This post is by Sue Fung, who is the Outreach and Engagement Librarian, Faculty Liaison Librarian (Arts & General Education) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library
Open Books Hong Kong is the first Open Access (OA) Chinese monograph project, featuring a landmark collaboration among the libraries and university presses of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, and The University of Hong Kong. Coinciding with the Hong Kong Book Fair, nine books in the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences launched on 17 July 2024 and available for download on Open Books Hong Kong website. These Chinese-language works, authored by distinguished Hong Kong and international scholars, are freely accessible to the global community showcasing a commitment to the open dissemination of knowledge.
The project fills a gap in disseminating open-access monographs in Chinese-language representing a bold step towards a sustainable model for sharing the rich insights and discoveries of Chinese and international scholars. With the success of the first phase, more books will be openly accessible via this project in the coming months.
In our first step to develop and launch a Diamond Open Access Megajournal, the CUHK library has published a reflection paper entitled “Diamond Open Access Megajournal Project: Reflection from CUHK Library.” This joint report with CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) is free to read and download here.
CUHK is dedicated to spreading knowledge through research across various disciplines, benefiting Hong Kong, China, and the global community. The CUHK Library supports this mission by fostering an open, inclusive, and equitable research environment.
The Diamond OA Megajournal Project aims to create a bilingual platform for research in Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities, focusing on the Greater Bay Area’s cultural heritage and contemporary issues. This project follows the Diamond OA model, which is free for both authors and readers, promoting equity in publishing.
The report outlines the project’s planning phase, comparing Open Access developments in Europe and the US with China. It addresses challenges including data security, stakeholder engagement, and financial sustainability, and highlights CUHK’s strategies for effective governance and quality control. CNKI also highlighted the potential strengths that an established publisher could bring to such a platform, including bilingual technical prowess and robust hosting capabilities.
Hong Kong has a well-established global reputation as a hub for exchange and innovation. Building on these strengths and on Hong Kong’s strong educational and research infrastructure, the city could also be a regional beacon for Open Access. The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library will continue to work in partnership with institutions in the city and in the wider region to promote Open Science. If you are interested in collaborating or supporting initiatives in these areas, please contact Lily Ko ([email protected]).