TOME: Towards an Open Monograph Ecosystem

The University of Minnesota Digital Publishing in the Humanities

The College of Liberal Arts and the University Libraries at the University of Minnesota are jointly supporting the Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem (TOME) initiative to provide subventions for open digital monographic publishing by university presses. Minnesota is one of fifteen universities participating in this AAU/ARL/AAUP Open Access Monograph Initiative. The purpose of these initiatives is to foster new forms of scholarly publishing and new models of sustainability for university presses. Generally, three awards will be made per year of approximately $15,000 each.

• Eligibility

  All tenure-track faculty at the University of Minnesota may submit for consideration peer-reviewed, long-form works in the humanities or humanistic social sciences that meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Monographs that are close analogues of printed books and that would benefit significantly from publication through an open-access form. Such monographs might include scholarship with a limited audience, for which publication through a traditional sales model is unlikely.
  • Monographs on humanities topics that would accord with the University’s public mission by reaching a broader or different audience in a digital format than would be possible through print alone.
  • Digitally enhanced monographs that use the networked digital environment to provide reading experiences that cannot be replicated in print, such as by embedding audio or video, or by linking directly to primary evidence. These works might simultaneously be made available in a print form without this digital environment.
  • Long-form, scholarly works that are expressly designed for digital publication and that integrate digital design.​​​​​​

  Generally, this fund does not cover critical editions, edited anthologies, creative works, translations of previously published works, or textbooks. In the case of multiple authors, the university will seek matching funds from the co-authors’ institutions. Works will be made openly available under a Creative Commons license.

• Application

  Faculty considering making an application are encouraged to contact Emma Molls, Director of Open Research & Publishing  at the University Libraries, who can provide information on and answers to questions about the program. (emolls@umn.edu)

  First, authors must submit their manuscripts to one of the publishers in the Association of American University Presses, where the work is peer-reviewed and recommended for publication.

  Second, authors submit for consideration the following materials:

  1. An abstract of the project (such as a book proposal), which indicates the proposed title, word count, print run (where applicable), number and kind of illustrations or other material linked to the text, and status of copyright permissions. The abstract should indicate the amount being requested for subvention and describe the related
  publication or digital production costs (where available).

  2. A letter from the press editor or publishers confirming that the manuscript has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication and stating the press’s interest in and capacity for publishing open access, digital monographs

  3. A cover letter from the author explaining how the project benefits from open access publication and how it fits the criteria described above.
   

• Deadlines

  Review will take place on a rolling deadline and applications will be reviewed on continuing basis. Submit materials to Emma Molls, Director of Open Research & Publishing, UMN Libraries at emolls@umn.edu.

• Evaluation Criteria and Awards

  Generally, three awards will be made per year of approximately $15,000 each.

  Proposals will be judged on the basis of the following criteria:

  • Scholarly merit
  • Likely impact of the work on the field
  • Value for the applicant’s own research potential and progress
  • Likely impact of the work on audiences and communities outside the academy
  • The degree to which digital capabilities are integral to the project
  • Appropriateness of the budget