Sofie Wennström: Stockholm University Press – for researchers, by researchers – but what do the library publisher add?

The rationality of the research process is about communication. The communicative practice, which is intrinsic in the research process, is facilitated via the publication process. This should also be the governing principle of a university press or library publishing program (Wennström, 2015). What is it then that we, as a library, can add to the scientific practices? What kind of services are relevant to provide?

The current scholarly communications landscape is changing on a global level towards a more open dissemination of research results and data, where sharing and reuse of scientific information is seen as a key feature for future development. The assignment of a university library is supply its users with research, by organising and providing information resources. To provide research information through Open Access seems like a given considering democratic values and that most research in Sweden is government funded. The open approach to publishing and sharing has also proven to increase dissemination and thereby citations to scientific records and bridging economical inequalities.

In order to support this, Stockholm University decided to start a fully open university press for the dissemination of peer-reviewed books and journals in 2013. The library was assigned to the task, with a demand for focus on openness, quality assessment and affordable publishing fees. The publishing platform created is designed take care of the practical part of publishing and make space for the researchers to concentrate on their expertise as writers and reviewers. The task of the publisher is thus to support, enhance and drive development to support the social nature of the science-making process and the strategic drivers for the university as a whole (Wennström, 2016). This presentation will show how Stockholm University Press is built on this foundation, and will also explain what we add to the process on different levels by collaboration and developing best practices to support the meaning-making of science.