Knowledge Unlatched Celebrates 10 Years of Open Access Publishing and Announces 2023 Pledging Round

TY International Campaign 2023 5 Pledging

 

 

Berlin, May 10th, 2023: Knowledge Unlatched (KU), the international initiative for Open Access (OA), celebrates a significant milestone as it marks ten years of OA publishing in 2023. To commemorate this achievement, KU is thrilled to announce the launch of its tenth round of funding, which has to date supported the publication of over 4,000 scholarly books and 50 journals in a range of humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Knowledge Unlatched is part of Wiley Partner Solutions.

During the past decade, KU has collaborated with libraries worldwide to unlatch peer-reviewed OA monographs, journals, and other scholarly content. This accomplishment has led to noteworthy enhancements to its flagship HSS collection, KU Select, in 2023.

While KU continues its thematic approach to pledging which allows libraries to support collections focused on specific subjects—such as gender and sexuality studies, anthropology, linguistics, and pedagogy, among many others—KU’s multi-disciplinary collection, KU Select, is now fully aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It comprises seven collections focused around specific SDGs, including No Poverty (SDG 1), Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (SDG 16). This strategic alignment allows libraries to invest in highly sought-after OA scholarly content directly impacting society and the planet.

“This is a special year, as we are not only celebrating our tenth anniversary but are using this opportunity to introduce some sensible changes to our main collection,” says Dr. Sven Fund, Wiley Senior Director. “By aligning KU Select with the Sustainable Development Goals, we are aligning our mission with the United Nations’ mission, striving to create a more equitable and fair society.”

KU’s wide-ranging subject collections serve as a testament to continued partnerships with established publishers, including, among others, Routledge, Berghahn, EDP Sciences, HAU Books, IWAP, Luminos by the University of California Press, Language Science Press, transcript, and wbv Media. These partnerships reinforce Wiley’s commitment to helping libraries fund high-quality and relevant scholarly content each year.

Libraries interested in supporting this year’s OA offerings can pledge their support until November 2023.