Professor Caroline Edwards's Avatar

Professor Caroline Edwards

@theblochian

Professor of Contemporary Literature & Culture at Birkbeck, University of London. Executive Director of @openlibhums.org & @ojcollective.bsky.social. Utopia, mushrooms, trees, sci-fi, weird stuff, open access, higher ed.

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Latest posts by Professor Caroline Edwards @theblochian

Promotional graphic for tomorrow's webinar: Introducing the Open Journals Collective (OJC)

Promotional graphic for tomorrow's webinar: Introducing the Open Journals Collective (OJC)

Monday, March 9 at 12:00 pm ET: a community call introducing the Open Journals Collective (OJC), a new international initiative supporting diamond open access publishing, where journals are at no cost to both authors and readers. To register:

#OpenAccess

www.carl-abrc.ca/event/introd...

08.03.2026 10:54 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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And that’s a wrap!

We thoroughly enjoyed the @copim.bsky.social conference.

Being among like-minded colleagues and friends – all working on incredible projects – makes us feel even more strongly that together we can shake up academic publishing.

Chaos is coming!

#CopimConference

27.02.2026 16:18 πŸ‘ 33 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

The momentum behind collective, non‑profit #OpenAccess book publishing is clear at #CopimConference. University & institutional presses have an opportunity to lead by example & support infrastructures built for the public good. Community‑governed systems help ensure OA remains equitable & resilient.

27.02.2026 14:17 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Like Cream: Valuing the Invaluable | Engaging Science, Technology, and Society

Julien McHardy emphasising the importance of generosity and care in the scholar-led open access space. Julien wrote a wonderful piece on the value of love in publishing that I often return to. doi.org/10.17351/est... #CopimConference

27.02.2026 14:02 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Niki: For scholar led presses to emerge it is necessary for scholars to have secure positions and therefore the stability to set them up - increasing precarity in HE is an inhibitor to innovation #CopimConference

27.02.2026 14:31 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Hearing so much about how valuable it is to bring open access, small, scholar led publishers and presses into the same rooms as librarians to challenge the perception that "all publishers are the same" &that they all only care about the marketplace #CopimConference

27.02.2026 14:38 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

... closer connections between #openinfrastructures to enable uptake of good #OAbooks #metadata practice across platforms, based on the use case of ISU Digital Press.

27.02.2026 12:09 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Collaboration in action at #CopimConference ❀ Getting together with Harrison Inefuku (Iowa State U Digital Press), Steel Wagstaff ( @pressbooks.bsky.social ), Joe Muller ( @janewayolh.bsky.social ), and Javier Arias (Thoth Open Metadata) to establish ...

27.02.2026 12:09 πŸ‘ 17 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I’ve moved smoothly from #R2RConf over the last two days to #CopimConference today and tomorrow. I’m fascinated to know if anyone else is attending both events. Very, very similar in theme, but it feels like two different communities.

26.02.2026 11:10 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
Slide displayed at the Copim Conference showing the metadata pipeline for open access books with Emma Booth standing in front presenting.

Slide displayed at the Copim Conference showing the metadata pipeline for open access books with Emma Booth standing in front presenting.

Day 2 of the #CopimConference has kicked off with more discussion about #metadata, including this great slide from @emmabooth.bsky.social showing the complexities of the metadata pipeline which can reduce the discoverability of #OpenAccess books.

27.02.2026 09:38 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 2

Similarly maddening to me that Emma Booth discusses how library workers have to constantly badger Ex Libris to improve metadata in Ex Libris Alma. We are paying for this product! Why isn't there more pressure exerted on Ex Libris to keep us as customers?! #CopimConference

27.02.2026 09:53 πŸ‘ 23 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 2

It's true, I did

27.02.2026 10:05 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Feeling energised by yesterday’s #CopimConference and excited for today! Values-driven, community‑owned, scholar‑led infrastructures aren’t just ideals, they’re becoming part of the reality of sustainable #OpenAccess book publishing.

27.02.2026 09:12 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Hearing from @emmabooth.bsky.social on that great irony that open access books are hard for libraries to make discoverable #CopimConference

27.02.2026 09:28 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Hello from the Janeway & OLH team at the COPIM conference! πŸ‘‹
Great to catch up with colleagues across the diamond OA community.

So many important conversations: librarians supporting diamond OA, collective funding for OA books, accessibility, Thoth open metadata & more!

#CopimConference

26.02.2026 18:00 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

So worth it! Great to meet you 😁

26.02.2026 23:36 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Is there a Thoth plugin for allowing its female team members to talk on a group panel? 😬

26.02.2026 17:13 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Lovely phrase from Tobias Steiner at Thoth about how we need β€œopen infrastructures talking to each other.” Thoth’s next task is to ingest book metadata automatically via open APIs rather than publishers having to manually input themselves #CopimCommunity

26.02.2026 17:09 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

So nice to see so many @oipassoc.bsky.social members in real life at the #copimconference!

The discussions at the @copim.bsky.social event are so relevant to university-based publishers pursuing open access publishing in all shapes and sizes πŸ™Œ

26.02.2026 16:11 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

What a great conference so far! So glad to see the OLH logo featured alongside all the other OIPA members at the #CopimConference!

26.02.2026 16:17 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Ruth Mallalieu standing next to a large blue display screen with text which reads: Make it Open, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford 'Proud supporters of COPIM and the Open Book Collection.'

Ruth Mallalieu standing next to a large blue display screen with text which reads: Make it Open, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford 'Proud supporters of COPIM and the Open Book Collection.'

@bodleian.ox.ac.uk is proud to support @copim.bsky.social and the Open Book Collective, as elegantly demonstrated by our Head of the Office of Open Research @ruthmacmullen.bsky.social. #CopimConference

26.02.2026 16:25 πŸ‘ 14 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

Another good point from Pete Barr. Librarians aren’t the ultimate decision makers in their universities; lots of factors in play. No one who knows me would accuse me of supporting the status quo, but Aberdeen hasn’t left any of the deals. I’d be delighted to talk about that. #CopimConference

26.02.2026 14:47 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A digital screen displayed at the Copim Conference with information about OIPA as well as logos showing all current members.

A digital screen displayed at the Copim Conference with information about OIPA as well as logos showing all current members.

Lovely to see information about us - and logos for all of our current members - on display at the #CopimConference. Find out more at our website oipauk.org!

26.02.2026 15:21 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 3
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#COPIMConference #OABooks | As well as having many OPERAS members participating both in person and online, we are also displaying our slide of the Open Access Books activities of OPERAS during this great event!

Amazing to participate in the Copim community conference discussions and interactions!

26.02.2026 15:35 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Super helpful panel!

26.02.2026 16:05 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Great overview of challenges for disabled readers accessing content by @anicazeyen.bsky.social #CopimConference

26.02.2026 15:48 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Tobe recommends that publishers use the Copim Compass resources on Accessibility compass.copim.pub/books/09-ope...
#CopimConference

26.02.2026 16:00 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Group of men and women at the Copim conference

Group of men and women at the Copim conference

And here are some of our members who are here in person!

#CopimConference

Thanks @copim.bsky.social for such a great conference (so far!) and for providing a forum for helpful and informative conversations with such an engaged group of people.

#OpenAccessAdvocacy

26.02.2026 15:36 πŸ‘ 24 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 6

OMG want one of these

26.02.2026 15:41 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Janneke Adema presenting at the Copim conference

Janneke Adema presenting at the Copim conference

Great opening session by @joedeville.bsky.social and @openreflections.bsky.social at the #copimconference, discussing the history and Copim and Open Boom Futures and the importance of maintaining their values in whatever comes next. Also the importance of all this in the current HE funding crisis…

26.02.2026 11:48 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0