Hannah Crago, Nicola Warren - As the publishing landscape is changing, so too is the way we provide access to content. At the University of Essex, new workflows and collaboration have enabled efficiencies in supporting open access publication and content discovery. This includes evaluating and promoting transformative agreements, launching an institutional OA fund, and exploring alternative models of OA monograph publication. Collaboration between the Library and Research Office underpins this and enables success.

1. Hannah Crago – Open Research Development Librarian
Nic Warren – Content Management Librarian
COLLABORATION WITHIN
AND BETWEEN TEAMS
Research support and content management as key
partners in the changing publishing landscape

2. OVERVIEW
▪ New workflows
▪ The importance of communication
▪ Ongoing learning
▪ New developments
▪ Building momentum for open access
▪ Our reflections

3. WHICH TEAM?
▪ Content /
collections?
▪ Research
services?
▪ Something
else?

4. TEAM STRUCTURE
Library and Cultural Services Research and Enterprise Office
Content and Digital Systems
Academic and Research
Services
Research Governance and Planning
Content services Research Services ----------
Content Management
Librarian
Open Research
Development Librarian
Open Research Governance
Manager
Evaluate read and publish agreements
Manage OA fund
Manage Library subscriptions
& e-resource access
Manage Essex Student
Journal
Manage institutional repository
Relationship management –
with publishers & library
stakeholders
Provide support to
researchers around
publishing, citations,
copyright, etc.
Manage UKRI institutional open
access block grant

5. TEAM STRUCTURE
Library and Cultural Services Research and Enterprise Office
Content and Digital Systems
Academic and Research
Services
Research Governance and Planning
Content services Research Services ----------
Content Management
Librarian
Open Research
Development Librarian
Open Research Governance
Manager
Evaluate read and publish agreements
Manage OA fund
Manage Library subscriptions
& e-resource access
Manage Essex Student
Journal
Manage institutional repository
Relationship management –
with publishers & library
stakeholders
Provide support to
researchers around
publishing, citations,
copyright, etc.
Manage UKRI institutional open
access block grant

6. SETTING THE SCENE
▪ New roles from 2020/2021
• Research services team still relatively new and changing
• Restructure in C&DS
▪ Alongside academic publishing changing
▪ Covid
• Digital content
• Digital communications between us
▪ Staffing and budget restraints

7. CRIB SHEET
▪ Developed a collaborative spreadsheet to gather & store
information
SoapBoxintheSky, Pixabay

8. COMMUNICATION IS KEY
Jason Leung, Unsplash

9. COMMUNICATION IS KEY
▪ Cross-team meetings
▪ Began as collaborative learning
• Too formal and infrequent
• Info gathering
▪ Chatting and getting things done worked better!
• Crib sheet and Box tasks
▪ Meetings now more discursive and less formal
▪ Better team dynamic across sections

10. LEARNING IS
ONGOING
Athree23, Pixabay

11. LEARNING IS ONGOING
▪ Open Research Group – open discussion &
information distribution
▪ Events / watch parties / webinars
▪ Local and global perspectives
▪ R&P consultations
▪ Wider scope for conversation and promotion
▪ Discoverability

12. WE’RE NOW ABLE TO DO MORE
Patrick Tomasso, Unsplash

13. OA FUND
▪ Institutional OA fund from QR funding
▪ Fund split between Library and Research Office
▪ Introduction of shared email address
▪ New role in the team
▪ Covers APCs, BPCs, CPCs
• Next aim is to extend this!

14. ALTERNATIVE MODELS
▪ Community investment models
▪ "Tangible benefits" using subscriptions budget e.g.,
• MIT Press Direct to Open
• CEU Press Opening the Future
• S2O
▪ Monitoring environment, seeking feedback
from researchers

15. MOMENTUM IS GROWING

16. WHAT WE’VE LEARNT Jordan McDonald, Unsplash

17. REFLECTIONS: CONTENT TEAM
▪ Inputting OA perspective to C&DS discussions (e.g.,
subscriptions review, collection development)
▪ Processes need constant review and reflection – flexibility
required
▪ Improving and re-evaluating processes helps efficiency (even
if it’s not the most exciting!)
▪ Open access could solve a lot of problems...
▪ But change is needed - when is it coming and how do we
get there?

18. REFLECTIONS: RESEARCH SERVICES
▪ Greater understanding of subscriptions landscape
• OA overlapping more and more with this
• Important for committee meetings
▪ Can contribute more to collections discussions, and speak
for the OA agenda
▪ Finding common goals helps build team dynamics
▪ Learning is ongoing, and patience and perseverance are key!
▪ Have to be open to change if you want change to happen

19. QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, IDEAS?
h.crago@essex.ac.uk
nicola.warren@essex.ac.uk
ColiN00B, Pixabay
▪ What have we missed in our workflows?
▪ What else do we need to do to ensure we’re able to
continue to adapt?
▪ Has collaboration helped or hindered you?