A Call to Libraries: Redirect Funding, Rebuild Scholarly Publishing  - Open Library of Humanities

"There is an alternative to these expensive TAs, big deals and APCs. If instead of spending large sums on the big five commercial publishers, universities invested this money into diamond OA or organisations such as the recently launched Open Journals Collective we would at least help build a fairer system of academic publishing while also creating a more affordable and sustainable future for library budgets. If OLH has succeeded in its mission to support and extend open access to scholarship in the humanities—for free, for everyone, for ever—it was precisely because of this kind of university support.  We rely on library donations not just for our survival but to continue expanding of our work. Without increased financial support from libraries, we would not be able to continue flipping subscription journals, rescuing high-profile titles at risk of commercialisation, and supporting journals threatened by austerity cuts in humanities research.  

We therefore call on universities to take the next step by redirecting even a small proportion of their expenditure away from expensive big deals, TAs and APCs and towards community-owned diamond open access. Every new library that joins OLH helps sustain existing journals, enables the transition of new titles away from commercial publishers, and contributes to a publishing ecosystem that is more equitable, more resilient, and more affordable. If universities are serious about the long-term sustainability of scholarly communication, supporting community-owned, non-for-profit infrastructure must become part of the solution."