In response to changes in scholarly publishing, the Duane G. Meyer Library is adapting to accommodate the needs of scholars across departments on campus. Faculty at Missouri State University are the first Americans eligible to get funding for publishing their research through the Harrassowitz APC (Article Processing Charge) Waiver Pilot Program. The paperwork officiating this program was signed late in the fall 2024 semester, and just this month, the first MSU faculty member applied for support.

“We, in partnership with Harrassowitz, have become the first North American institution to become a part of this pilot study,” said Derek Moser, head of Resource Management & Discovery. “It’s been done in Germany for a few years now. No one in North America has done it.”

According to Moser, paying an APC is a standard step in making any research Open Access, which can present obstacles for faculty members who do not have the funding. Sometimes APCs can be thousands of dollars. Through this program, the librarians at MSU will work with authors and publishers to obtain invoices and, in certain cases, negotiate down the APC. After the invoice is processed, Meyer Library will pay for it through a deposit account created with Harrassowitz.

To apply for funding, interested faculty members should reach out to Moser at DerekMoser@missouristate.edu.