Understanding how two University Libraries (Edinburgh and St Andrews) have responded to requests for supporting a journal hosting service for the institution – why, how and future sustainability. We will cover progression of the service and the levels of support we can provide, with examples of the range of journals and flexibility of our approach. We will also describe how it fits in with our Open Access support services.

1. The University Library as
Publisher
Case Study: University of Edinburgh
Angela Laurins,
Library Learning Services Manager
Angela.Laurins@ed.ac.uk

2. http://www.ed.ac.uk/openaccess

3. University of Edinburgh Journal Hosting Service
• Managed by Library Learning Services
• Support from the Digital Library Development team.
• Single installation (test/live sites)
• LAMP set up (Linux, Apache, MySql and Php)
• v.2.4.2
• Cost: Negligible
• Staff: No dedicated resource. Estimate 3 days per
journal + ongoing support

4. http://journals.ed.ac.uk

5. Current journals
Journal Title Academic
-led
Student-led
Previously
in print
Born
Digital
On
test
Concept  
Conervation|Architecture|Urbanism  
Forum  
Hydra  
Journal of Lithic Studies  
Lifespans and Styles  
Res Medica  
e-JECAR  
The South Asianist  
The Unfamiliar  
The Edinburgh Sinologist   

6. Pilot project 2009
http://concept.lib.ed.ac.uk

7. Developing the hosting service
First issue: May 2012 First issue: June 2012

8. (Organic) Evolution of a service
Sept 2012: Discussions begin re digitising back issues of Res
Medica
Dec 2012: Pilot journal, Critical African Studies moves to
Taylor & Francis
April 2013: Library registers with CrossRef
July 2013: Digital Curation Centre’s OJS journal, IJDC
migrates to UoE hosting service
Oct 2013: Res Medica publishes first batch of digitised back
issues
Dec 2013: Online journal Forum migrates to OJS
Feb 2014: Academic-led Journal of Lithic Studies Studies
publishes

9. Journal Hosting Service overview
Journal Hosting service at UoE is
FFrreeee

10. Provides basic design using CSS
Journals have the default URL http://journals.ed.ac.uk/title –
(with exceptions… of course)

11. Insist on default policies
and page footer

12. Journal Hosting Service overview
• Provides training and support
• Library applies for the ISSN
• Library manages DOI exports
• Registers journal with DOAJ
• Add Google Analytics ID

13. The Journal Hosting Service doesn’t
1. Advise on peer review
2. Proof read or copyedit
3. Check copyright
4. Intervene if (some) advice is not taken
5. Quality control any new journals
6. Monitor or quality check published content

14. New journal process
• Discuss requirements
• Outline service
• Managing expectations
• Set timescales
• Design brief
• Test set up
• Training & support
• Design finalised on test
• 5 step set up complete on
test
• Copy set up and design to
live
• ISSN application
• Publish when ready
• Register with DOAJ
• Provide ongoing support

15. Statistics
• COUNTER STATS
– OJS plugin measures downloads
• Google Analytics
– Added to each journal via plugin

16. COUNTER STATS: PDF Downloads 2014

17. Next steps
• Formalise the service
– Introduce formal application & acceptance criteria
– Manage increase in demand
– Reinforce journals’ commitment
• Clarify policies
• Encourage succession planning
• Survey journal publishers
• Attract more academics to service

18. University Library as publisher
• Hosting service v publisher- what’s in a name?
• It’s not broken - keep delivering journals to
happy editorial groups
• Allow users to continue to shape the service
• No over thinking (at this stage)

19. Thinking about using OJS?
• Define your service
• Manage expectations
• Be prepared for the unexpected
• Learn from experience
• Go for it!

20. Please get in touch if you have any questions
Angela Laurins
angela.laurins@ed.ac.uk
Janet Aucock
ja@st-andrews.ac.uk
Jackie Proven
jep10@st-andrews.
ac.uk