This document discusses library funding from the perspective of University of Westminster Press (UWP). UWP is an open institutional publisher launched in 2015 that publishes journals and books across various disciplines. It has exceeded 3 million downloads. The document outlines that UWP relies heavily on university funding and seeks to diversify income streams through library funding schemes. It provides details on UWP's participation in various schemes such as Jisc/OACF and explains how this funding is important to maintain its publishing program and build sustainability. Finally, it encourages library support for open institutional publishers and notes the need to better understand library needs to take next steps.

1. Library Funding from an
Open Institutional
Publisher Perspective
PHILIPPA GRAND, PRESS MANAGER
UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER PRESS

2. Overview...
• Why presses like UWP looking for library funding
• How it’s worked for us so far
• Why this kind of funding is important to us and what it means to us
• Why libraries should support open institutional publishers
• A few thoughts on what’s needed in taking next steps...

3. University of Westminster Press
• Launched in 2015
• Publish 6 journals
• Have published 54 books - with 13 forthcoming over next 3 years
• Publish across arts, humanities and social sciences
• Exceeded 3 million views and downloads in Spring 2023
• Global reach - pretty much everywhere from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe
• Website: www.uwestminsterpress.co.uk Twitter/X: @UniWestPress

4. • Launched in 2023
• Currently 18 members from across the UK
• Website: www.oipauk.org
• Twitter/X: @oipassoc

5. UWP Sources
of Income
University QR Funds
73%
External
Funds
10%
Knowledge
Unlatched
10%
Print sales
7%

6. Why library funding schemes?
• Library funding working in other parts of the ecosystem - OLH/Scholar Led
Community, Opening the Future scheme
• Existing forms of income not ideal
• Outgrown our existing budget
• Need to diversify income streams more effectively
• Right time in UWP’s development
• Right infrastructure emerging with right kind of partners

7. Our experience so far...
• Jisc/OACF Scheme
⚬ 3 OIPA member schemes currently live on Licence
Subscriptions Manager: UWP, University of London Press and
White Rose University Press
• Open Book Collective
• Lyrasis/OACIP - for journals

8. Why are these schemes important?
• Maintain our publishing progamme in areas critical to the Press’s profile
• Build our publishing programme
• Gives us stability and sustainability
• Better helps us in being strategic, curating a high-quality programme
• Boosts our profile
• Keeps us Diamond
• Prestige and recognition

9. Why support OI publishing?
• Read our blog on 13 reasons why open institutional publishing matters:
https://oipauk.org/news-events-and-blog/blog/
• Demand outstrips supply
• ‘Openwashing’ from the commercial sector
• Values over value

10. Next steps...
• Better understanding of libraries needs/wants
• Building a movement and “recapturing the idealism
of the space we are in”

11. Thank You
Contact Information
www.uwestminsterpress.co.uk
@UniWestPress