First launched in 2001, the Public Knowledge Project's (PKP) open source software Open Journal Systems (OJS) has grown into one of the world's most widely used platforms for the management and publication of scholarly journals. There are currently over 10,000 journals using OJS and a recent survey suggests that 98% of these journals offer open access (OA) to their content with 60% of the titles coming from the Global South. However, despite the continued growth and reliance on PKP software and the numerous improvements and development that OJS has had over the years, PKP felt compelled to undertake a comprehensive review of its activities, publishing platforms and other related services to ensure they address the evolving needs and interests of the international scholarly publishing community. Closely intertwined with this effort is the larger issue on the minds of many in the academic community today, concerning how to sustain community based and operated infrastructure to support the open scholarly commons. PKP is looking to determine how its current financial models and support can be strengthened to ensure that PKP is able to serve the larger goal of advancing open access and other aspects of scholarly publishing quality. In this session, we will share plans for the research we are now undertaking to develop a long-range strategy, and seek feedback on ways that this library-led open source initiative can continue to have the most impact possible. While the discussion will center around PKP and its current investigation, the discussion will naturally extend to how the library community wishes to sustain community based and operated infrastructure to support the open scholarly commons.
pkp.sfu.ca
