How to shake up ebook publishing | Research Professional News
flavoursofopenscience's bookmarks 2021-03-31
Summary:
Open access can remedy astronomical prices and restrictive licensing, say Lucy Barnes and Rachel Bickley
One of the many lessons of the pandemic has been that traditional academic ebook publishing is not fit for purpose. Astronomical prices, restrictive licences and a lack of institutional digital access to core texts have left massive gaps in university libraries’ online resources. The impact on students and lecturers has been severe.
In response, academic librarians have launched a campaign for an investigation into the industry. Librarians have compiled examples of unaffordable and unavailable digital texts, highlighting how single-user ebooks often cost more than 10 times as much as print copies of the same works. The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, the UK’s professional body for library and information workers, has petitioned the Competition and Markets Authority in this area.
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