource utility. All Wikimedia projects, including Wikibooks, operate under the unified infrastructure of the , which hosts servers, provides technical support, and enforces consistent policies. They utilize the same open-source software for editing and collaboration, and content is released under the Attribution-ShareAlike license to promote free reuse across projects. This shared foundation facilitates seamless integration, such as embedding Wikibooks materials in articles or vice versa. Cross-project initiatives have strengthened ties among Wikimedia's educational offerings. The 2015 Wikimedia Education program, launched at , promoted the linkage of resources from , Wikibooks, and Wikiversity to support classroom integration and open educational practices. In 2025, joint outreach efforts for (OER) continued through events like the EduWiki Conference, where Wikibooks contributed textbooks to collaborative OER documentation and peer-learning workshops involving multiple projects. Despite these connections, Wikibooks operates on a smaller scale compared to , with approximately 352,553 modules across 78 active language editions as of November 2025, versus over 7 million articles in the alone. This distinction highlights Wikibooks' strength in niche instructional depth, where fewer but more comprehensive resources address specialized learning needs that 's broader, fact-oriented approach does not cover.

References

  1. [1]
    Wikimedia Projects
    Wikibooks aims to build a collection of free e-book resources including textbooks, annotated texts, instructional guides, and manuals. Wiktionary. A dictionary ...
  2. [2]
    Memory:Timeline - Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki
    10 July: Wikimedia Foundation launches its fifth official project, Wikibooks. 10 July: Foundation launches its sixth official project, Wikiquote. 15 October: ...
  3. [3]
    Wikibooks - Meta-Wiki
    Sep 16, 2025 · Wikibooks, previously called Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks, is a project of Wikimedia Foundation, initiated on July 10, 2003.
  4. [4]
    Wikibooks
    the open-content textbooks collection that anyone can edit. 3,333 books with 98,448 pages. ... Formal Logic is a study of inference with purely formal content.Featured books · Wikibooks:Welcome · Using Wikibooks · Books
  5. [5]
    Wikimedia timeline - Meta-Wiki
    Wikimedia, 2006-12-06. Legal counsel Brad Patrick becomes the Wikimedia Foundation's first (interim) Executive Director. ; Wikimedia, 2007-01-29. The Wikimedia ...Missing: Wikibooks proposal
  6. [6]
    Who we are – Wikimedia Foundation
    ### Core Principles of Wikimedia Projects (Including Wikibooks)
  7. [7]
    PDF export - MediaWiki
    Mar 2, 2025 · Extensions like Collection + PDF Writer, DocBookExport, DownloadBook, ElectronPdfService, Mpdf, and PdfBook can export MediaWiki pages to PDF.
  8. [8]
    [PDF] Using Wikibooks - Wikimedia Commons
    Nov 21, 2015 · PDF and print-on-demand book. If you use a piped link, the display ... download it in PDF or ODT format, or you can have it printed by our print- ...
  9. [9]
    https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:MobileFrontend
  10. [10]
    MediaWiki
    Dec 29, 2023 · MediaWiki helps you collect and organise knowledge and make it available to people. It's powerful, multilingual, free and open, extensible, customisable, ...Manual:Installing MediaWiki · Sites using MediaWiki · MediaWiki testimonials · News
  11. [11]
    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
  12. [12]
    Reading/Web/Mobile - MediaWiki
    ### Summary of Mobile-Friendly Interface for Wikimedia Sites (Including Wikibooks)
  13. [13]
    Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements - MediaWiki
    Oct 20, 2025 · We wanted to make Wikimedia wikis more welcoming, and to increase the utility amongst readers and maintain utility for existing editors. We were ...
  14. [14]
    Explore Offline Wikipedia and Educational Content with Kiwix- Kiwix
    Your gateway to offline Wikipedia and a vast array of educational content. Access knowledge anytime, anywhere without an internet connection.FAQ · Kiwix Applications · Kiwix Hotspot · Kiwix Blog
  15. [15]
    Why Wikipedia ran slow in late 2003 - Meta-Wiki
    This is an archived discussion of performance issues which affected the Wikipedia site in 2003 and the first month of 2004. They were solved by a fund ...Missing: early | Show results with:early
  16. [16]
    General Astronomy - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    General Astronomy ... Astronomy is the scientific study of celestial bodies in the visible universe, from the scale of a few meters to the macro scale, including: ...
  17. [17]
    Wikibooks:Multilingual statistics
    Contents · 1 2003 Statistics · 2 2004 Statistics. 2.1 Total Growth 2004-05; 2.2 Ranks · 3 2005 Statistics. 3.1 Table · 4 See also ...
  18. [18]
    Wikibooks:Administrators - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Administrators, or "sysops", are Wikibookians who are generally well-known and trusted by the community. Administrators have the added abilities of being able ...Missing: early appointments
  19. [19]
    Wikimedia News/2006 - Meta-Wiki
    The Japanese Wikibooks has reached 1,000 book modules. 30. The Wikipedia of Ripuarian languages passes 130 000 total pages and 175 000 edits. 29. Aragonese ...
  20. [20]
    New Wikipedia app for iOS (and an update for our Android App)
    Apr 5, 2012 · Major features in this release include: Quick Search Bar integration; Open Wikipedia URLs from any application using the Wikipedia app; Full ...
  21. [21]
    Help:Print versions - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Anyone knowing how to use templates can easily create a print version of a book by automatically including all contents of a book onto a single page.
  22. [22]
    Wikijunior/proposal to Beck Foundation - Meta Wikimedia
    Oct 4, 2020 · Our projects include the largest encyclopedia in history (Wikipedia), with over one million articles in over 100 languages (including 370,000 ...
  23. [23]
    Wikijunior - Meta-Wiki
    Apr 19, 2025 · Wikijunior is part of the Wikimedia Foundation, begun on November 7, 2004. The project is a collection of free books for children.Missing: 2006 Cirt
  24. [24]
    Wikijunior:Solar System - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    ### Summary of Wikijunior: Solar System
  25. [25]
    [PDF] Wikijunior:Kings and Queens of England - Wikimedia Commons
    Jan 26, 2014 · On the 28th of April 2012 the contents of the English as well as German Wikibooks and Wikipedia projects were licensed under Creative ...
  26. [26]
    Wikijunior:All Books - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    This is the latest reviewed version, checked on 20 September 2024. All Wikijunior books currently in development: Wikibook Development Stages. Sparse text ...Missing: launch 2006 Cirt
  27. [27]
    Wikijunior - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Wikijunior produces age-appropriate, illustrated, non-fiction books for children from birth to 12, covering topics like science, nature, and geography.Ancient Civilizations · Animal Alphabet · Wikijunior:Alphabet · Wikijunior:ColorsMissing: history 2006 Cirt
  28. [28]
    Department:Wikijunior - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Wikijunior is a project to create non-fiction books for kids, from birth up to about age 12.Missing: history launch 2006 Cirt
  29. [29]
    Wikibooks:Hierarchy naming scheme
    Books on Wikibooks should be structured in to sections (akin to chapters), in a manner at the discretion of the authors of the Wikibook.
  30. [30]
    LaTeX/Document Structure - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    LaTeX allows users to structure their documents with a variety of hierarchical constructs, including chapters, sections, subsections and paragraphs.
  31. [31]
    Wikibooks:Manual of Style - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    The Wikibooks Manual of Style serves to establish good structural and stylistic practices to help editors produce higher quality wikibooks.
  32. [32]
    Help:Editing - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Editing a Wikibooks page is very easy. Simply click on the Edit tab at the top of a Wikibooks page. This will bring you to a new page with a text box containing ...Missing: upload | Show results with:upload
  33. [33]
    Help:Files - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    This page in a nutshell: To use an image or other media file on Wikibooks, you need to upload it, and then edit a Wikibooks page to use the file. Shortcut · WB: ...Missing: workflow | Show results with:workflow
  34. [34]
    Help:Contributing - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Every textbook page has its own associated talk page where students can ask each other questions and help each other with the material. Each page can also ...
  35. [35]
    Wikibooks:Featured books - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Featured books are quality books that the community believes to be the best of what Wikibooks has to offer and should inspire people to improve the quality ...Missing: milestones | Show results with:milestones
  36. [36]
    Wikibooks:FlaggedRevs Extension/Unstable
    Wikibooks uses the FlaggedRevs extension (also known as flagged revisions or pending changes) so that reviewers can review page revisions.Missing: history | Show results with:history
  37. [37]
    Help:Tracking changes - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Wikibooks' software makes it easy to monitor revisions to pages. You can follow changes to any page in the wiki, pages linked from a particular page, pages in ...Missing: support | Show results with:support
  38. [38]
    Using Wikibooks/Shelves, Categories, and Classifications
    Each shelf page has wiki markup in it that specifies a certain category to look in for pages that will be then displayed on the shelf.Missing: revision histories
  39. [39]
    Wikibooks:Textbook considerations
    Textbook Structure. edit. Topics are presented in major parts, chapters, sections and subsections that are organized in a way that facilitates understanding.Missing: book | Show results with:book
  40. [40]
    Wikibooks:Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 ...
    Share Alike—If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. No additional ...Missing: software | Show results with:software<|separator|>
  41. [41]
    Wikibooks:GNU Free Documentation License
    As of July 15, 2009 Wikibooks has moved to a dual-licensing system that supersedes the previous GFDL only licensing. ... "CC-BY-SA" means the Creative Commons ...
  42. [42]
    Wikibooks:Copyrights - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    All text published before June 15th, 2009 on Wikibooks was released under the GFDL, and you may also use the page history to retrieve content published before ...
  43. [43]
    Licensing update/License comparison - Meta-Wiki
    Copies must also include, The GFDL text, licensing notice, and all copyright notices, The CC-BY-SA text or a URI pointing to it, licensing notice, and all ...
  44. [44]
    Wikibooks:Media - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Works may be placed in the public domain, or become public domain from the application of laws. ... The date the work was first created or first released.
  45. [45]
    Wikimedia projects' transition to Creative Commons' 4.0 license – Diff
    Jun 29, 2023 · The update to CC BY-SA 4.0 will help the Wikimedia projects continue to thrive as open, collaborative platforms for sharing free knowledge.
  46. [46]
    What's New in 4.0 - Creative Commons
    The 4.0 licenses are ready-to-use around the world, without porting. The new licenses have improved terminology that's better understood worldwide.Version 4 · Global Summit 2011 · CC Affiliate Network
  47. [47]
    Wikibooks:Categories - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Wikibooks uses several methods of page organization, the easiest of which are categories. This page discusses how to categorize pages properly.Missing: revision | Show results with:revision
  48. [48]
    https://diff.wikimedia.org/2023/06/29/stepping-into-the-future-wikimedia-projects-transition-to-creative-commons-4-0-license/
  49. [49]
    Wikibooks/Table - Meta-Wiki
    Jul 15, 2025 · These statistics are updated nine times a day. See commons:Data:Wikipedia statistics/data.tab for the date/time of last update. №, Language ...
  50. [50]
    Translatewiki.net - MediaWiki
    Sep 14, 2025 · translatewiki.net supports in-wiki translation of all the messages of core MediaWiki, extensions and skins. All translation of MediaWiki user ...Missing: integration | Show results with:integration
  51. [51]
    Wikibooks:Content translation
    The following draft outlines the Wikibooks policy on translating content from non-English Wiki projects into English. Manual translation. edit. Machine ...Missing: book | Show results with:book
  52. [52]
    Wikistats - Statistics For Wikimedia Projects
    Reading. Total page views. 24B. October -10.24% month over month ; Contributing. Edits. 43M. September -5.13% month over month ; Content. Total media requests.Missing: Wikibooks | Show results with:Wikibooks
  53. [53]
    Does academia need a wakeup call on Wikibooks? - LSE Blogs
    Oct 22, 2025 · Wikibooks receives nearly half a billion page views annually, but has hardly featured in academic debates on open access.Missing: current statistics total
  54. [54]
    Community Insights 2024 report - Meta-Wiki - Wikimedia
    Sep 24, 2025 · From March through April 2024, the Wikimedia Foundation Research team collected data from more than 3000 Wikimedians from all over the world ...Missing: Wikibooks growth
  55. [55]
    Wikimedia News - Meta-Wiki
    ... earlier years listed at the top of this page. Projects by number of content pages. The tables below are arranged chronologically by the original launch dates ...
  56. [56]
    Wikibooks:Artificial Intelligence
    Many AI tools have the capacity to create media, particularly images, from prompts. ... Because the field of widely accessible "AI" and generative models ...Missing: 2020s 2023 post- COVID
  57. [57]
    Wikibooks as Tools for Promoting Constructivist Learning in Higher ...
    The present paper focuses on wiki-related pedagogies in higher education and examines the potential of wikibooks in a blended learning context.
  58. [58]
    New Levels of Student Participatory Learning: A WikiText for the ...
    Aug 10, 2025 · Teachers often used wikis to support learners' learning, through managing their activities, determining learning goals and group work ...
  59. [59]
    User-Generated Content in Education/Wikibooks
    History. Wikibooks was created on July 10, 2003 when Wikipedia user Karl Wick suggested that there should be an easier way to get open-content textbooks to all ...
  60. [60]
    (PDF) A Window on Wikibookians: Surveying their Statuses ...
    Aug 10, 2025 · The present study explored the experiences of 80 Wikibookians who had developed or were in the process of developing wikibooks.
  61. [61]
    Community Insights/Community Insights 2023 Report - Meta-Wiki
    In 2022, 10% of active editors responded that there are rules or laws where they live which make them hesitant to contribute on Wikipedia or other wiki projects ...Missing: Wikibooks | Show results with:Wikibooks
  62. [62]
    [PDF] FSU Digital Repository - Florida State University
    intentions indirectly through many motivational and social factors including altruism, norms, knowledge self-efficacy, and reciprocity. Intrinsic motivators ...
  63. [63]
    [PDF] Wikipedia and Encyclopaedism: - WordPress.com
    May 2, 2013 · 15On Wikipedia barnstars are awards given to Wikipedians by their peers to recognize hard work. They are displayed prominently on a user's ...
  64. [64]
    Wikimedia Community Fund | Wiki Education Annual Plan Grant
    Nov 28, 2024 · Report Status: Accepted ; Due date: 15 January 2023 ; Funding program: Wikimedia Community Fund ; Report type: Yearly Learning Report (for multi- ...
  65. [65]
    Wikibooks:Neutral point of view
    Wikibooks has a strict neutral point of view (NPOV) policy. Wikibooks is best served by trying to present a fair, neutral description of the facts.
  66. [66]
    Wikibooks:Original research
    5 Citations and bibliography. Verifiable. The existence of information on the Internet or in publications alone does not make information "verifiable".
  67. [67]
    Wikibooks:Dealing with vandalism
    Join our counter-vandalism channel #cvn-wb-en, where a bot filters all edits to Wikibooks, presenting you with only suspicious edits. ... Maintenance · Licensing ...
  68. [68]
    Wikibooks:Arbitration Committee
    The Arbitration Committee is a standing group of wikibookians who can impose binding decisions on disputes. The Arbitration Committee is invoked as the last ...
  69. [69]
    Introduction to Open Educational Resources/Overview - Wikibooks
    Open Educational Resources (OER) are “digitized materials offered freely and openly for educators, students and self-learners to use and re-use for teaching ...
  70. [70]
    Using Wikibooks/Using A Wikibook In A Classroom
    Books on Wikibooks are textbooks, and are ultimately designed to provide a free quality alternative to traditional printed textbooks.Missing: workflow syntax media<|control11|><|separator|>
  71. [71]
    AP United States History - Wikibooks, open books for an open world
    Welcome to the US History AP book. The main goal of this book is to function as a study guide for the 2012 Advanced Placement exam.
  72. [72]
    Wikibooks in higher education: Empowerment through online ...
    We discuss the potential of wikitextbooks as vehicles of empowerment to students, teachers, and the discipline.<|control11|><|separator|>
  73. [73]
    The tensions of transformation in three cross-institutional wikibook ...
    The tensions and issues we discuss relate to instructional decisions, collaboration considerations, technology factors, knowledge construction and sense of ...
  74. [74]
    Wikibooks as Tools for Promoting Constructivist Learning in Higher ...
    Oct 20, 2022 · The present paper focuses on wiki-related pedagogies in higher education and examines the potential of wikibooks in a blended learning ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  75. [75]
    What's all the buzz about Wikibooks? I found at least 10 examples.
    Aug 21, 2007 · Students write 1,000 word chapters on different topics (3 students per topic) and they vote on which one goes into the final Wikibook. The best ...
  76. [76]
    Project aims for Wiki-based textbooks for developing nations
    Sep 1, 2006 · Through the Global Text Project, students can go online to access the Wiki-based textbooks rather than having to purchase traditional textbooks.<|separator|>
  77. [77]
    Open Education Handbook/OER for the developing world - Wikibooks
    Open Educational Resources can have real impact on local development in developing countries. Direct benefits of developing, using, sharing and distributing ...
  78. [78]
    Wikibooks and Wikibookians: Loosely Coupled Community or a ...
    Aug 7, 2025 · This study was conducted to better understand Wikibookian apprenticeship and identity as well as the environment or community they operate ...
  79. [79]
    Inequalities in crowdsourced knowledge | Nature Human Behaviour
    Feb 12, 2019 · Structural inequalities in participation, however, threaten the democratic potential of these platforms and can exaggerate the biases they were ...
  80. [80]
    Getting Started Localizing and Translating the Wikipedia Interface
    Sep 13, 2017 · This post is about getting all of the user interface translated to your language, as quickly and efficiently as possible.Missing: limitations outdated non-
  81. [81]
    Typography refresh - MediaWiki
    The functional problems with our older styles were first addressed via improvements to our mobile typography. That gave us a chance to test a larger type size, ...
  82. [82]
    Wikimedia Foundation: Home
    We are the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia. We support the people, technology, and policies that enable reliable information to be shared with the world.Work with us · Contact · Who we are · Wikimedia ProjectsMissing: Wikibooks statistics growth<|separator|>
  83. [83]
    [PDF] Abandoned Wikibooks by and for Writing Students
    Mar 31, 2019 · The first wiki was created in 1994 by Ward Cunningham, who envisioned a Web- based, multiuser version of Apple's HyperCard authoring tool ( ...
  84. [84]
    Wikibooks:Wikibooks for Wikimedians
    The most striking differences between Wikipedia and Wikibooks have to do with the nature of the projects. Encyclopedia articles and textbooks simply aren't ...
  85. [85]
    Wikiversity and Wikibooks services - Wikimedia Meta-Wiki
    Aug 29, 2006 · Wikiversity and Wikibooks services ... Wikiversity strives to provide education-related services to WikiMedia sister projects. Contents. 1 Service ...
  86. [86]
    Wikiversity:Differences between Wikiversity and Wikibooks
    Dec 1, 2015 · One of the main differences between Wikiversity and Wikibooks is the number and variety of available resource types. Wikibooks is for books. ...
  87. [87]
    Wikiversity/Scope - Meta-Wiki
    Apr 9, 2009 · Wikiversity is different from a real university in many ways, but it also has similarities. It also has overlaps with other Wikimedia ...Missing: differences | Show results with:differences<|separator|>
  88. [88]
    Programme/Education Pre Conference - Wikimania 2015 - Wikimedia
    It provides a space to share experiences, take part in workshops and learn about tools and resources to start using Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects as a ...
  89. [89]
    EduWiki Conference 2025/Program - Meta-Wiki - Wikimedia
    May 16, 2025 · A collaborative effort between librarian and teacher using Wikipedia as an educational resource. Golfistas 1 Room (3rd floor) 16:00 - 16:20.
  90. [90]
    Our projects/ha - Meta-Wiki
    In total, 116 languages have at least 1,000 entries. Wiktionary works in collaboration with the Wikimedia Commons. Many sound files have been uploaded to ...