timetables for new editions “will be book-specific – we will ask authors to set out an anticipated review schedule when submit- ting a proposal”.
For its textbook programme Gillian said that funding would initially be the same as for other long-form publications. “This means that funding will need to come from the library or wider institution.” But she said: “We are scoping alternative approaches and the potential for greater support drawn from surplus funds. Print book sales have been higher than we anticipated so this income allows us some flexibility.”
Sustainability
In general she said: “SUP operates on a not-for-profit basis which means that any surpluses generated through our publish- ing activity will be reinvested in the press. In the initial stages this will mean that surplus funds will support the development of the press as we expand to include different types of content. We started with monographs and have now moved on to include other types of academic books such as edited collections and now textbooks. As part of our Content Strategy we aim to offer a journal publishing offer too.”
She added that “Beyond supporting expansion, surplus funds will be used to surface innovative content that would otherwise struggle to find a route to publication, which means supporting authors and institutions that don’t have access to funding for books. This commissioning of content will be linked to our aspi- rations for diversity across the SUP catalogue so we will monitor the research we publish over time and actively work to fill any gaps or silences that are identified.”
So far, these shared goals and transparency have led to a gen- 28 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL
erous relationship between author and publisher: “Many of our authors are choosing to forgo receiving royalties, opting instead for funds to be reinvested in the press. This is a strong affirma- tion of our model which also offers significant support on the path to long-term sustainability.”
Library led publishing
Library-led presses are just one of the models represented by OIPA. The model works and gives librarians agency, Gillian said: “People do ask why we as librarians have opted to move into publishing, taking on a whole new professional skill set. We have found that there is a lot of cross-over in the wide and varied skills that information professionals are using in roles across libraries. Roles are changing in all areas of work and boundaries are shifting between sectors. For me, library publishing is just an evolution of our role as we take forward the overarching library mission of making information accessible for all.” Gillian added: “There are definite benefits and added value that librarians bring to the mix. The systemic understanding of the information lifecycle for one. We have a strong appreciation of the value content brings to our end users, and of how it will be used in the research process, because we are part of that system too. Librarians and researchers belong to the same academic communities, working together to deliver the same goals. This counts for a lot in a digital information landscape where trust and integrity have been eroded by the trajectory of technolog- ical change. Trust and human connections are key parts of the library ethos that carries forward to SUP. And our metadata is
fabulous too, of course!” IP l
www.sup.ac.uk/
Rewired 2025
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