OAPEN-UK

"Authors Ji-Hong Park, Jiyoung Shim Abstract Scholarly publishing plays a critical role in promotion, tenure, scholarly recognition, and certification of research quality at academic institutions. Given the importance of scholarly publishing, several libraries have launched library publishing services to support formal and informal scholarly communication. Despite the growing popularity and the benefits of library publishing services, few studies have explored the relationship between library publishing services and scholarly communication. This study aims to identify and examine the factors of library publishing services that facilitate scholarly communication. Based on Roosendaal and Geurts's (1997) four functions of scholarly communication, this study analyses and categorizes the library publishing services of eight research university libraries in North America. The registration function is reflected in publishing, intellectual property, and licensing services. The archiving function is reflected in digitization and repository services. The certification function is reflected in expert review and research support services. The awareness function is reflected in knowledge-sharing-platform and search aid services. Keywords scholarly communication, scholarly publishing, library publishing "

"University Press Forum 2011 "

"uthors Robin Derricourt Abstract The key to a successful program of scholarly book publishing lies with the knowledge, creativity, and drive of the commissioning (acquisitions) editor. Peer review is a useful tool for testing and confirming the editor's judgment and arguing the case for publication, but the role of peer review alone can often be overrated. Too many funding and appointment systems are based on a fetishised image of this concept. Despite the debates and changing perceptions about scholarly books, it is editorial excellence that underlies the quality and importance of a list. While journals rely more on the formal process of peer review, the role of the entrepreneurial journal editor also remains important to scholarly communication. Keywords peer review, book publishers, editors, creativity "

"Authors John T. Seaman, Jr., Margaret B. W. Graham Abstract This article analyses the origins, development, and impact of Gutenberg-e, a digital publishing program in historical scholarship sponsored by the American Historical Association (AHA), with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Intended as an experiment in developing and legitimizing new modes of historical scholarship, Gutenberg-e quickly evolved, under pressure to become economically sustainable, into a traditional publishing enterprise bent on making books cheaper and paying for itself in the process. Digital technology, which had the power to transform the whole scholarly enterprise, instead became a means to shore up the existing system of scholarly publishing, with all its flaws intact. Though Gutenberg-e has much to teach us about the costs and consequences of that system, especially for the scholars it is meant to serve, it also offers a glimpse of an alternative future. Almost in spite of itself, Gutenberg-e produced a handful of innovative works of digital scholarship, experimented with new forms of scholarly collaboration and community, and highlighted the opportunities of an expanded audience for specialized academic work. These modest achievements suggest the potential of digital technology to create things which scholars value and thereby sustain the scholarly enterprise over the long term. Keywords digital publishing, innovation, research libraries, university presses, scholarly communications, open access, monographs, sustainability "

"Authors Irene-Sofía Romero-Otero, Elea Giménez-Toledo Abstract The purpose of this article is threefold: (1) To study the course of development, approaches, and strategies of Spanish scientific publishers specializing in the humanities and social sciences; (2) to establish a profile of publishers based on their information and attitudes; and (3) to identify the opportunities and challenges which exist for publishers. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-eight relevant Spanish publishers; their attitudes were observed to be generally cautious, expectant, and in favour of maintaining the status quo, despite all being convinced that the e-book is an element transforming the publishing sector and that, in the near future, both the printed and electronic book will coexist. This study provides information direct from the publishers themselves, offering theorists detailed and accurate insight into the publishing sector and better opportunity to evaluate the impact of publisher attitudes on other agents implicated in the development of the e-book. The study puts on record the first stage of the irruption and consolidation of the e-book in the Spanish academic sector. It also establishes comparisons with publishing sectors of other countries. Keywords e-book, scientific publishers, humanities and social sciences, attitude of publishers, publishing market, publishers' perception of market, Spain "

Authors Albert N. Greco, Robert M. Wharton, Falguni Sen Abstract Drawing on the data collected by Yankee Book Peddler, this article analyses the average prices and title output of books published by university presses and commercial scholarly and professional publishers in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The authors also sought to answer a series of questions that have long perplexed the entire university press community: First, are too many scholarly books being published in North America; second, what are the channels of distribution for these books, and have they changed recently; and third, can university presses develop a strategy that will enable them to maintain their role as the pivotal source of substantive scholarly research? Keywords university presses, commercial scholarly and professional publishing, scholarly book prices, scholarly book title output, print and digital books, channels of distribution, university press strategies

Authors Kathleen Fitzpatrick Abstract Debates about open-access scholarly publishing often focus on the costs of scholarship, whether costs incurred by publishers in producing books and journals or costs faced by libraries in acquiring those publications. Taking those costs as the centre of such discussions often results in an impasse, as the financial realities of publishing-particularly within disciplines that are less well-funded than STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)-seem to present an insurmountable obstacle to greater openness. What if, however, we were to refocus the discussion on values rather than costs? How might such a shift in focus lead us to think differently about the motives and benefits involved in scholarly communication, and how might this lead us to recognize the generosity that keeps the engine running? Keywords open access, scholarly communication, generosity, Research Works Act (RWA), Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI), humanities publishing