(1/7) Having consulted with library reps, I’m signing on behalf of @supc_uk. Members using our agreements struggle with the pricing that publishers force on them. This has been brewing for a few years now but in 2020 they have pushed everyone too far… https://academicebookinvestigation.org/ 

(2/7) I’ve worked with both e-books and e-textbooks as a librarian and now in procurement. Regular channels of communication just haven’t worked and there is little (if any) transparency on the part of most big publishers. This open letter is one of few remaining options…

(3/7) That’s not to say I align 100% with everything in this letter or that appears on social media. However, the quibbles are minor compared to the glaring problems that our members face…

(4/7) One issue that I will present is the fact that sustainable pricing needs to work for both buyer and seller. There also needs to be reconsideration of how universities fund textbooks in particular if they are to meet student needs, which actually changed years before Covid

(5/7) Clearly any extra funding will be hard to come by but the fact remains that commercial publishers aren’t going to sell at the loss that current library budgets would require. I do not claim to have the answers but…

(6/7) I will be watching ‘open and affordable’ publishing activities with great interest and looking for possible ways for @supc_uk to add value. There are hurdles to clear but the incentive to do so must be higher than ever…

(7/7) In addition, @supc_uk will continue to work with other consortia and sector bodies to be part of the ongoing dialogue, feeding that in to our framework agreement to try and better enable compliant routes for more sustainable business models.