Turnover up, but profits down for Oxford

Oxford University Press has released its annual report for the financial year 2018-19. Turnover has increased – up 2% to £840.5 million – but profits have fallen 5.6% to £108.5 million, impacted both by devaluation in foreign currencies and increased investment in technology and publishing. Strong growth in the academic publishing division was driven by new society partnerships and journal acquisitions, with a downturn in print book sales counterbalanced by an increase in online product and ebook sales. Oxford’s education business experienced a more varied year, however, with double-digit growth in mainland China and Pakistan offset by market contractions in the UK and Spain.

New open access book network for Europe?

Plans are underway for a new Open Access Book Network intended to accelerate innovation in the European OA book publishing industry. Originally conceived late last year during an event hosted in Brussels by Knowledge Exchange, and brought forward by SPARC Europe Director Vanessa Proudman, the network would coordinate initiatives across the continent and share intelligence on topics such as funder policies and non-BPC publishing models. Funding for it might be sought from the European Commission, from other EU projects, or from membership fees. Next steps on the project will be discussed by a group comprising Proudman, Rupert Gatti of Open Book Publishers, Pierre Mounier of OPERAS, and Andrea Bertino of SUB Goettingen. Feedback from the community is welcome, with those interested in being involved requested to email info@sparceurope.org.

News in brief

Cambridge University Press has announced that European Psychiatry, the official journal of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA), which will be published by Cambridge from January next year, will become fully open access in 2020 when it does so. It is currently a hybrid journal.

De Gruyter has signed a cooperation agreement with the Department of Ancient Studies at Rome’s La Sapienza University which will give affiliated academics especially beneficial conditions when publishing their work with the Berlin-based company, whether in print or as open access ebooks.

Amsterdam University Press has announced a collaboration with the city’s Van Gogh Museum on a new series, Van Gogh Museum Studies. The first volume in the series, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers Illuminated: Art Meets Science, was published in June.

A twelfth institution has joined the Open Library of Humanities’ partnership subsidy system, helping to fund its APC-free open access model. The Baylor Libraries are part of the private Christian Baylor University in Waco, Texas, the state’s oldest continually operating university.

Knowledge Unlatched has announced two new trade partners for its international network of library suppliers: the Weisbaden-based Harrassowitz and Spur Infosolutions of New Delhi, India.

Taylor & Francis has formed a new publishing partnership with the Oral History Association which will see Routledge take over publication of the society journal The Oral History Review from January 2020.

Alastair Horne is a PhD student at the British Library and Bath Spa University.