Virginia Commonwealth University joins OLH LPS model

We are extremely pleased to announce that Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. has joined the Open Library of Humanities’ Library Partnership Subsidy system. Virginia Commonwealth University is a Carnegie very high research institution with 15 programs rated among the top 15 in the country, with the No. 1 public graduate arts program (U.S. News & World Report).

The Open Library of Humanities is an academic-led, gold open-access publisher with no author-facing charges. With funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the platform covers its costs by payments from an international library consortium, rather than any kind of author fee.

Dr. Martin Paul Eve, a founder and academic project director of the OLH, welcomed Virginia Commonwealth University: “I am delighted that Virginia Commonwealth University has joined the OLH LPS model. It is clear that there are benefits of open access that extend to all disciplines, but this requires models of implementation that are sensitive to disciplinary needs. With the help of institutions like Virginia Commonwealth University we will expand our model for OA in the humanities.”

“I am particularly proud to add Virginia Commonwealth University’s name to the distinguished group of libraries supporting the Open Library of Humanities,” said John E. Ulmschneider, University Librarian of the VCU Libraries. “Research libraries are changing the model of publishing in higher education. Working with front-line academics to provide alternatives to high-cost commercial publications is at the core of our strategy for advancing scholarly communication in the twenty-first century.”

Existing journals wishing to move to the platform should submit an initial enquiry to martin.eve@openlibhums.org. Libraries outside the US and UK interested in joining the OLH Library Partnership Subsidy model should contact Dr. Martin Paul Eve: martin.eve@openlibhums.org. UK-based libraries can join through Jisc Collections at http://www.jisc-collections.ac.uk/Catalogue/Overview/Index/2120. US-based libraries can join through LYRASIS at https://lyrasis.openlibhums.org.