Collection development is a core function of libraries as they are tasked with creating collections that are both useful and accessible to meet community needs and align with their institution’s mission. Understanding user needs is essential in this process, especially in today’s knowledge-driven society. As we navigate the evolving Open Access (OA) landscape, where the Universities of the Netherlands are committed to achieving global OA to their publications, recognizing that users are not just consumers of information but also active contributors is key to keeping up with their expectations. This requires additional focus on reconciling reading and publishing needs, while also assuming a critical attitude that a global OA publishing landscape will help achieve balance.
Setting the strategy and planning collection development
Libraries, as the main ‘buyers’ of information, can strategically reallocate funds from traditional content purchases and invest in national or international digital resources that foster open access. In the OA book landscape, not-for-profit and scholar-led models are crucial. The budget reallocation not only contributes to help these models establish in OA book publishing, but also enhances institutions addressing their commitment to equitable access, contributing to the financial sustainability of OA publishing.
In terms of a strategic framework, it is important to assess financial landscapes to determine priorities related to OA, considering both institutional goals and the broader impact of OA on scholarly communication. Unfortunately, collection management for OA materials is often added to existing responsibilities, rather than replacing any (Grabowsky, 2015). Establishing clear principles for collection development, while having strong OA policies and deposit mandates that align with these goals is also crucial. Keeping in mind a fair and sustainable landscape, these principles should focus on promoting equitable OA models and avoiding the perpetuation of inequalities within scholarly publishing. For example, on this please see the University of Sheffield Library Comprehensive Strategy, Temple University Library case of balancing investments of collections budget, and, at the Dutch level, the approach TU/Delft is adopting.
Budgeting
In times where library budgets become extremely tight, recognizing their political implications of library budgets contributes to playing a significant role in fostering a fairer and more sustainable publishing environment. Given the announced budget cuts to higher education, while open access (OA) books may not be a top priority for many, developing equitable funding models to support them can serve as a strategic tool to enhance the relevance and reach of departments whose publication culture is more dependent on long format publications facing potential threats. OA books present a valuable opportunity for these departments to maintain their impact and visibility. Therefore, libraries should not only continue advocating for OA and raise awareness about publishing options, but also educate their community about the costs associated with traditional publishing. This translates in assessing the cost-effectiveness of OA, as well as putting it into practice by redirecting library acquisitions towards OA infrastructures and initiatives with a no-fee model – so called diamond open access. This implies a vision-shift from ‘collection to connection’; from investing in the production, rather than the product (Verbeke & Mesotten, 2022) and from the concepts of ‘ownership’ of the collection to the concept of facilitating access.
Library budgets are diverse and can be either centralized or decentralized. Centralized budgets may offer better control and strategic allocation of resources towards OA initiatives, while decentralized budgets allow individual departments to prioritize their own OA needs, potentially leading to more tailored acquisitions. In decentralized situations, engagement and discussion with faculty about the importance of investing in equitable open access models inclusive for all types of content, especially long-format publications where there is not yet an established open access publishing model, requires an increased effort to guarantee that no-fee models become the standard and sustainable.
Read more about non-BPC book initiatives
Selection
Traditional aspects of collection development regarding selection of materials can also be applied to OA. Identifying and engaging with OA publishers, as well as collaborating with institutions with the same vision and goals, can help to facilitate potential budget and administrative constraints. Evaluating and prioritizing not-for-profit, scholar-led, and community-driven OA publishers in budget planning is a great approach to enhancing support for an equitable publishing landscape and supporting OA books. For more information on assessment criteria please check this FAQ. Additionally, facilitating the creation, organization, preservation, and dissemination of content produced at the institutional and local level, not only contributes to promoting and preserving institutional knowledge but also to better align with subject responsibility in terms of collection. This can either be done by hosting and sustaining the appropriate infrastructure, like institutional repositories, but also by exploring institutional publishing via library-based programs or following a New University Press approach, if the institution is prepared to provide institutional subsidy to these initiatives.
Read more about the Netherlands University Presses
Evaluation
Assessing the quality of OA materials and initiatives might be a difficult task. Scholar-led, not-for-profit OA initiatives are usually associated with small-scale presses that often face significant challenges in their outreach activities. Unlike larger publishers, these smaller presses typically lack the extensive marketing budgets, professional networks, and promotional infrastructures necessary to effectively disseminate their materials. As a result, their works may not receive the visibility or recognition they deserve, leading to issues with discoverability. This limited visibility can be a major barrier for libraries in identifying and curating quality OA materials. To help in this regard Thoth, one of COPIM working packages, is facilitating smaller presses making their books widely discoverable and with quality metadata.
What to include in a collection strategy for OA books
- Support OA book funding within your institution
- Support non-BPC book initiatives
- Support green open access policies for (closed access) books
- Raise awareness for open access book publishing within your institution
- Raise awareness for using open access books in education within your institution
How is your institution aligning collection development strategies with facilitating open access to books?
References
- Grabowsky, A. (2015). The Impact of Open Access on Collection Management. Virginia Libraries, 61(1). https://doi.org/10.21061/valib.v61i1.1325
- Verbeke, D., & Mesotten, L. (2022). Library funding for open access at KU Leuven. Insights, 35(0). https://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.565
Further reading
- Knowledge Future, The Global Transition to Open
- Chris Bulock, Crowdfunding for Open Access
- Annie Johnson, Balancing Investments in Open Access
- Lucy Barnes and Tom Grady, How can I persuade my institution to support collective funding for open access books?
- Anna Hughes, Lucy Barnes, Tom Grady, and Kira Hopkins, Building assessment criteria for collection development policies: a community resource
