YOUR GO-TO INTELLIGENCE RESOURCE FOR THE SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING INDUSTRY

In a groundbreaking initiative aimed at democratizing access to scholarly knowledge and driving progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the De Gruyter eBound Foundation has introduced UPLOpen.com. Developed as part of the University Press Library Open (UPLO), UPLOpen.com is a revolutionary website that aggregates high-quality, open access scholarship from some of the world's leading university presses.

Responding to the increasing demand for open access scholarship and the imperative to tackle global challenges outlined in the UN SDGs, UPLOpen.com offers free online access to a curated collection of books. Emphasizing the SDGs, UPLOpen.com reflects the unwavering commitment of university presses to integrate these goals into their core operations and contribute to positive global change.

"University presses play a pivotal role in disseminating books of global significance," remarked Peter Potter, Executive Director of De Gruyter eBound. "Yet, amidst the vast expanse of the internet, discovering such books can be daunting. UPLOpen.com aims to create a welcoming digital space where individuals can easily access authoritative research from top university presses. This initiative underscores the collective dedication of the academic community to fostering inclusivity, sustainability, and positive change worldwide."

At its launch, UPLOpen.com features over 350 open access books from more than thirty university presses. Notable collections include Luminos from the University of California Press and TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem), a pioneering project led by the Association of American Universities (AAU), Association of Research Libraries (ARL), and Association of University Presses (AUPresses). By mid-2024, UPLOpen.com anticipates hosting over 2,500 titles, with plans for significant expansion in the coming years.

UPLOpen.com is committed to open principles and practices, leveraging digital-first, open content distribution. Developed in collaboration with Ubiquity, a trusted partner in the academic community, UPLOpen.com utilizes open-source infrastructure, benefiting the broader open-source community.

This transformative initiative marks a significant step toward democratizing access to scholarly knowledge and advancing global sustainability goals. By providing free access to high-quality research, UPLOpen.com empowers individuals worldwide to contribute to positive change and fosters a culture of inclusivity and collaboration in academia.