Stories of Impact

How Do University of Michigan Press Book Authors and Readers Perceive Open Access?

A new study of reader (and author) experiences of the open access books they discover on UMP EBC reveals the human stories behind the usage figures.

So How Did UMP Books Do in 2023?

In 2023, UMP expanded the proportion of its frontlist monographs published open access from 50% to 75%. Use of the books published swelled and author enthusiasm followed.

So How Did UMP Books Do in 2022?

Thanks to purchases by over 100 libraries, support from our parent institution, and a great group of authors, University of Michigan Press hit its target of publishing 50% of its frontlist monographs open access. The books got used . . . alot!

Why University of Michigan Press is joining "Path to Open"

A new initiative complements immediate open access models for monographs, providing an embargoed option for titles that might otherwise stay permanently paywalled.

University of Michigan Press hits 2022 open access books target with Fund to Mission program

Forty books (50%) of the new scholarly books published by the Press in 2022 have open access editions. For 2023, the Press is expanding its commitment to open.

University of Michigan contributes $1.2 million to support university press infrastructure for the humanities

U-M Press Fund to Mission initiative receives a substantial commitment from the University's academic leadership. "Ensuring a sustainable future for high-quality scholarly publishing cannot just be the responsibility of strained library budgets," says Vice Provost.

Why do readers like open access books?

It may seem obvious. A free ebook, instantly readable and downloadable. What's *not* to like? However, an analysis of over 5,000 responses from readers of Michigan open access books reveals some interesting patterns about who the primary beneficiaries of open-access scholarly ebooks are.

NEH program expands global access to high-quality humanities scholarship by US scholars

The Fellowships Open Book Program is just one of the ways in which the National Endowment for the Humanities is supporting open access for books in the humanities. Authors of books published by University of Michigan Press are among the beneficiaries.

What happens when ebooks are free-to-read? Reflecting on UMP's COVID-19 response

In March 2020, faculty and students suddenly had to start working remotely as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. An experiment in making its entire ebook collection freely available sowed the seeds for University of Michigan Press's efforts to transition the majority of its monograph program to open access.

Breaking down the paywall: Author relationships with open access

UMP authors discuss the impact of Open Access on their scholarship and on the way they view diversity, equity, and inclusion in their fields.