Specifically, library publishing involves the publication of predominantly open access journals, monographs, and other materials to a variety of audiences and through a variety of languages, using open source or proprietary publishing platforms. Library publishing activities are closely linked to the strategic imperatives of institutions pertaining to open science.

Library publishing activities build upon librarian competencies such as collection development, copyright, discoverability, outreach, and platform management and may offer a range of support services including consultancy, editorial, training in workflows, policy development, dissemination, hosting, digitization of collections, ethics and governance, impact, and sustainability. Libraries can act as publishers directly or lend support in other ways, such as infrastructure or funding local or global open publishing initiatives.

IFLA is supporting all of this with the establishment of the Special Interest Group. The group is intended to help drive this relatively new but fast-growing field forward.

Prof. Dr. Ursula Arning is head of the Open Science programme area at ZB MED. She is responsible for PUBLISSO, the Open Access publication portal for the life sciences. She also holds a professorship for Open Access and Digital Resource Management at the TH Köln. The Open Science enthusiast will now contribute her extensive experience to the international Library Publishing Special Interest Group.

Learn more:
Library Publishing Special Interest Group
IFLA
about Prof. Dr. Ursula Arning