In the effort to remove barriers to the publishing of research and the pursuit of knowledge, university presses and libraries are natural partners. Case studies from three of our institutions—Temple University, Liverpool University, and Brown University—describe collaborative initiatives between presses and libraries: how they came to fruition, their long-term benefits for both parties, and, ultimately, how they support publishers’ and libraries’ mutual goals of advancing open access scholarly communication, fostering diversity, and broadening access to knowledge.

The case studies consider:

• Brown University Digital Publications, a library-based program through which Brown, in partnership with scholarly publishers, supports the digital publication of open access, multimodal scholarship. Among other initiatives, the program offers training workshops for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) scholars and library professionals seeking to gain expertise in developing open access, born-digital scholarship.
• Trailblazers, a new open access initiative from Liverpool University Press, run in partnership with Lancaster University, University of Liverpool, and University of Salford (UK), that champions early-career researchers.
• North Broad Press, a joint imprint from Temple University Press and the Temple University Library that publishes peer-reviewed open textbooks by Temple faculty.

Brown University Digital Publications

Brown University Digital Publications (BUDP), which began in 2015 as a Mellon-funded experiment to support Brown University humanities faculty, is now an established program through which Brown University Library partners with leading scholarly presses to bring peer-reviewed, open access, multimodal content to global audiences. The program allows authors to advance scholarly arguments in ways not achievable in a conventional long-form print format, whether through multimedia enhancements or interactive engagement with research materials.

BUDP sees itself not as a publisher, but rather as a producer: through the program, our scholarly press partners manage peer review, copy editing, and marketing, while BUDP is responsible for editorial, design, and digital production. Our approach is platform-agnostic, with decisions guided by the content itself and the desired user experience. In the majority of cases, Brown hosts the work on a university server and is responsible for maintenance and preservation.

To date, BUDP has collaborated with leading university presses (Virginia, Stanford, and MIT) to develop three multimodal monographs for publication, all of which have been recognized with major national or international awards. Another project is under contract with Fordham University Press, with a dozen others currently in development. Seeking to work with authors beyond its own campus, BUDP partnered with the MIT Press for a second time to establish a book series devoted to visual literacy; this opportunity is open to scholars from anywhere.

BUDP looks for projects that demonstrate scholarly excellence and potential for disciplinary impact; long-form narrative and sustained argumentation; and the advancement of scholarly ideas through innovative digital presentation and engagement, such as non-linear navigation or the inclusion of consentful tech to give readers greater agency. All Brown faculty are eligible to apply, and we have seen growing interest beyond the core humanities program, notably in the field of public health.

Unfortunately, BUDP does not have the capacity to accept all of the excellent proposals we receive from scholars outside Brown, though the network of presses ready to partner with BUPD is rapidly expanding.

Two initiatives have given BUDP the chance to work more extensively with authors from other institutions. Through the Born-Digital Scholarly Publishing: Resources and Roadmaps program, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Institute on Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities, BUDP has supported two cohorts of 15 scholars pursuing interpretive projects that required digital expression, but who lacked the necessary resources and capacity at their home institutions. More than half of the participants have come from minority-serving institutions.

BUPD is also collaborating with the University of Michigan Press to mentor a cohort of HBCU library professionals in developing born-digital scholarship and, via an open access publishing model, to broadly disseminate HBCU-generated peer-reviewed digital publications, work supported by a three-year grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services received in 2024.

Both initiatives address equity issues in the scholarly publishing ecosystem by establishing models to support less-well-resourced staff, faculty, and students. For example, at the 2024 NEH Institute, the press directors and acquisitions editors who made up 60 percent of the faculty gained a greater understanding of the specialized support required to help authors from less-well-resourced institutions bring multimodal publication projects to fruition, which ranges from developmental editing and design support to assistance in placing the work with suitable publishers. In addition to enabling Brown to expand the reach of its pioneering approach to born-digital scholarly publication, these training programs have further elevated the distinction and reputation of digital scholarship at Brown and created an “extended family” of digital scholars for which Brown is a hub. BUDP’s approach offers a model for other libraries, presses, and similar organizations that wish to advance access and equity for authors and readers alike.

Trailblazers: Supporting Early Career Researchers at Liverpool University Press

Liverpool University Press (LUP), the UK’s third oldest university press, publishes over 200 books annually alongside journals and digital collections. Open access is central to our mission, as demonstrated by initiatives like the Open Access Author Fund and Open Planning and fully open access titles such as The Journal of Beatles Studies.

Trailblazers is an annual program designed to support early career researchers (ECRs) in the humanities and social sciences by facilitating the open access publication of their first monographs.

The initiative emerged from consultations with LUP’s Library Relations Board, a collective that has seen various iterations over the years but was reestablished in 2022 with the intention of identifying opportunities for LUP/library collaborations. It began as a partnership between the University of Liverpool, Lancaster University, and University of Salford, expanding in 2025 to include Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Reading, and the University of Wolverhampton, with plans for further growth.

The program aims to equip ECRs with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful scholarly publishing careers, helping to level a playing field on which ECRs often lack access to funding and recognition. In addition to amplifying the voices of new scholars, the initiative nurtures emerging research fields and fosters ongoing collaboration among publishers, libraries, and authors.

The libraries and LUP share administrative duties. Each year, libraries manage outreach tailored to their institutions, with flexibility on proposal acceptance strategies—from funding one proposal per school to appointing editorial boards.

ECRs must meet the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) definition: within eight years of their PhD or six years of their first academic appointment, employed or registered at participating institutions, and not previously published a sole-authored book.

Outreach culminates with libraries forwarding proposals to LUP by late May. The LUP Editorial Advisory Board then reviews submissions. For each accepted book, the participating library pays a significantly discounted book processing charge, with LUP funding the remainder of the publication costs. The monograph is ultimately published both in print and as an open access e-book.

Accepted ECRs receive mentorship from LUP’s editorial team throughout the process, from proposal crafting to peer review, editing, copyediting, and marketing. ECRs also attend masterclasses covering proposal development, dissertation-to-book transformation, indexing, accessibility, alt-text creation, and marketing. Post-publication, ECRs receive guidance on library collection management, research metrics, and the career impact of open access publishing.

In the inaugural year, 2024, we received 11 proposals across three libraries, with nine accepted and several contracts finalized. The 2025 cohort saw 15 submissions progress successfully.

Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. When asked for feedback, Simon Hadfield (a 2024 cohort author), praised the initiative for elevating his research, expanding his thesis, and providing invaluable guidance on publishing for wider audiences.

Though only in its second year, Trailblazers shows promise for expansion, potentially including library partners beyond the UK. The initiative enhances early career research visibility in humanities and social sciences while fostering ongoing collaboration among publishers, libraries, and authors.

But challenges loom. The UK’s higher education sector faces financial difficulties, with 10,000 job cuts anticipated over the coming year. Despite this, the collaborative nature of Trailblazers enables libraries to demonstrate a strong return on investment by funding the publication of the work of their own ECRs alongside a trusted publishing partner, which enhances the visibility and builds the reputation of the individual author, their research, and the institution

In the US, where support mechanisms for ECRs remain less well defined, Trailblazers offers a model for investing in early career humanities and social sciences researchers, even as some disciplines face precarious futures. The initiative exemplifies how university presses and libraries can effect meaningful change together. A mission focused on equity for ECRs is particularly vital in a climate where institutions can’t be counted on to prioritize making space for underrepresented voices.

North Broad Press

In 2019, Temple University Libraries and University Press launched the joint open access imprint North Broad Press (NBP), which allows Temple faculty to author open textbooks for use in their courses. Since then, NBP has published seven titles, which are hosted on the Manifold platform. The program has been embraced by faculty, who are often otherwise unable to find a textbook that aligns with their course or discover that the cost of an available book is a barrier to student success. NBP books have been accessed from over 150 countries. In addition, between January 1 and November 1, 2025, users took advantage of the annotation and highlighting features in Manifold to make over 400 notes. Several titles have 4- and 5-star reviews in the Open Textbook Library.

NBP receives $25,000 annually from the library’s operating budget, which has been constrained over time under Temple’s annual expense-reduction efforts. It funds author stipends of up to $5,000 and covers peer reviewer honoraria, freelance copyediting, external production vendor fees, digital asset management, and costs associated with print-on-demand. The program is currently run by one FTE, made up of the assistant director for scholarly communications, who dedicates 75 percent of their time to NBP, and the director of Temple University Press (15 percent). (An additional full-time employee managed the program until 2021, when the position was eliminated due to university budget cuts.) Calls for proposals went out annually from 2019 to 2021, before we transitioned to evaluating projects on a case-by-case basis.

In its early days, the program took risks, accepting complex titles including lab manuals, an introductory language textbook with interactive H5P exercises, a pedagogical boardgame, and a title on diagnosing and treating shoulder injuries that features embedded videos/audio. But, despite producing high-quality works that benefited many students, the platinum service NBP provides has proven unsustainable with our current level of staffing. We have also determined that the complexity of the imprints’ published titles—course-specific books published using a high-touch production process analogous to that of a large, well-funded university press—is not scalable.

We are currently reviewing the program, with plans to align it with our current staffing, budget, and strategic priorities. Our initial evaluation of the model has offered several takeaways:

First, to date, multiple titles have required professional typesetting and design using InDesign. In addition to being an impediment to operating at scale, this work represents additional time, cost, and complexity, and the final output does not support the principles of adaptation, remixing, and reuse that are core to open educational resources. As an alternative and to avoid unnecessary barriers, we are investigating a move to more flexible and accessible formats (e.g., MS Word, Google Doc).

Second, although offering professionally produced print-on-demand editions of NBP books has been a point of pride, we have seen almost no uptake of them. Because producing a print-ready version of the book is time consuming and has demonstrated poor return on investment, this service may be eliminated.

Lastly, we considered the scope of the projects we have taken on. Complicated titles and other digital scholarly projects may no longer be accepted, at least until the backlog is cleared. When new projects are accepted again, perhaps in lieu of a call for proposals, we will explore partnerships with departments, targeting upper-level undergraduate or general education courses with an identified need for a NBP book.

Whatever changes we end up making, NBP remains committed to three core quality metrics: our titles are peer reviewed by two subject experts unaffiliated with Temple, are professionally copyedited, and comply with US and EU accessibility regulations. Before implementing any changes, we will conduct a focus group of NBP authors and adopters to identify the features and services they find most valuable.

All those involved in NBP take immense pride in the program. But we need to adjust to ensure its sustainable, successful future.

Conclusion

What works well across all three of these projects is a mission-driven commitment to equity, discoverability, and innovation. Brown’s born-digital approach embraces multimodal scholarship and inclusivity, effectively leveraging partnerships and training programs to address disparities faced by under-resourced scholars. Liverpool’s Trailblazers directly supports early career researchers facing systemic challenges by combining financial support with mentoring and workshops, empowering new voices in humanities and social sciences. And Temple’s North Broad Press fosters affordable, peer-reviewed open textbooks tailored to faculty and student needs, demonstrating the impact of open educational resources at the course level.

Where these initiatives have struggled, resource constraints and scaling challenges have often been to blame. Brown and Temple face staffing and budget limitations that threaten our ability to meet demand. Trailblazers confronts external pressure from funding cuts and sector-wide employment declines that jeopardize library participation. Moreover, overly complex production workflows—such as high-cost, print-on-demand, or specialized digital formats—can impede scalability and access.

Despite these hurdles, all three programs are helping to advance open access scholarly communication, foster diversity, and broaden access to knowledge. To expand their impact, stakeholders need to engage in critical evaluation and continued adaptation, provide strategic support, and engage in knowledge-sharing. But their successes reinforce the vital role of collaborative partnerships between presses and libraries in driving inclusive, sustainable innovation in academic publishing.

This article is based on a session organized by the Association of University Presses (AUPresses) Library Relations Committee and presented at the 2025 Library Publishing Forum and 2025 AUPresses Annual Meeting.