Category Archives: oa.books

Official Launch of the Experimental Publishing Compendium · Copim

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“The compendium is a guide and reference for scholars, publishers, developers, librarians, and designers who want to challenge, push, and redefine the shape, form, and rationale of scholarly books. The compendium gathers and links tools, examples of experimental books, and experimental publishing practices with a focus on free and open-source software, platforms, and digital publishing tools that presses and authors can either use freely or can adapt to their research and publishing workflows. With the compendium we want to promote and inspire authors and publishers to publish experimental monographs and to challenge and redefine the shape, form, and rationale of scholarly books. …”

Copim and SCONUL webinar “”Exploring practical problems and potential strategies to fund equitable OA book publishing” Jan 25, 2024, 10am (GMT) | Zoom registration

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SCONUL and Copim Open Book Futures invite you to join a webinar featuring UK library leaders from a range of institutions to explore the difficulties of funding open access books, and how different libraries have developed strategies to tackle these challenges.

There is a growing shift towards open access (OA) for books, with policies such as UKRI mandating OA publication and a number of OA presses springing up at different universities. But when some institutions are not eligible for funding, and budgets are under increasing pressure, can libraries support this shift to open access for books? If so, how might it be done?

The challenges include: budget constraints, a lack of adequate funding (or byzantine administration to access it), scant institutional buy-in higher up the chain, and even “we don’t know where to start”. When one-off Book Processing Charges (BPCs) cost too much to be practical, what other options are available?

This session will begin with a frank discussion of the challenges of supporting OA for books, before featuring case studies of how some different libraries have devised solutions and potential routes to OA for books. These include exploring collective programmes, in which each library pays a small amount to jointly fund OA initiatives; setting up an institutional outlet of one’s own; new strategic policies and ringfenced OA budgets, and more.

This webinar will create a forum for discussion, and equip attendees with advice and practical strategies, with case studies from a range of libraries in the UK that have begun to make important steps in this direction.

Speakers:

Chaired by Andrew Barker – Library Director, Lancaster University
Phil Brabban – Library Director, Coventry University
Dominic Broadhurst – Head of Content & Discovery at The University of Salford
Anna Clements – Director of Library Services & University Librarian, University of Sheffield

Launching the Experimental Publishing Compendium | Centre for Postdigital Cultures

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The Copim community and Open Book Futures are pleased

to announce the launch of the

Experimental Publishing Compendium

https://compendium.copim.ac.uk/

The compendium is a guide and reference for scholars, publishers, developers, librarians, and designers who want to challenge, push, and redefine the shape, form, and rationale of scholarly books. The compendium gathers and links tools, examples of experimental books, and experimental publishing practices with a focus on free and open-source software, platforms, and digital publishing tools that presses and authors can either use freely or can adapt to their research and publishing workflows. With the compendium we want to promote and inspire authors and publishers to publish experimental monographs and to challenge and redefine the shape, form, and rationale of scholarly books.

We are celebrating the official launch of the Experimental Publishing Compendium with a festive calendar on Twitter (#ExperimentalPublishingCompendium) and Mastodon, featuring 24 experimental publishing tools, practices & books from the compendium.

The compendium includes experiments with the form and format of the scholarly book; with the various (multi)media we can publish long-form research in; and with how people produce, disseminate, consume, review, reuse, interact with, and form communities around books. Far from being merely a formal exercise, experimental publishing as we conceive it here also reimagines the relationalities that constitute scholarly writing, research, and publishing. Books, after all, validate what counts as research and materialise how scholarly knowledge production is organised.

We hope that the linked entries in this compendium inspire speculations on the future of the book and the humanities more in general and encourage publishers and authors to explore publications beyond the standard printed codex format.

The Experimental Publishing Compendium has been curated by Janneke Adema, Julien McHardy, and Simon Bowie and has been compiled by Janneke Adema, Simon Bowie, Gary Hall, Rebekka Kiesewetter, Julien McHardy, and Tobias Steiner. Future versions will be overseen, curated, and maintained by an Editorial Board. Back-end coding by Simon Bowie, front-end coding by Joel Galvez, design by Joel Galvez & Martina Vanini.

The Experimental Publishing Compendium is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). All source code is available on GitHub at https://github.com/COPIM/expub_compendium under an MIT License.

The compendium grew out of the following two reports:

Adema, J., Bowie, S., Mars, M., and T. Steiner (2022) Books Contain Multitudes: Exploring Experimental Publishing (2022 update). Community-Led Open Publication Infrastructures for Monographs (COPIM). doi: 10.21428/785a6451.1792b84f& 10.5281/zenodo.6545475.
Adema, J., Moore, S., and T. Steiner (2021) Promoting and Nurturing Interactions with Open Access Books: Strategies for Publishers and Authors. Community-Led Open Publication Infrastructures for Monographs (COPIM). doi: 10.21428/785a6451.2d6f4263and 10.5281/zenodo.5572413

COPIM, Open Book Futures, and the Experimental Publishing Compendium are supported by the Research England Development (RED) Fund and by Arcadia.

 

New report “Recognising Digital Scholarly Outputs in the Humanities” | ALLEA

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This report underscores the transformative impact of digital practices on humanities scholarship. It highlights the importance of recognising interdisciplinary work, innovative research methods, and non-traditional scholarly outputs. In the first part, the ALLEA Working Group E-Humanities addresses challenges in digital humanities, focusing on transparency in linking resources to publications, recognising updates as scholarly contributions, reevaluating authorship, fostering digital skills, and adjusting evaluation methods.

The second section offers recommendations for assessing specific digital outputs like editions, databases, infographics, code, blogs, and podcasts. Each case study includes practical examples and suggested readings.

 

Job: Head of Publishing (LSE Press). Applications invited by Jan 7, 2024 | London School of Economics

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LSE is committed to building a diverse, equitable and truly inclusive university

Library

Head of Publishing (LSE Press)

Salary from £50,606 to £58,505 pa inclusive with potential to progress to £65,157 pa inclusive of London allowance

LSE is a world-leading social science research institution with global impact. Launched in May 2018, LSE Press is a platform for high quality, open access research in the social sciences. Through rigorous peer-review and the use of innovative digital approaches, the Press aims to promote the widest possible engagement with social science research.

Since its launch the Press has published 13 books covering a range of topics from both LSE and external authors and 5 journals. LSE Press publications demonstrate wide public engagement and growing the Press is one of the key objectives of the LSE Research Strategy. Student work is published through our Houghton Street Press imprint, both as part of taught programmes and as discrete student-led publication enterprises.

The Press is managed by a small, dedicated Library team and a well-established Editorial Board, led by the newly appointed Chair of Editorial Board.

We are seeking a highly motivated, creative individual with experience of working in academic publishing, as our Head of Publishing, to lead the next phase of LSE Press growth, one of the key deliverables of the School’s new Research Strategy. The Head of Publishing will lead the business development of the Press, managing an efficient, author-focused publishing service and building a distinctive publication portfolio of the highest academic quality. They will drive continuous evolution and innovation of the Press by contributing specialist and forward-thinking knowledge and experience from the scholarly publishing field.

We are looking for people who can use initiative and creativity to expand the LSE Press, leading the LSE Press team to deliver an excellent service and building positive relationships with authors. You must have excellent communication skills and extensive experience in publishing. Your creativity and people skills must be underpinned by strong organisational ability and a focus on delivering successful publication projects.

We offer an occupational pension scheme, generous annual leave, hybrid working, and excellent training and development opportunities.

 

Open Book Collective Development Fund: Scoping Survey | OBC Information Hub

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The Open Book Collective invites participants to complete our Collective Development Fund Scoping Survey.

This survey is designed to help inform the way the Open Book Collective designs forthcoming grant funding calls for its ‘Collective Development Fund’. This fund will be issuing around £100,000 in grant funding between early 2024 and early 2026 to Open Access book publishers and infrastructure providers. One of its key aims is to support publishers, infrastructure providers and other organisations to build capacity to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of Open Access books.

The Collective Development Fund is funded from two sources: directly, from funders as part of the Open Book Futures project, as well as from our publisher and service provider members. The Open Book Collective allocates around half of the fees it charges publishers and infrastructure providers to the Collective Development Fund.

[…]

 

How publishers can support authors with requirements for Open Access books – Jisc

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“UKRI’s open access policy for monographs, book chapters and edited collections goes live on 1 January 2024.

In preparation for policy launch, this webinar will help those who support open access at their institutions understand how publishers enable authors with funder requirements to make long-form research outputs publicly available and how this can assist with engagement with authors about the policy and completing stage 1 and 2 of the funding application….”

UKRI monograph open access policy coming soon: here’s what you need to know – Jisc

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“From 1 January 2024, monographs, book chapters or edited collections acknowledging funding from UKRI or any of its councils must be made open access (OA) within 12 months of publication. This is the first time that long-form research outputs have been included in UKRI’s open access policy. Not only does the new policy align with the approach of other funders such as the Wellcome Trust, it also implements the government’s firm commitment for open publication of publicly-funded research.

However, it is important to recognise that the OA landscape for long-form research outputs is less mature than for short-form outputs such as journal articles, and this will be a significant change for funded authors. Those affected by the changes may have queries or concerns, but UKRI’s OA policy has been written to allow a smooth transition and reduce disruption. For example, they have just announced a bedding-in period of 9 months from policy launch to allow institutions time to adjust and smooth out processes.

New UKRI policy requirements

The core requirements are:

The final Version of Record or Author’s Accepted Manuscript must be free to view and download via an online publication platform, publisher’s website, or institutional or subject repository within a maximum of 12 months of publication
The OA version of the publication must have a Creative Commons licence, with an Open Government Licence (OGL) also permitted.
Images, illustrations, tables and other supporting content should be included in the OA version where possible (third-party materials DO NOT require a CC licence)….”

Taking a stand against book bans – The University of Chicago Library News – The University of Chicago Library

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“In that spirit, at a press conference with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, and UChicago President Paul Alivisatos during Banned Books Week on October 3, I announced that we are taking five steps relating to banned books.

First, the University of Chicago Library has started work to build the Banned Books Collection, an attempt to bring together all books banned in the United States, whether digital or print. We have already a quarter of the more than 1,500 banned books here in our libraries, and we will grow this collection and keep it up to date. We are building this as a research collection, to increase our understanding of book bans, but also to create a historic record. Importantly, this will also be a collection for access, available to everyone who visits our libraries, whether they come from an Ivy League institution or live a few dozen blocks south of us. We will also make this collection available to users of other libraries, through interlibrary loan….

Second, to support those who live in areas where books are banned, we are partnering with the Digital Public Library of America. For more than a decade, the DPLA has worked to widen access to books for everyone in the U.S., through the internet. Through its Palace app, the DPLA already makes two thirds of books banned available in those locations where they are banned. We will work with DPLA to increase that percentage, with the hope to eventually make all banned books available online—in partnership with authors and publishers….”

By the Book 9: Crafting Value in Today’s Book World, June 26-28, 2024 | Filozofska fakulteta Univerze v Ljubljani

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Crafting Value in Today’s Book World
Navigating the 21st century’s challenges and opportunities in trade, academic, and educational publishing

By the Book9
26 to 28 June 2024
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Slovenia

Conference of the European Publishing Studies Association

The European Publishing Studies Association (EuroPub) is committed to promoting dialogue about the modern book trade. The By the Book conference serves as a nexus for industry experts, educators, and researchers to explore pivotal aspects of book publishing and to advance the discipline of publishing studies. Now celebrating its ninth edition, By the Book integrates academic insights with industry perspectives. Presentations will take different forms to accommodate the range of academic and industry voices that make By the Book such a unique conference. In past years, our discussions have covered themes from the art of curation to the intricate dynamics within the publishing sector.

By the Book9 delves into the formation of value in the consumer and scholarly book industry, whilst predicting future transformations. A focal point of our discussions this year will be the pressing challenges faced by everyone in crafting sustainable value, whether technological, economic, or social. The profound significance such value has on the landscape of the industry prompts us to assess the habits and strategies among industry stakeholders — from authors, publishers and editors to booksellers and readers.

Topics

Possible topics for papers include but are not limited to:

·      Cultural Value: Celebrating and promoting diversity, inclusion, and representation in both content and among creators.
·       Educational Value: Producing content that enlightens, informs, and educates, fostering lifelong learning.
·       Entertainment Value: Crafting compelling narratives and engaging content that captivates readers.
·       Historical Value: Preserving and presenting histories, narratives, and voices that might otherwise be overlooked or forgotten.
·       Aesthetic Value: Prioritizing high-quality book design, typography, and production, enhancing the tactile and visual pleasure of books.
·       Innovative Value: Embracing new technologies and formats, from ebooks to audiobooks, to enhance accessibility and reach.
·       Economic Value: Adopting sustainable business models and practices that ensure profitability and fair compensation for all stakeholders.
·       Ethical Value: Championing fair trade practices, environmentally friendly production, and ethical treatment of all contributors.
·       Collaborative Value: Fostering partnerships and collaborations between writers, publishers, illustrators, distributors, and other stakeholders.
·       Social Value: Engaging with societal issues, facilitating dialogue and understanding, and supporting community-building through literature.
·       Authenticity: Prioritizing genuine voices, original perspectives, and true-to-life narratives.

The conference will also feature a thread dedicated to publishing education. We invite proposals showcasing teaching best practice, innovative student projects, and other related subjects. Delegates will have the opportunity to discuss publishing education insights, industry collaborations, and upcoming trends.

Contribution formats

The conference welcomes contributions in English from international researchers, including industry practitioners and PhD students. The committee invites proposals of the following types:

1. Research paper (including pedagogical research)
20-minute presentation of research outcomes

2. Poster presentation
A3 poster (and in digital form) which visualizes research outcomes or projects, accompanied by a 5-minute introduction of the poster

3. Group proposal for round table discussion of key issues
1-hour discussion including questions

4. Best practice in teaching publishing studies
15-minute presentation of case studies (e.g. live projects, group work, special assignments)

Submission of proposals

Proposals should be of around 250 words together with a short (100-word) biography of the participant/s. Subject to peer review, a selection of the best papers will be published in a special issue of the premier publishing journal Logos.

Contributions are to be submitted via the online form no later than Thursday 11 January 2024.

For further information please contact us at bythebook9@ff.uni-lj.si.

Conference fee

The conference fee is 275 euros, including for those who would like to attend without presenting a paper. There is a reduced rate of 125 euros for PhD students

Call For Applications: Workshop ‘Towards Sustainable Open Access Book Publishing in the African Context’, Feb 07-09, 2024 | OBC Information Hub

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Dates: February 7th, 8th, 9th 2024

Location: University of Cape Town 

Partners: Association of African Universities, African Platform for Open Scholarship (formerly Continental Platform), Lancaster University, Open Book Collective, Thoth, OAPEN/DOAB

Language: English

Application deadline: 15th December 2023

This 3-day workshop explores challenges that inhibit a sustainable open access book publishing ecosystem with the remit of developing interventions that contribute and/or accelerate the growth of African scholarship. The event is designed to respond to barriers and needs related to Open Access book publishers and initiatives across the African continent. It provides a space for skills development, sharing experiences, expertise, and for learning about new developments in the support and funding of Open Access book publishing.

The event is open to authors/editors, publishers and infrastructure providers. This means initiatives involved in all aspects of Open Access book production and distribution, ranging from content development, producing and distributing open access books, to working on hosting and distributing them. This event is hosted by the University of Cape Town, developers of the African Platform for Open Scholarship (formerly Continental Platform) and the Open Book Futures project. Open Book Futures is an international consortium of stakeholders committed to developing a sustainable, equitable and diverse future for Open Access books led not by large commercial operations, but by communities of scholars, small-to-medium-sized publishers, not-for-profit infrastructure providers, and scholarly libraries. The project is committed to engaging with publishers, universities, and infrastructure providers in a diverse set of national and linguistic contexts beyond the Global North.

The event will have two focus areas: training and development. With regard to training:  

upskilling authors and/or editors on crafting academically strong manuscripts

upskilling infrastructure providers on managing the workflows for the production of open books

With regard to development:

skills sessions, in which publishers can learn from each other and participating initiatives

scoping sessions, to share experiences, learn about new developments, and challenges that need to be overcome

panel discussions, featuring discussions and debates on Open Access book publishing futures on the African continent

The event is free to attend, with places for around 30 delegates in total. Catering costs will be covered for all delegates. In addition, we expect that there will be funding available to pay for travel and accommodation costs for around 15 delegates from the following countries on the African continent: Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe. 

To apply to join the event, delegates are invited to contribute the following information by December 15 2023: 

Name: 

Affiliation: 

Email address: 

A description of your Open Access initiative, including aims and remit (up to 150 words): 

A brief summary of barriers and difficulties encountered in your work (up to 150 words):

Ideas for how these barriers could be overcome (up to 150 words): 

Details of either a manuscript for an Open Access book, or another project designed to build Open Access publishing capacity, that you could bring to introduce and discuss with colleagues (up to 250 words)

[…]

 

Faculty monographs cost $0 with funding from Virginia Tech open-access initiative | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech

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“When TOME launched in 2017 as a five-year pilot project of the Association of American Universities, Association of Research Libraries, and Association of University Presses, its goal was to shift the business model of academic publishing from post-publication sales to front-end publication grants.

As one of 12 participating universities, Virginia Tech offered three $15,000 grants per year to faculty whose monographs were being published by university presses, allowing the press to make an open-access digital edition of the book freely available.

With the help of TOME funds provided by Faculty Affairs, University Libraries, and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, 12 books by Virginia Tech faculty have been made open access thus far with two more history monographs set to be published shortly….”

Open Metadata and Libraries | Open Access Books Network

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By Jeffrey Edmunds, Digital Access Coordinator at the Penn State University Libraries

The phrase “Open Access” evokes, for most of us, Open Access resources: OA books, OA articles, OA journals. Equally important however, and often overlooked, is the metadata describing them. The visibility and discoverability of Open Access resources depends in part on good metadata, and since OA materials fall outside the traditional workflows of libraries acquisitions and cataloging, they are frequently under-described. A lack of good metadata impedes their discovery and lessens their visibility in the scholarly communication ecosystem.

Metadata for Open Access books originates with publishers, who generally use a metadata format known as ONIX (ONline Information eXchange). To be useful for libraries, ONIX data needs to be transformed into MARC (MAchine Readable Cataloging), the international standard for the capture and exchange of bibliographic metadata. MARC records are then loaded into library discovery systems such as catalogs to facilitate search and retrieval of Open Access materials.

Unfortunately, the current ecosystem, just as it remains biased against Open Access resources (most academic libraries rely on a tiny number of large publishers and discovery providers for both their electronic resources, locked behind paywalls, and the systems to manage them), is also skewed against the free and open sharing of metadata.

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