Open Library of Humanities obtains formal charitable status

We are pleased to announce that the Open Library of Humanities (a UK company limited by guarantee with no shareholders) is now formally registered as a UK charity (registered charity number 1163413).

While the motivation for the platform has always been to create a publisher with a not-for-profit mission devoted solely to the advancement of education through open-access publishing, formal charitable status requires a certain level of operation prior to application and then a legal procedure. It was not until this time that we could acquire this formal status.

Specifically, the charitable objects of the Open Library of Humanities are now formalised as “the advancement of education for the public benefit by publishing open access, high quality, educational, original, academic research material in particular, but not exclusively, in the humanities and social-scientific disciplines”. We define “open access” as “the online publication of material for which there is no charge to readers”, with open licensing desirable and recommended by default.

It is our pleasure to formally codify this commitment to an ethical vision of publishing without profit that seeks education and knowledge for all, regardless of a reader’s or author’s ability to pay.

Journals wishing to join the platform should submit an initial enquiry to martin.eve@openlibhums.org. After the September launch of the OLH, applications will be be subject to the platform’s joining procedure. 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.