From: "Jim O'Donnell" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 22:27:03 -0700

I may be missing something, or else this is instructive.  I've followed Knowledge Unlatched for a decade, always interested, but never quite persuaded.  (Full disclosure:  my institution does not subscribe.)  I realize on reading this and following the links that I have two questions about discovery.

First, is there in any convenient place a conspectus of KU books, conveniently arranged for browsing by subject areas, that could entice me to look into books I've not heard of or not gotten around to admiring up close?  I can't find that on the KU website.  If we think of KU as a kind of redistributive publisher, I'd like to be able to browse *their* catalog.

Second, what is the underlying strategy of discovery?  The access to MARC records on the website suggests that readers are *expected* to encounter these items in library online catalogs where institutions have taken the time and trouble to import MARC records -- and then they will be found only by those using classic discovery tools with a particular personal focus.  For example, if there is the definitive work on the lesser works of Fulke Greville in the series, I will find it if I am pursuing Greville but not otherwise.

I say again, I may be missing something, even something obvious, and I apologize for that if that's the case, and would appreciate being set right.  But I have a growing concern about how users discover new scholarship in the real world.  How do these very good books get found?

Jim O'Donnell
ASU


On Thu, Apr 11, 2024 at 10:09 PM LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Ann Shumelda Okerson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 09:48:38 -0400

Berlin, April 10th, 2024: Knowledge Unlatched (KU), a Wiley brand, is pleased to share the results of its 2023 pledging round, which ended in December 2023 and saw hundreds of institutions worldwide pledge support for Open Access (OA) book and journal collections offered by KU and its publishing partners.

Overall, about 269 books will be made available OA in 2024. These include 71 frontlist books from the KU Select 2024 SDG Books Collection and 198 books from KU’s various HSS and STEM partner collections. In addition, KU will support the publication of 700 peer-reviewed blog posts, about 9 new scholarly videos focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and about 9 new peer-reviewed encyclopedia entries. KU’s 2023 library crowdfunding efforts also contributed to the sustainability of about 52 journals thanks to the successful continuation of 4 Subscribe-to-Open (S2O) partnerships.

More here: