UC libraries and Springer sign pilot agreement for open access journal publishing
Date: 2009-01-21
Contact: Ivy Anderson, director of collections, California Digital Library, University of California
Phone: (510) 987-0334
Email: ivy.anderson@ucop.edu
OAKLAND -- The University of California libraries and Springer Science+Business Media (Springer) have concluded a groundbreaking experimental agreement to support open access publishing by UC authors. The arrangement is part of the journals license negotiated by the California Digital Library on behalf of the 10 campuses of the University of California.

Under the terms of the agreement, articles by UC-affiliated authors accepted for publication in a Springer journal beginning in 2009 will be published using Springer Open Choice with full and immediate open access. There will be no separate per-article charges, since costs have been factored into the overall license. Articles will be released under a license compatible with the Creative Commons (by-nc: Attribution, Non-commercial) license. In addition to access via the Springer platform, final published articles will also be deposited in the California Digital Library's eScholarship Repository.

The University of California-Springer agreement is the first large-scale open access experiment of its type undertaken with a major commercial publisher in North America.

"UC faculty members have told us that they want open access publishing options in order to increase the impact of their published work and eliminate barriers to educational and research use," said Ivy Anderson, director of collections for the California Digital Library, which licenses content on behalf of the University of California libraries. "Just as importantly, they want these options in the journals in which they routinely publish, without disrupting their normal research activity. The CDL agreement with Springer supports the transformation that our faculty seeks, while continuing the libraries' crucial role in facilitating access to research information. Springer is a leader among commercial publishers in open access experimentation, making it a natural partner for the University of California in this endeavor."

Peter Hendriks, Springer president for global publishing and marketing, said: "This first experiment in the USA is of great importance to us since it adds to our expertise on the effects of open access publishing on usage, citations and impact factors. Furthermore, the agreement allows us to continue our cooperation and close partnership with one of the most respected university systems in the United States."

Adds Richard Schneider, assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and director, Parnassus Molecular & Cell Biology Lab at UC San Francisco: "Open access will support faculty aspirations for new modes of journal publishing that facilitate the broad dissemination of ideas and improve public access to taxpayer-funded research. This is a critical time as new models for scholarly communications emerge, and I am excited that the UC libraries are at the forefront and are playing a key leadership role."

About the University of California libraries
More than 100 libraries on the 10 University of California campuses support the university's research, learning, patient care and public service missions. Collectively, they make up the largest research/academic library in the world, and, with the California Digital Library, have taken a leadership role harnessing technology in support of new and innovative forms of scholarly communication. For more information, visit http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu

About Springer
Springer (www.springer.com) is the second-largest publisher of journals in the science, technology and medicine (STM) sector and the largest publisher of STM books. It publishes on behalf of more than 300 academic associations and professional societies. Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media, one of the world's leading suppliers of scientific and specialist literature. The group publishes over 1,700 journals and more than 5,500 new books a year, as well as the largest STM eBook Collection worldwide. Springer has operations in over 20 countries in Europe, the USA and Asia, and some 5,000 employees.

Additional contact:
Eric Merkel-Sobotta, executive vice president, corporate communications, Springer Science+Business Media
+49 173 260 23 77, ems@springer.com