Join the Open Access Network!

WHAT IS THE OPEN ACCESS NETWORK?

The Open Access Network (OAN) looks to tackle head-on the challenge of implementing open-access (OA) business models in all academic disciplines, beginning with the humanities and social sciences. The OAN provides a broad and transformative solution for sustainable OA publishing and archiving that is complementary, not competitive, with other OA funding approaches.

The OAN model, as spelled out in our white paper, proposes that all institutions of higher education contribute to systemic support of the research process itself, including its scholarly output. It is a bold rethinking of the economics of OA by way of partnerships among scholarly societies, academic libraries, and publishers funded — in the long term — by an institutional fee structure based on a student-and-faculty per-capita sliding scale. Core to the model is its insistence on broad institutional support of the scholarly communication infrastructure itself, not on any particular format (e.g., books, journals, website).

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE OPEN ACCESS NETWORK?

For the start-up phase we have implemented a simplified funding model open to everyone. The OAN welcomes your support, whether as a member or a sponsor!

Open Access Network Membership Program

To facilitate the establishment of the OAN, we have created a membership program that any institution, library, scholarly society, foundation, organization, or individual can join.

By becoming a member, you demonstrate your support for an OA model that is scalable, sustainable, and fair. Membership funds will go to support the organizational and administrative infrastructure for the OAN and the pilot projects we will use to test its model. This seed funding will allow us to put into place the structures to enable us to proceed with the post-launch phase of the OAN, as described in our white paper.

A multi-year commitment would be especially valuable during this phase of development. A consistent base level of funding would enable us to give our partners in the pilot projects the assurance they need to see their projects through. We know budgets are tight and funding is never guaranteed, but a three- to five-year funding commitment would be truly invaluable.

MEMBER LEVELS

All members’ names will be included on the OAN site. Organizational members will have a link to their homepage.

Supporter ($10 – $999)

Benefits include:

  • Access to the member-only e-mail listserv
  • Custom Open Access Network Member logo
Benefactor ($1,000 – $4,999)

Benefits include:

  • Access to the member-only e-mail listserv
  • Custom Open Access Network Member logo
  • Invitation to the quarterly webinar updates
Collaborator ($5,000 – $9,999)

Benefits include:

  • Access to the member-only e-mail listserv
  • Custom Open Access Network Member logo
  • Invitation to the quarterly webinar updates
  • Opportunity to participate in an annual virtual conference
Partner ($10,000 – $19,999)

Benefits include:

  • Access to the member-only e-mail listserv
  • Custom Open Access Network Member logo
  • Invitation to the quarterly webinar updates
  • Opportunity to participate in an annual virtual conference
  • Invitation to have a representative on the OAN Advisory Council
Leader ($20,000 and above)

Benefits include:

  • Access to the member-only e-mail listserv
  • Custom Open Access Network Member logo
  • Invitation to the quarterly webinar updates
  • Opportunity to participate in an annual virtual conference
  • Invitation to have a representative on the OAN Advisory Council
  • Consultation via video conferencing with K|N’s principals for up to 10 hours per year

By becoming a member of the Open Access Network, you join like-minded people and organizations who want to take an active role in bringing transformative change to the scholarly communication ecosystem.

Open Access Network Sponsorships

If your organization or corporation wishes to become an official sponsor of the OAN, rather than a member of the Network, we welcome that approach as well!

Should your company choose to be a sponsor, your logo will be prominently displayed along with that of other sponsors, your name and logo will be listed on marketing materials that indicate your business is an official sponsor of the OAN, and you will be offered other appropriate cross-marketing opportunities. If you are interested in becoming an OAN sponsor, please contact us at K|N Consultants to discuss this opportunity.

Payments

Memberships or sponsorships may be paid either by credit card, via electronic transfer (please contact us for banking information), or by check, made out to the Open Access Network and mailed to K|N Consultants, 238 W. 106th St. 6F, New York NY 10025.

About K|N Consultants

K|N Consultants (federal tax ID: 46-4698607) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides strategic and operational guidance via a range of consultation services to mission-driven organizations such as academic institutions, libraries, learned societies, scholarly publishers and university presses, government agencies, and private foundations, and other organizations struggling to adjust to the rapid changes in higher education. K|N also legally does business as the Open Access Network.

Questions? Please e-mail us! You can also follow the OAN on Twitter: @OA_Network.