Liverpool University Press launches Opening the Future OA membership programme
Liverpool University Press (LUP) is pleased to announce that it is adding to its existing Open Access (OA) publishing programmes this June, by launching an innovative monograph funding initiative. In partnership with COPIM, LUP will be rolling out an Opening the Future programme where they’ll offer libraries subscription/membership access to a choice of two modern language backlist series - and in return the Press will use subscription fees to produce new OA monographs, freely accessible to all.
LUP has a long history of publishing in the Romance languages, and in open access publishing: they’ve explored many avenues, from BPCs to Green OA, and have been publishing OA books since 2010. This new Opening the Future programme sees them expand this commitment to disseminating research globally, and by harnessing the power of collective library funding no single institution bears a disproportionate burden. Anthony Cond, Liverpool University Press CEO, said,
“The strategic and societal importance of understanding different languages and cultures demands evolving models of research dissemination. The Opening the Future membership scheme is forward-looking and offers a new pathway to impact in a vital field, and Liverpool University Press is well-placed to be an early pioneer. We have been a publisher of open access books for more than a decade and a publisher of high quality Hispanic Studies research for more than a century. Now in 2021 Opening the Future will renew our commitment to open access in the modern languages.”
What is the programme?
Opening the Future is a collective subscription model that, through its membership scheme, makes library funds go further: achieving the dual objectives of increasing collections and supporting Open Access. We're offering libraries anywhere in the world subscription/membership access to a choice of two Hispanic Studies backlist series of monographs. In return LUP will use the subscription fees to produce new Open Access monographs, freely accessible to all.
The programme and platform were initially devised and launched by Work Package 3 of the COPIM project - a partnership of researchers, librarians, publishers and infrastructure providers. WP3 lead, Professor Martin Paul Eve, based at Birkbeck, University of London, said
“We’re really excited to be working with LUP on this launch. In October 2020 we established a similar programme with Central European University Press to give member access to (and fund new OA) books on post-Communist Europe and transitions to democracy; so we’re now seeing Opening the Future become a viable option for sustaining publishing in areas of research that span different cultures and the globe. Through this initiative, libraries will gain online access to excellent research, enhancing their collections in Latin American Studies, and contemporary Hispanic and Lusophone cultures. At the same time, their membership fees will enable Liverpool University Press to publish new monographs in these research areas but this time as open access and available to anyone all over the world.”
What’s on offer?
Members pay a small annual fee to get unlimited multi-user access to two series from the well-regarded Liverpool University Press backlist and the membership revenue is then used to produce new OA monographs. This includes access to two monograph series: Contemporary Hispanic and Lusophone Cultures (CHLC), and Liverpool Latin American Studies (LLAS). In total you will get multi-user electronic access to 36 titles.
The model has support from LYRASIS who will assist with organising library participation in the programme. We will provide MARC records, KBART files and support discovery systems, and subscribers will have access to COUNTER compliant statistics. Membership is open to libraries and institutions worldwide. There are no catches and no hidden fees - members won’t be asked to pay more on top of their annual fee to access ‘more’ or ‘better’ titles. The package of books that members subscribe to won’t suddenly change.
In terms of costings, library and institutional members are banded according to their size. For further details on the pricing and structure of the model, see the About page and FAQs. If you have OA funds, or if your library doesn’t need access to the backlist, you can still subscribe to an OA Supporter Membership to support the move to immediate OA, without author-facing charges.
If you’d like to discuss this announcement or would like more information not answered in the FAQs then please contact Martin Paul Eve at martin.eve@bbk.ac.uk and Anthony Cond at a.cond@liverpool.ac.uk.
What's included?
The Modern Languages Package contains titles from two series 'Contemporary Hispanic and Lusophone Cultures' and 'Liverpool Latin American Studies'. The first reflects a wide variety of critical practices and theoretical approaches, in harmony with the intellectual, cultural and social developments which have taken place over the past few decades. All manifestations of contemporary hispanic and lusophone culture and expression are considered, including literature, cinema, popular culture, theory. Three of our latest releases are also included in the package:
The second series included in the package, the Liverpool Latin American Studies collection, presents research in a broad spectrum of fields. These include history, literature, cultural and social studies, languages, social anthropology, politics, international relations, human geography, archaeology, environmental studies, business and commerce. These three texts are also included within the package:
How do institutions order?
Institutions can view the full collection of titles available through the scheme on the Opening the Future website, by following the link to All Subscription Packages and sign up by following the online registration.
About Liverpool University Press
Liverpool University Press is the UK’s third oldest university press, with a distinguished history of publishing exceptional research since 1899, including the work of Nobel prize winners. LUP has rapidly expanded in recent years to become an award-winning academic publisher that produces approximately 150 books a year, 42 journals and a number of digital collections, specialising in literature, modern languages, history, and film studies.
About COPIM
COPIM is an international partnership of researchers, universities, librarians, open access book publishers and infrastructure providers supported by the Research England Development Fund as a major development project in the Higher Education sector with significant public benefits, and by the Arcadia Foundation.
Contact details for further information
a.cond@liverpool.ac.uk
Anthony Cond
Chief Executive Officer
Liverpool University Press
martin.eve@bbk.ac.uk
Martin Paul Eve
Professor of Literature, Technology and Publishing
Birkbeck, University of London / COPIM