Springer Nature signs first Open Access Books Agreement in the Middle East with Qatar National Library
Agreement enhances the visibility, dissemination and usage of academic research from Qatar
London | Heidelberg, 31 July 2024
Springer Nature, a leader in open access books, has extended its partnership with Qatar National Library to deliver the Middle East’s first Open Access (OA) book agreement. The deal strengthens the partners’ shared OA vision to increase access to research and advance knowledge, following on from a joint Transformative Agreement in 2019.
The new agreement enables authors1 affiliated with any institute of higher education or non-profit research institute within Qatar to receive funding for book processing charges (BPC) when publishing their book OA with Springer Nature. It marks the eighth2 OA book agreement for the publisher and its fourth institutional OA book agreement. With OA books being downloaded ten times more often, and cited 2.4 times3 more than non-OA books, this agreement signals a key step towards enabling researchers from participating institutions to reach a wider audience. The agreement covers all Springer Nature book imprints4 and will run for three years.
Speaking of the partnership Asdaa Kotani, Vice President Institutional Sales, said:
“We have been supporting the research community in Qatar since 2012 and our partnership with the Qatar National Library dates back to the landmark signing of the Middle East's first Transformative Agreement in 2019. We are thrilled to announce the signing of this OA book agreement that underscores our shared commitment to driving forward a sustainable open research environment. We see this partnership as a key step in broadening the reach and ensuring sustainability of OA publishing for books within the region, and across Springer Nature's diverse portfolio of resources and solutions.”
“Today marks a new milestone in the Library’s journey to further cement its role in preserving the nation's and region's heritage and enabling the people of Qatar to positively influence society by creating an exceptional environment for learning and discovery. Open access is at the heart of our mission to provide equal access to information and services, promote research, and advance knowledge exchange. As with the transformative agreement from 2019, the Qatar National Library consortium is now the first consortium in the Middle East to implement such an OA agreement. We are excited about the open access books agreement, and we hope this signals our goal of supporting more open access book publications in Qatar, especially in the humanities” said Dr Alwaleed Alkhaja, Head of Open Access and Copyright.
More information on Springer Nature’s wider commitment to OA and our full OA offerings can be found here.
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Notes to Editors:
1Affiliated Authors means authors who are teaching and research staff employed by or otherwise accredited to Customer and/or Institution or who are students enrolled at or accredited to Customer and/or Institution. In the case of books to be published by multiple authors, only the author corresponding with the Service Provider at the time of acceptance qualifies as an Affiliated Author.
2Springer Nature, to date, has agreed eight OA book deals with partners such as Center for China and Globalization, Max Planck Society, LYRASIS, UNESCO, the University of California, Berkeley,University of Brunei Darussalam as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
3Open Access Fact Sheet
4Springer Nature book imprints are Springer, Palgrave Macmillan, Apress, Adis, JB Metzler
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Qatar National Library acts as a steward of Qatar’s national heritage by collecting, preserving and making available the country’s recorded history. In its role as a research library with a preeminent heritage library, the Library fosters and promotes greater global insight into the history and culture of the Gulf region. As a public library, we provide equal access for all of Qatar's residents to an environment that supports creativity, independent decision-making, and cultural development. Through all our functions, we provide leadership to the country’s library and cultural heritage sector.
The Library project was announced on 19 November 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation. QNL was granted the status of national library under the Emiri Decree No.11 of 20th March 2018. His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, officially inaugurated the Library at a grand opening ceremony on 16 April 2018.
Springer Nature | Corporate Affairs | Felicitas Kalb-Behrendt felicitas.kalb-behrendt@springernature.com
