MIT Press expands Direct to Open (D2O) open access model in 2026 with publishing partners

(Press-News.org) As we enter the fifth funding cycle for Direct to Open (D2O)—our model for open access monographs—the MIT Press is thrilled to partner with Duke University Press and Goldsmiths Press to bring even more vital research to the communities that need it most. Starting in 2026, D2O will include offerings from all three presses, furthering our shared mission in building a more open and accessible future for academic publishing.

Libraries and consortia can commit to support the growing Direct to Open program through November 30, 2025.

Launched in 2021, D2O is the MIT Press’s bold, innovative framework for open access monographs that shifts publishing from a solely market-based purchase model where individuals and libraries buy single eBooks, to a collaborative, library-supported open access model. 

Duke University Press brings their distinguished catalog in the humanities and social sciences to D2O, offering 20 frontlist titles annually alongside the MIT Press’s 80 scholarly books each year. Goldsmiths Press—which is housed at Goldsmiths, University of London—will contribute several works that cut across disciplinary boundaries and blur the distinctions between theory, practice, fiction, and non-fiction. The presses’ participation in the D2O program will help scale and sustain the diamond open access model for academic books.

“This next chapter for Direct to Open is a powerful affirmation of what’s possible when university presses work together to reimagine scholarly publishing,” said Amy Brand, Director and Publisher of the MIT Press. “We’re proud to welcome Duke University Press and Goldsmiths Press into the D2O community. Their partnership expands the scope and diversity of open access scholarship available to readers everywhere—and strengthens our shared commitment to a more equitable and sustainable future for academic knowledge.”

Our D2O publishing model has a marked effect on the accessibility of critical scholarship. On average, our open access humanities and social sciences books are used 2.26 times more and receive 8% more citations than their non-open counterparts; and our open access science, technology, engineering, art/design, and mathematics books are used 1.6 times more and receive 5% more citations than their non-open counterparts.

With Duke University Press and Goldsmiths Press’s involvement starting in 2026, D2O will feature multiple package options, combining content from all three presses. Participating institutions will have the opportunity to support each press individually, providing flexibility for libraries while fostering collective impact.

For details on how your institution might participate in or support D2O, please visit mitpress.mit.edu/D2O or contact the MIT Press library relations team at mitp-library-relations@mit.edu.

About the MIT Press Established in 1962, The MIT Press is one of the largest and most distinguished university presses in the world and a leading publisher of books and journals at the intersection of science, technology, art, social science, and design.

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