In seeking to bring an Open-access Fund to fruition, those interviewed indicated it is both useful and necessary to work with your administration and faculty. While the library may be providing the money to operate the Fund, other campus units can help inform your policies, generate outreach plans, and increase the Fund’s chances of making a high impact.
Many institutions that have established Open-access Funds did so in consultation with their Research Office/Provost and their faculty advisory committee. There are a variety of explanations for this. The participation of these bodies provides a degree of political cover in the event that critics question such a use of library funds. Their involvement widens the project from a library experiment to a campus initiative. It also helps to validate Open Access at an institutional level.
Beyond organizational strategy, bringing the administration and the faculty into the discussion at an early stage will provide vital background information into the scope and shape of the issues to be addressed by the Fund. What does the institution want out of such a project? How much do they understand about scholarly communication and the opportunities for advancing research through more open sharing? How does this fit into established campus publishing and information initiatives? Are certain departments or organizational units already committed to the Open Access agenda?
Some libraries have been able to identify Fund partners through these discussions. It is possible that in airing your plans with strategic members of your institution you will find others willing to put money into the initiative. Regardless, for the Fund to reach its fullest potential, the library will need to hear the concerns and interests of both those that will be using and those that will be supporting the Fund. Incorporating these perspectives into Fund policies and marketing strategies will improve its chances for success.
Such communication need not end with the Fund’s launch, of course. As the Fund develops and participating authors share their experiences, an ongoing dialog with faculty and administration will be useful to tweak policies and strengthen procedures. The “Reporting the Fund’s Progress” section of this guide discusses this issue in further detail.