Breakfast Briefing: Open Access Publishing of Scholarly Monographs
Date: April 1, 2026
Time: 9:15 am – 10:45 am
Location: Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library
Join us as we bring together library leaders, university press professionals, and faculty to explore practical strategies for expanding open access to USC-authored monographs. Featuring a keynote by Miranda Bennett, Director of Shared Collections at the California Digital Library, the event highlights recent University of California (UC) initiatives that enable UC authors to publish open-access monographs with select university presses at no cost, while revitalizing underutilized backlist titles.
Bennett will discuss the challenges and benefits of opening access to long-form scholarship and share a forward-looking vision for how similar efforts could be adapted at the University of South Carolina. Building on her talk a panel discussion with USC leaders and faculty will showcase a modest but impactful library–press open access partnership.
This event is open to USC faculty, administrators, staff, and graduate students. Breakfast will be served.
Agenda
9:00 am – 9:15 am: Registration
9:15 am – 10:00 am: Miranda Bennett, Director of Shared Collections, California Digital
Library
10:00 am – 10:45 am: Open Carolina and OA Monograph Author Discussion with Panelists:
- David Banush, Dean, USC Libraries
- Kevin Brock, Associate Professor, Director of First-Year English
- Jessica Elfenbein, Professor, History
- Michael McGandy, Director, USC Press
- Allen Miller, Carolina Distinguished Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature