How can new books in media studies be published open access without passing the costs on to authors? The Open Library Medienwissenschaft uses a collective funding model: libraries share the cost of an entire collection, which is then made openly available to everyone.
In 2027, this model will enable ten new monographs and edited volumes in media studies to be published as Diamond Open Access. The German- and English-language books will be released under a Creative Commons licence, making them freely available worldwide. Titles are chosen by a selection committee drawn from the scholarly community, on which FID Media is also represented. The programme covers digital and social media, media aesthetics, media history, media theory and communication, as well as film, photography and analogue media.
At least 40 libraries must participate for the funding to go ahead. They can choose between full sponsorship at €1,412.50, light sponsorship at €706.25 and micro-sponsorship at €300. If more than 40 libraries join, the contribution payable by each participating institution is reduced.
Pledging for the 2027 publications remains open until mid-October. Göttingen State and University Library coordinates the consortium and accepts pledges at oa-transformation@sub.uni-goettingen.de.
Further information about the Open Library Medienwissenschaft from transcript Verlag