Funding challenges
Making choices about media, venues, and audiences also requires consideration of funding challenges. It is possible that a scholar may approach the library after having secured funding for a project in search of partners to support specific publishing objectives. In other instances, the library may play a vital role in identifying what funding sources are available and be an active participant in a project, from design to funding applications and project development. Even if a project is going to make use of freely available open source tools, it is likely to need some funding to support various aspects of its publication (for instance, open access fees for e-book publication. See Wingo et al.).
Librarians are in a good position to advise project partners on what support and funding might be available at the institutional, state or provincial, and national levels. It is also worth investigating what sources of post-project funding may be available to support the library’s role in developing and publishing the project or to recognize the collaboration between scholar and library partner. The Library Publishing Coalition, for instance, offers awards for the advancement of scholarly communication in libraries and is also a great resource for librarians who are looking to conduct their own research.
Whether or not a project has secured funding or is looking for library participation to take forward a project funding idea, establishing the foundational values that will be central to the project is a crucial first step to take. See Section 6 for more on how to establish foundational values between project partners.
