Backlist book access for institutions supporting new collections on key global issues
Taylor & Francis has launched the second year of Pledge to Open, its collaborative funding initiative for open access (OA) books, with additional benefits for pledging institutions. Following the success of the pilot phase, organizations are invited to support seven new book collections on key contemporary themes, including children’s health, AI, and migration.
Pledge to Open is an innovative diamond OA model, designed to support publication of books that are both free to read and free to publish for their authors. With each themed collection focused on a global issue, Pledge to Open maximizes the opportunity for important new books to reach a wide and diverse audience and drive real-world impact.
Taylor & Francis confirmed in August that enough pledges had been received in the first year of the initiative to make 26 books open access. The Pledge to Open pilot was supported by 24 institutions around the world, including research-focused universities and smaller institutions.
The enhanced model has been informed by conversations with a range of partners, who helped identify elements which would make Pledge to Open suitable for a greater number of organizations.
Additional features now include the ability of pledging libraries to choose perpetual access to 50 backlist titles per collection from a selection of 1,000 books related to the collection themes. Pledging prices have also been adjusted and there are now preferential rates for organizations who support every collection.
Emily Farrell, Global Commercial Director for Open Research at Taylor & Francis, said: “We are very grateful to everyone who gave us useful feedback on the pilot and we’re looking forward to engaging with our partners about how the new enhancements make Pledge to Open an even better fit for their open research priorities.”
Seven collections of 10 books are now available for institutions to support: Artificial Intelligence; Biotechnological Solutions; Children’s Health and Welfare; Global Security; Migration and Asylum; Social Movements and Activism; and Sustainability in Practice.
Nicola Parkin, Director of Books Editorial Services at Taylor & Francis, explained: “The breadth of interdisciplinary research published under our Routledge and CRC Press imprints gives us the perfect opportunity to curate book collections which will benefit from the Pledge to Open approach and support scholarship that’s engaging with today’s most crucial challenges.”
Organizations interested in receiving more details about Pledge to Open should contact: pledgetoopen@tandf.co.uk
