The AEGIS-OA (Activate European Guidance and Incentives for Sustainable Open Access publishing) project is working to strengthen institutional, non-profit open access (OA) publishing across Europe by leveraging and expanding the services of the European Diamond Capacity Hub (EDCH). Within this landscape, OA books play a vital role. The OAPEN Foundation (OAPEN), as a dedicated infrastructure supporting OA book publishing, is contributing its long-standing expertise in OA books to ensure that Diamond OA book publishing is fully embedded in the project’s frameworks, tools, and community-building activities.
At the AEGIS-OA kick-off meeting in Brussels on 20 March 2026, OAPEN and OPERAS jointly led a workshop focused on Diamond OA books. The session explored how the project’s core activities can be meaningfully adapted to the specific realities of OA book publishing, and how book publishers can be better supported, recognised, and connected across the wider AEGIS-OA ecosystem.
OA books within AEGIS-OA
AEGIS-OA builds on earlier work, including the DIAMAS and PALOMERA projects, but operates within a more compressed timeframe and with a broader scope. For OA books, this raises important questions. What does Diamond OA book publishing mean in practice? How can books be integrated into the Diamond Open Access Standard (DOAS)? How can book publishers be supported without overburdening small, community-driven initiatives?
The project is powered by a consortium of 24 partners from 16 European countries, comprising 14 beneficiary partners and 10 associated partners. OAPEN, as a beneficiary, is leading and contributing to several work packages that address these questions directly. Packages we are leading are outlined below, and a full list of work packages and tasks can be found in the approved funding call.
What OAPEN is working on
Developing DOAS adaptations for books
A central area of work is the adaptation of the Diamond Open Access Standard (DOAS) for publishers of Diamond OA books – DOAS version 2.0. This task recognises that while many principles of Diamond OA publishing apply across formats, books have different criteria, such as editorial and technical workflows, metadata requirements, and governance models.
OAPEN is leading the development of DOAS. This work involves proposing which elements of DOAS apply to both books and journals, which need modification, and where new book-specific criteria are required before validating this with the community. The result will be a practical, realistic framework that reflects how Diamond OA book publishing can work.
Resources and training materials for OA books
OAPEN is also leading work on new articles, guidelines, and training materials for OA book publishers. These resources are designed to help publishers understand and apply Diamond OA standards, strengthen their operations, and engage with certification and assessment processes.
European Diamond OA books community
Community-building is another core strand of OAPEN’s work in AEGIS-OA. OAPEN is contributing to the development of a European Diamond OA Books Community that brings together book publishers, National Capacity Centres (NCCs), infrastructures, and other stakeholders.
This includes expanding representation of OA book publishers in the EDCH Registry and Forum and addressing practical questions such as how Diamond OA book publishers should be evaluated, and whether existing criteria can be adapted fairly for books. The community is also seen as a space to collectively review and refine DOAS version 2.0, ensuring that it reflects real publishing practice.
Sustainable Diamond OA publishing
AEGIS-OA will also focus on the challenges facing the stakeholders involved in the financial support of the Diamond OA model and on the challenges relating to the practical arrangements for funding for both book and journal publishers. This will be done in conjunction with the NCCs and the OA Books Policy Forum facilitated by OAPEN, Science Europe and cOAlition S.
What comes next
Over the course of the project, OAPEN’s contributions will result in concrete deliverables. These include DOAS version 2.0 integrating books and journals, new resources and training material, and a draft workflow for inclusion in key infrastructures such as the European Diamond Capacity Hub Registry and the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB).
Together, these outputs aim to improve visibility and recognition of Diamond OA books, and support sustainable, community-governed publishing models across Europe.
AEGIS-OA offers a unique opportunity to ensure that OA books are fully part of Europe’s Diamond OA future. OAPEN is proud to play a central role in making that happen.