Coates Library, Trinity University signs up to OLH model

We're extremely pleased to announce that Coates Library, Trinity University has become a member of the Open Library of Humanities' Library Partnership Subsidy system. Founded on the vision of a few Texas pioneers who believed in the transformational powers of higher education, today Trinity serves students from around the world, and empowers them with the tools of “a University of the highest order.”

The Open Library of Humanities is an academic-led, gold open-access publisher with no author-facing charges. With initial funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the platform covers the costs of the labour of publishing through a global library consortium so that authors do not have to pay. This model means that there are no fees for authors and no incentives for us to accept sub-par work.

Dr. Martin Paul Eve, a founder and academic project director of the OLH, welcomed Trinity University: “I am delighted that the Coates Library at Trinity University has joined the OLH. We clearly need new models for open access in the humanities that offer a way to transition; we can't just expect the whole system to convert overnight. We also need new models that account for the different funding structures in these disciplines and avoid the author-pays model. With the support of institutions like Trinity, we can achieve that.”

Professor Michael Hughes, Assistant Professor and Instruction/Liaison Librarian for history, communication, philosophy, and film studies, Coates Library, added: “Innovation is a key part of the culture at Trinity – it’s written into our mission statement. Accordingly, partnering with OLH is a natural fit. The bold and well-considered funding model to which we now contribute will help to ensure a vibrant and far-reaching future for scholarly communication in the humanities.”

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 will shortly be able to join through Jisc Collections. US-based libraries can join through LYRASIS at https://lyrasis.openlibhums.org.