IReL and the Open Book Collective (OBC) have announced a landmark agreement enabling IReL members to support diamond open access (OA) book publishers through the Open Book Collective. This partnership underscores a shared commitment to fostering equitable access to scholarly content and ensuring the sustainability of open access book publishing.
The Open Book Collective is a charitable organization that unites publishers, service providers, and libraries to strengthen the diversity and financial stability of OA book production and dissemination. Diamond OA publishers offer their books freely to libraries and users without charging publication fees to authors, relying instead on institutional funding to sustain their operations.
Through this collaboration, IReL and OBC aim to create meaningful connections between diamond OA publishers and supporting libraries. Two IReL member libraries have already committed to this initiative: Trinity College Dublin Library is backing Open Book Publishers, while the IADT Library is supporting OBC’s Scholar Led publishers.
OBC expressed enthusiasm about the agreement, emphasizing its potential to help IReL members streamline the planning and management of their strategic support for OA publishing. The initiative also highlights the importance of building a sustainable and inclusive open research environment by supporting the infrastructures that underpin collective efforts in open access publishing.
This partnership represents a significant step toward ensuring the future of diamond open access book publishing, promoting innovation and inclusivity in scholarly communication.
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