Informationsplattform Open Access: Open Access for Books

Open access for books – this long-neglected topic has gained enormously in importance in recent years. Until well into the 2010s, the open access activities of research funders, libraries and authors focused mainly on the area of scholarly journals. However, the stakeholders in the scholarly publishing system have now also recognised the enormous potential of open access for books, and have initiated transformation measures (Bargheer et al., 2017; Ferwerda et al., 2017; Stone & Marques, 2018). This is impressively demonstrated by the numerous studies and projects conducted at national and international level; by improved funding structures and new funding models; and by dynamic initiatives, working groups, and discussion forums.