Concurrent 3C: To Flip the Script: Moving Subscription Journals to Open Access through APCs and Cooperation
Open access is now achieving widespread support from publishers, scholars, librarians, and of course, readers. A growing number of government funding agencies are implementing open access publishing mandates, but integrating this requirement into sustainable practice remains a challenge. This session proposes that we investigate publishing cooperatives to address open access, focusing initially on the social sciences and humanities, but potentially for all disciplines. An Open Access Publishing Cooperative would consult with major stakeholders, including publishers, research libraries, societies, presses, funders, and others, to pool the expertise, resources, and finances that are already on the table to enable an open access model that does not rely on APCs. Among the ideas to be considered are how OA Publishing Cooperatives would allow libraries to gradually redirect their collection budgets away from subscriptions and APC funds toward directly supporting the publishing activities of scholarly societies and presses. The Public Knowledge Project at Stanford and Simon Fraser University has begun a two-year feasibility study of open access publishing cooperatives, to consult with stakeholders, develop the required technology, and outline the steps required to bringing the idea into production. This session will provide a description of the study, the findings to date, and engage the audience in their thoughts and feedback on the opportunities and challenges for publishers and libraries in this cooperative model for open access publishing.
