Princeton University Press, Cambridge University Press, and Johns Hopkins University Press have joined Cashmere as founding publishers of Meridian, a university press community initiative designed to connect scholarly library collections with artificial intelligence (AI) tools used by researchers. Convened by Cashmere, a responsible AI data infrastructure provider, Meridian will initially operate through Cashmere's technology platform and provide a Model Context Protocol (MCP) gateway for authorized access to scholarly content.
The initiative aims to establish a shared infrastructure through which AI tools can access licensed, peer-reviewed scholarly publications while maintaining content provenance, attribution, citations, and usage reporting. It is designed to simplify authorized content access through a single integration framework rather than requiring publishers to establish separate integrations with individual AI platforms.
As researchers increasingly use AI assistants to explain, summarize, and connect scholarly information, Meridian aims to ensure that AI-generated responses are based on trusted, peer-reviewed, and appropriately licensed research. The platform will provide clear attribution to the original sources and direct users to the publishers' versions of record through their libraries' existing access arrangements.
The initiative applies the collaborative infrastructure model traditionally adopted by scholarly publishers to AI-assisted research, with participating publishers retaining a role in its governance and operating principles.
For researchers, Meridian is intended to support AI-assisted research within the authorized scholarly publishing ecosystem. Responses generated through participating AI tools will be grounded in authoritative, peer-reviewed content and include citations to the original publications. Users will also be directed to the publishers' versions of record to access complete works through their institutional library subscriptions.
For libraries, the platform will provide COUNTER-aligned usage reporting on how licensed collections are accessed through AI-assisted research. These reports are expected to support collection development decisions and help libraries assess the use of their subscribed resources. According to the initiative, content accessed through Meridian will not be used to train or fine-tune AI models, sublicensed, or redistributed.
For participating university presses and other publishers, Meridian will provide a shared integration framework, reducing the need to establish separate connections with individual AI platforms. Participation will be voluntary and non-exclusive, allowing publishers to retain their existing licensing agreements and distribution channels. Publishers will also be able to withdraw individual titles from the platform at any time.
The platform will provide publishers with usage statistics covering the questions their catalogs address, the visibility of their content in search results, and how frequently their publications are cited across AI tools. These insights are intended to help publishers evaluate the reach and use of their content in AI-assisted research environments.
Meridian is structured as both a program and a technology platform through which participating publishers can manage content distribution, access permissions, and rights. It also aims to support collaboration among publishers in developing approaches to content discovery and engagement as AI becomes more widely integrated into research workflows.
Cashmere will initially serve as both the initiative's operator and technology provider. Its operational responsibilities will include publisher and institutional onboarding, customer support, usage measurement, and reporting on behalf of the participating community. It will also provide the technical infrastructure supporting Meridian.
Representatives from Cambridge University Press, Johns Hopkins University Press, and Princeton University Press will serve alongside Cashmere on Meridian's Advisory Council. Institutional library representation is expected to be added at a later stage. The council will oversee the initiative's mission, operating principles, membership criteria, and quality standards. It is also expected to become the board of directors when Meridian transitions into an independent nonprofit organization.
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