We recently welcomed Edinburgh University Library’s Edinburgh Diamond as a new OASPA member in the Supporting Services and Infrastructure (Non-Commercial) category. Edinburgh University Library joins 185 OASPA members and more than 30 others in the supporting services and infrastructure category that provide significant services and/or support to open access publishing.
We asked Rebecca Wojturska, Open Access Publishing Officer, a few questions so we could learn more about the organisation and its connection to open scholarship and decision to become an OASPA member.
Tell us a bit about your organisation and the service it provides – and your role within it
Edinburgh Diamond is a service provided by Edinburgh University Library that supports the publication of Diamond Open Access academic and student-led books and journals. We also provide a shared service for external partners both within and without Scotland. I’m Rebecca (hello!), the Open Access Publishing Officer who manages Edinburgh Diamond. The service includes a hosting and workflow management solution (via OJS/OMP), ongoing technical support, archiving and preservation of content, ISSN, ISBN and DOI allocation, continuous publishing best practice guidance, indexing submissions, and annual reporting. I work full-time on the service, and receive one day per week of technical support.
Why did you decide to join OASPA and what do you hope to get out of your OASPA membership?
We are aware of OASPA’s wonderful events programme and think membership is a fantastic way to establish ourselves more in the community. Membership allows us to meet like-minded people working on similar projects, so we can share knowledge, learn and grow together as a community.
What are the short and medium-term priorities for Edinburgh Diamond and how are you adapting for a future where open access publishing is the default?
We aim to grow our service to benefit the research community at the University of Edinburgh and the wider research community through our shared service partnerships. We want to be the go-to hosting platform for the University of Edinburgh staff and students engaging in Open Access publishing projects, whether journals, conference proceedings, monographs, textbooks, edited collections or any other scholarship. We also aim to situate ourselves firmly as a leader of library hosting, sharing our knowledge along the way. In a future where Open Access publishing is the default, we already have a credible and robust publishing support solution in place.
What do you think are the main challenges for the communication of scholarship generally in the near future?
I think sustainability is a much-needed ongoing conversation, especially for Open Access publishing. Ensuring there are sustainable funding models and publishing workflows in place is vital for creating a viable alternative to commercial publishing.
How do you think OASPA can help mitigate those challenges?
OASPA can help by continuing to do what it’s doing! The workshops, events and webinars are really helpful in connecting the community. The more OASPA connects people who can learn from each other and grow, the stronger Open Access publishing will become.
@EdinDiamond
https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/research-support/edinburgh-diamond
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