Open Edition Fremium: developing a sustainable library-centered economic model for open access

Abstract: In February 2011, the Centre for open electronic publishing (Cléo, France) launched the new portal OpenEdition. Focussing mainly on the humanities and social sciences, the portal brings together three open access platforms: Revues.org (300 academic journals and book series), Calenda (15,500 academic event announcements), Hypotheses.org (200 scholarly blogs). OpenEdition provides content to 2 million users per month worldwide. The journal platform alone, Revues.org, founded in 1999, is now an "umbrella" for 143 full open access journal. OpenEdition aims at developing an innovative economic model for Open Access through a Fremium program, tailored for libraries and their patrons. OpenEdition Fremium offers a set of services on top of the open access content delivered on its three platforms. OpenEdition Fremium is an opportunity for libraries to be involved in the development of a global open access ecosystem for scholars and students alike. It is designed to offer libraries a central and active role in supporting open access. Gated content systems slow the dissemination of knowledge and reduces libraries' role to that of gatekeepers, worsening the digital divide. After 20 years, neither the green road nor the gold road to open access has succeeded in developing the model of Open Access publication through libraries. The Centre for open electronic publishing now offers a third road to open access, the OpenEdition Fremium program.