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Open access publishing is both a key principle and practice of the Scholarly Publishing Office of the University of Michigan University Library. We find, however, that a one-size-fits-all approach of online-only publishing can be restrictive, often unnecessarily closing down options for the distribution of scholarship. To this end, SPO has been working with several of the journals we publish to offer simultaneous free electronic and for fee print editions. Building on our strengths in extending our book publications through print-on-demand and short-run digital printing, we are establishing methods to do the same for our serials. Since many of our journals are already habituated to preparing files for printers, and in most cases we convert their print-ready files to xml for online delivery, dual format publication is a sound, economical, and relatively low-effort way to increase the value, use, and visibility of these journals.
This paper will provide an overview of the print activities of the Scholarly Publishing Office, as well as explain how print and online versions are mutually beneficial in promoting access to published scholarship. We will discuss a variety of cases, in which weve acted as publisher and/or consultant, where we have created new relationships between electronic and print publications; we will also discuss some of the obstacles in the process. Finally, we will chart our plans for future developmentincluding, but not limited to, adding print-on-demand to the Librarys digitization-on-demand program; enabling pay-per-download articles; and finding new ways for small campus publications to distribute their back issues.