Open Access Books Slowly on the Rise – New study by PCG shows that OA monographs are now offered by 35% of scholarly publishers and catalogued by 57% of academic libraries

Publishers and libraries are increasingly experimenting with Open Access (OA) books, according to a new survey by industry advisors, Publishers Communication Group (PCG).  Books published under the so-called “author-pays,” Gold Open Access model with no paywall for readers are expected to slowly grow in importance, with funding derived from a variety of sources including library budgets, the study reported. Following on from PCG’s 2014 survey into library adoption and funding of OA journals, the Open Access Monographs Survey sought input from both publishers who are active in and considering OA book programs, and librarians around the world who contend with new institutional OA mandates and emerging acquisition models. Download the PDF