Striving for a more equitable and diverse book publishing ecosystem: UG supports Open Book Collective | Open access | University of Groningen Library

Interview conducted by Giulia Trentacosti

In August 2024, the University of Groningen Library became a sponsoring member of the Open Book Collective (OBC). The OBC is a UK-registered charity that enables libraries and other knowledge institutions to collectively support open access book publishers and service providers. 

The OBC is committed to shaping a more equitable, collaborative and bibliodiverse academic book publishing system. It allows members to evaluate, compare, and support a range of small-to-medium open access book publishers, as well as service and infrastructure providers. This financing model enables publishers to move away from Book Processing Charges. It is a  community-led, accountable organization. Furthermore, the OBC is set-up in such a way that members receiving income from supporters will give back to the OBC a portion of the revenue they receive to a collective development fund. This fund is used to help smaller initiatives through the development of toolkits, webinars, and other education materials, and mini-grants.

We talked to Kevin Sanders, Open Access Engagement Lead at the Open Book Collective, about the ambitions of the OBC, and the role libraries play in the transition to a more sustainable publishing ecosystem.