FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, January 25, 2021

CONTACT:
Stephanie Davis
Manager, eLicensing and Collection Resources
Midwest Collaborative for Library Services
daviss@mcls.org
517-489-4577

Monday, January 25, 2021 – Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (MCLS) is pleased to announce a Read and Publish agreement with Cambridge University Press (CUP) aimed at advancing open access (OA) in scholarly publishing. To date, nine MCLS member libraries have adopted the new three-year agreement, replacing their standard subscription. They include Calvin University, Grand Valley State University, Hillsdale College, Michigan State University, Oakland University, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan, Flint, Wayne State University and Western Michigan University.

As the license agreement moves through the final stages of completion, these libraries have transitioned to CUP’s new model that provides institution-affiliated researchers with uncapped funding of article processing charges (APCs) for publishing original research in CUP journals in a variety of disciplines. This includes publishing in both hybrid and Gold OA journals.

“We are excited to be a part of helping academic libraries support open access on their campuses through the Read and Publish agreement with Cambridge University Press”, notes Stephanie Davis, MCLS eLicensing and Collection Resources Manager. Davis continues, “This agreement maintains the subscription model pricing and, at the same time, allows libraries to give their researchers access to publishing funds, incentivizing them to choose open access publishing.” MCLS Executive Director Scott Garrison adds that “We know that a growing number of MCLS member libraries are keenly interested in advancing OA publishing, to benefit researchers and the general public. As an organization, we are committed to helping libraries innovate, and I believe this agreement with Cambridge demonstrates that commitment. We’re very pleased to work with CUP and the libraries we serve to increase OA research.”

A longtime global leader in open access, Cambridge University Press, the publishing arm of the University of Cambridge, is now turning efforts toward helping libraries in the United States embrace open access. For MCLS, the agreement supports the organization’s mission to “facilitate sharing resources and to collaborate with other organizations to benefit Indiana and Michigan libraries.”

For more information about MCLS and its efforts to promote open access, contact Stephanie D. Davis, 517-489-4577 daviss@mcls.org.