Delivering value is—or should be—just as important to mission-driven organizations in scholarly publishing and communications as it is to their commercial counterparts. However, the values associated with being mission-driven can sometimes seem to be at odds with the need to deliver value to a customer or end-user. For example, if being open is part of your mission, how do you balance that with the need for organizational sustainability? How do you decide what it’s appropriate to charge for, and how much people should pay? How can you demonstrate the value of your organization to your stakeholders, especially if you also rely on them to support your mission as volunteers? In this session, speakers from several mission-driven organizations will discuss how being mission-driven can make a real difference to how they think about, and deliver value to their communities.

The world of journal publishing is grappling with a sustainability crisis, and much like Big Agriculture's farming methods, corporate publisher practices are testing consumers' trust. Concerns have been mounting about for-profit publishers extracting resources from the academy, especially in light of the Open Access movement, as increasing publishing fees threaten a "pay-to-play" future. At the same time, some corporate publishers have removed guaranteed revenues from society contracts, seeking profits without assuming risk. These factors could lead to further inequities in publishing and funding droughts. What steps are needed to course correct? Similar to the locally sourced/owned farming movement, some argue moving to academy-led publishing models could result in more sustainable business practices. This panel will dig into: How more independent society publishing could promote efficient practices and funnel resources into the academy, Pros, and cons of corporate publishing economies of scale, and Organizational and technical opportunities and challenges when publishing in-house.

As a community, we are undoubtedly moving into a more "open" future — open access, open data, open peer review, etc. But "open" doesn't automatically mean "equal." A panel of Chefs will conclude this year's meeting with a look at the path we're on — is it fair to all, and can everyone participate? Are APCs the evolutionary endpoint or a step along the way? What does the ongoing market consolidation mean for different stakeholders? Are we increasing the inequities between the Global North and South? Will the increasing intrusion of geopolitics into the research world make this all moot? Bring your questions for a lively discussion. || Speakers: Robert Harington; Lettie Conrad; Angela Cochran; David Crotty; Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe