Igitur, Utrecht Publishing & Archiving
services
• Launched in 2004
• E-publishing department of Utrecht University Library
responsible for institutional archive and supporting
scholars in e-publishing
• More information: www.uu.nl/igitur
October 20, 2009

Why is Utrecht University Library
engaged in electronic publishing?
Mission of a research library: to provide the best
possible access to scientific information
2 problems in the nineties:
• Scholarly information became more expensive, so less
accessible (serials crisis)
• Results of scholarly research too slowly available
Solution: electronic publishing and Open Access
October 20, 2009

Primary goal of Igitur: to increase access
to scientific information...
October 20, 2009

... in two ways:
• To develop the institutional repository of Utrecht
University (the green road to OA)
> financed out of the library’s budget
> 24.000 items
• To support scholars in their e-publishing
endeavors (the golden road to OA)
> marginal costs must be recovered
> products: e-journals (peer-reviewed, OA), e-books
October 20, 2009

How Igitur promotes Open Access?
• in discussions with the University Board and
Deans of faculties to develop an Utrecht
University Open Access Policy
• in contacts with faculties, research institutes
and individual researchers about content
delivery to the repository
• in contacts with researchers and editorial boards
who (want to) publish with Igitur
• in various national and international
committees, projects, conferences etc.
October 20, 2009

Advantages Igitur has in promoting OA
• Igitur and Open Access were fully supported by the
management of the library
• Igitur, as a new initiative, was not held back by an existing
business model
• Igitur, as part of a non-commercial organisation, was not
required to earn a profit
• Igitur is able to benefit from the well-established
reputation and network of the library
• Igitur supports the golden road to OA as well as the green
road: synergy!
October 20, 2009

Difficulties Igitur encountered in
promoting OA
• Big issue: how to finance an open access publication?
• Open Access is still a bit unfamiliar, especially with
researchers (they rarely encounter problems accessing
scientific information)
• Authors prefer to publish in well-known journals with an
impact factor
• Author-pay-model: some editorial boards think author pays
is a threat to the quality of their publication
• Transition problems: transitioning from a subscription
journal to an open access journal
• Repository: quality of publications and copyright are issues
October 20, 2009

Future plans
• Improve the quality and visibility of the Igitur OA
publications, making it attractive for an author to publish
with Igitur
• Develop sustainable business models
• Further develop the Utrecht University Open Access policy
and promote Open Access in the university
• National/international cooperation, particularly in
influencing other stakeholders (funders, governments,
publishers) to adhere to Open Access
October 20, 2009