From Publish-and-Read Deals to Diamond Open Access: How Library Budgets Can Support Non-Commercial Publishing

Abstract

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In Norway, nationwide Publish-and-Read (PAR) deals with the world's largest publishing houses have helped secure a high percentage of Open Access in recent years. However, the costs of these deals have also put the literature acquisition budgets of research libraries under severe strain. Early in 2025, cancellation of Norway's Wiley PAR deal, combined with 25 % cost reduction in our Elsevier PAR deal, has given some room for manoeuvre. With inspiration from trailblazing European institutions and informed by consultations with editors of scholarly journals, the library of UiT The Actic University of Norway is now launching its own Diamond Open Access Programme, financed by savings in PAR deals.

Data from the national CRIS system shows that around 6 percent of the peer-reviewed articles written by researchers affiliated with a Norwegian institution were published in Diamond Open Access in the last several years. UiT now pledges to spend at least 6 percent of our literature acquisition budget on donations to Diamond publishing. Some of this money will be spent on international, non-commercial platforms and other infrastructure, but the main part will be reserved for stipends to UiT-affiliated editors of Diamond publishing outlets.