By Medha Godbole Singh
In an industry first, Bloomsbury Publishing and Jessica Kingsley Publishers (JKP), an imprint of Hachette UK, will collaborate on a multi-year licensing agreement, to be launched later in 2024. Consequently, Bloomsbury Digital Resources will deliver the JKP Library to academic institutions across the globe. This is a unique agreement where Bloomsbury Digital Resources has partnered with a trade publishing company.
This collaboration will take the form of a digital library which will enable JKP titles to be hosted on a single platform. It is a platform designed to raise awareness and understanding of diversity, support equitable practices and emphasise the advantages of inclusion. According to the publishers, the library will be an invaluable resource for aiding learning and the teaching of the latest and best practices in these domains. It will also serve as a vital reference for assisting faculty to understand and support the diverse needs of students.
JKP has always focused on diversity and inclusion and has strong ties to the communities and audience it caters to. Not surprisingly, then, the books will be from modules like gender and sexuality, autism and neurodiversity, mental health and well-being.
The new digital library with books on these subjects is intended to aid higher education libraries in supporting courses which require students to grasp a plethora of identities. That context, in turn, can be applied by the students in their studies.
For Sanphy Thomas, Managing Director of JKP, this is a fantastic opportunity for the company to support communities and bolster the voices of those who are currently underserved. She believes that the publisher’s books, written by those who have experience of the conditions and topics they write about, will now be able to reach more people and create a greater impact, thanks to Bloomsbury Digital Resources.
Kathryn Earle, Managing Director of Bloomsbury Digital Resources, is equally delighted to be partnering with JKP to bring its outstanding content to a broader readership of students and academics globally through an institutional model that democratises access. She added that the timing for their partnership is just right.
This joint venture is a win-win for both parties involved. While it will boost JKP’s widening reach into international higher education libraries through Bloomsbury’s global sales and marketing, Bloomsbury’s digital portfolio will be enhanced and extended with high value content for the academic community.