Knowledge Unlatched (KU), a subsidiary of Wiley, has announced the results of its 2023 pledging round, culminating in a significant milestone for Open Access (OA) publishing. The pledging round, which concluded in December 2023, witnessed an overwhelming show of support from institutions worldwide, resulting in the commitment to make hundreds of new titles available as open-access publications in 2024.
A total of 269 books are slated to be published OA in 2024, comprising 71 frontlist books from the KU Select 2024 SDG Books Collection and 198 books from KU's diverse array of collections in humanities, social sciences (HSS), and STEM fields. In addition to these books, KU will also facilitate the publication of 700 peer-reviewed blog posts, approximately 9 new scholarly videos focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and about 9 new peer-reviewed encyclopedia entries. The successful continuation of 4 Subscribe-to-Open (S2O) partnerships through KU's 2023 library crowdfunding efforts has contributed to the sustainability of around 52 journals.
A multitude of publishers have collaborated with KU to unlatch new content, including Routledge/Taylor & Francis, Berghahn Books, University of California Press, International Water Association Publishing, Pluto Press, EDP Sciences, Language Science Press, transcript, and wbv Media, among others.
With approximately 670 institutions worldwide backing KU initiatives to date, the cumulative impact of KU's efforts is expected to reach around 5,000 titles published OA by the end of this year.
Moving forward, KU remains committed to providing transparency and accessibility to librarians and stakeholders. Title lists for each collection, along with updates on 'unlatching' and 'upcoming titles,' will be regularly updated on KU's website to offer librarians a comprehensive overview of titles and their status.
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