A change of platforms for Open Carolina is creating new publication opportunities for University of South Carolina faculty and students.
First launched in fall, 2023, Open Carolina is an open-access repository of material published through the University of South Carolina Press in partnership with the Libraries. Its March 2025 migration to Manifold has improved the accessibility of USC Press titles and has allowed the Libraries to offer the USC community a space for the publication of non-peer-reviewed materials.
The new platform now gives USC Columbia-affiliated faculty and students the opportunity to publish research, open educational resources and other digital projects through University Libraries.
“The Libraries is delighted to add Manifold to our suite of publishing platforms,” said Amie Freeman, Assistant Head of Acquisitions and Scholarly Communication. “Providing support to researchers who wish to make their scholarship interactive, accessible, and publicly available aligns with our goal of supporting and growing the research enterprise on campus.”
The new platform also enhances users’ experience of Open Carolina.
“By moving the Open Carolina digital collection to Manifold, we’re making our open access publications available to an even wider audience,” said USC Press Senior Marketing Coordinator/Designer Kemi Ogunji. “On the new website, people who use assistive technology will now be able to fully engage with our free ebooks and online resources.”
USC Press will continue to add new open access ebooks to Open Carolina regularly. Future digital works that appear in the collection will undergo the same intensive peer review and editorial processes as its books, allowing the university to maintain high standards and join the conversation with other Research 1 institutions that prioritize equitable, open access publishing.
Beyond diversifying the base of authors who can publish open scholarly resources, particularly those without access to institutional subsidies, Manifold at University of South Carolina provides the opportunity to widen the readership of these scholars and researchers.
Members of the USC community who are interested in publishing on Manifold can visit the Manifold at USC website.