The Library as Host, Rather than Publisher, of Open Access Journals

Location

KIPJ EF

Session Type

45-minute concurrent session

Start Date

28-4-2016 1:50 PM

End Date

28-4-2016 2:35 PM

Keywords

Hosting, Institutional Repositories, Open Access Journals, Publishing

Abstract

Library as publisher is a current consideration among many academic libraries. As more and more libraries offer digital publishing platforms, often through their institutional repository, campus partners are working with libraries to publish original scholarly content. A large growth area in this environment is open access (OA) journals.

In 2015, the Digital Scholarship unit at the UNLV Libraries examined its role with existing OA journals in its institutional repository, Digital Scholarship@UNLV. What the unit discovered is that the Libraries’ relationship with its journals were often undefined or vague. For example, there was no documentation of responsibilities of each party, extent of support offered by the library, or clear communication channels. After consultations with our Division Director and Libraries Dean, the Digital Scholarship unit decided to define its role as a host, rather than a publisher, of OA journals moving forward.

This presentation will discuss the reasons why UNLV decided to be a host, rather than a publisher, and review benefits and potential pitfalls of each model. This discussion will include UNLV’s prior practices in hosting OA journals as well as the digital scholarship unit’s discussion with library senior leadership and campus deans. The discussion will also include two recent and successful cases of signing up OA journals with the library as host. Attendees will learn about the benefits and limitations of being a host of journal content, how to frame conversations about hosting journals with campus administration, and the key elements to include when developing a memorandum of understanding to reflect the library’s role as host.

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Apr 28th, 1:50 PM Apr 28th, 2:35 PM

The Library as Host, Rather than Publisher, of Open Access Journals

KIPJ EF

Library as publisher is a current consideration among many academic libraries. As more and more libraries offer digital publishing platforms, often through their institutional repository, campus partners are working with libraries to publish original scholarly content. A large growth area in this environment is open access (OA) journals.

In 2015, the Digital Scholarship unit at the UNLV Libraries examined its role with existing OA journals in its institutional repository, Digital Scholarship@UNLV. What the unit discovered is that the Libraries’ relationship with its journals were often undefined or vague. For example, there was no documentation of responsibilities of each party, extent of support offered by the library, or clear communication channels. After consultations with our Division Director and Libraries Dean, the Digital Scholarship unit decided to define its role as a host, rather than a publisher, of OA journals moving forward.

This presentation will discuss the reasons why UNLV decided to be a host, rather than a publisher, and review benefits and potential pitfalls of each model. This discussion will include UNLV’s prior practices in hosting OA journals as well as the digital scholarship unit’s discussion with library senior leadership and campus deans. The discussion will also include two recent and successful cases of signing up OA journals with the library as host. Attendees will learn about the benefits and limitations of being a host of journal content, how to frame conversations about hosting journals with campus administration, and the key elements to include when developing a memorandum of understanding to reflect the library’s role as host.