Industry News Round-Up Week of 3/09/2026

Stay updated on the latest news, advancements, and changes that are shaping the textbook and academic authoring industry with our bi-weekly Industry News Round-Up. Have an item to share? Email Sierra.Pawlak@TAAonline.net.

Education Dept. Layoffs Leave Scars Behind the Scenes (March 11, 2026)

Arizona Bill to Ban Diversity Statements and Training Advances (March 9, 2026)

Inside Texas A&M’s Scramble to Censor Its Curriculum (February 27, 2026)

 Writers Are Being Targeted by Scams. This Reporter Knows the Feeling (February 25, 2026)

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Bartz v. Anthropic Copyright Case: Guidance to Anthropic Settlement Process for Educational Authors

TAA has new guidance for educational authors whose works are involved in the Bartz v. Anthropic Settlement but who are not eligible for the 50/50 default split, or for non-educational authors who chose to opt out of the 50/50 default split. Attorney Brenda Ulrich, with Archstone Law Group, has been working with TAA on providing this guidance.

Authors and publishers who have each filed claims for a given work in which the claimed percentages do not match up with each other are required to “meet and confer” with the other claimants for that work to see if they can agree on how to split the payment for that work.

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Dear Dr. Noelle: Vanquish That Self-Imposed Guilt

By Dr. Noelle Sterne

Q: What do you do if you missed a deadline you created for yourself? How do you get through the feelings of guilt and set another deadline in a way that you can hold yourself to it?

              — M. Culpa

A: I empathize with you! It’s hard to miss your self-imposed deadline. As a fellow deadline-misser, I’ve arrived at several methods that make myself easier to live with.

1. Face it. 

What did you decide to do instead? Maybe play time was irresistible when your kid begged you to build a Lego city together. Maybe you didn’t need to see the last 90-minute episode of “Greatest Scholarly Acknowledgments.” Whatever choice you made, face it. You made it. 

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Nominate Yourself or a Colleague for a TAA Recognition Award

Nominate yourself or a colleague for one of four TAA Recognition Awards. These awards, which recognize individual achievements in writing or in service to TAA or fellow authors, are selected each year by the TAA Council of Fellows and Awards Committee.

The deadline for nominations is April 15, 2026.

Service Awards

TAA Author Mentoring Award | TAA Distinguished Service Award

Writing Awards

The Social Justice Award | Council of Fellows 

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2026 TAA Institute Keynote: How the AI Revolution is Impacting the Future of Textbook & Academic Publishing

Published academic book author and futurist Bryan Alexander will present the 2026 Michael Sullivan Lecture Keynote, “How the AI Revolution is Impacting the Future of Textbook & Academic Publishing,” at the Textbook & Academic Authors Association’s 2026 TAA Institute for Textbook and Academic Authors on Friday, June 12. This interactive and engaging talk will explore emerging and potential AI uses in the textbook world, including:

  • Publishers using it to create or assist in making manuscript reviews, indexes, art, and marketing
  • Developing bots for reader interactions with materials
  • Authors rapidly creating textbooks with AI
  • Questions around content licensing, AI and copyright
  • Sustained academic and popular opposition to general AI

He will conclude with several scenarios for possible textbook futures. Learn more or register

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