In This Issue:
Dear BioOne Community,
And just like that, an extremely full, incredibly fast year is coming to a close.
As we reflect back on 2025, there is so much to be proud of, and grateful for. Starting with the tremendous response of our community – libraries, publishers, and researchers – to our inaugural Subscribe to Open (S2O) pilot, launching in January 2026 after three years of preparations.
Our September webinar, “Advancing Sustainable OA in the Biosciences Community,” brought together nearly 300 individuals interested in learning more about the why of this program: the core values that motivate all stakeholders in this shared endeavor. If you missed it, I encourage you to view the recording at your leisure.
The past few months have also provided valued opportunities to connect in person. Team members attended both the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Charleston Library Conference, engaging with partners, customers, and colleagues on industry trends, BioOne offerings, and what comes next.
None of this work would be possible without the extraordinary efforts of the BioOne staff and strategic leadership of the BioOne Board of Directors. In this season of gratitude, I am especially thankful for all of them – and of course, for all of you. BioOne exists to serve this community, and we are privileged to do so.
With warm wishes for the holiday season and a happy, healthy 2026 ahead,
Lauren Kane
President/CEO
A Look Back at 2025
2025 was a year of innovation and collaboration for BioOne. From our Subscribe to Open pilot to connecting with partners around the world, we’re proud to share some of the highlights that made this year special. Join us for a look back at the moments, milestones, and people that shaped our community this year.
Advancing Open Access: BioOne and Max Planck Society Sign 3-Year Agreement to Include Subscribe to Open Pilot
We have been working with library and consortium partners around the globe to secure support for our S2O pilot, and in October, BioOne and Max Planck Digital Library signed a new three-year agreement, bringing BioOne Complete to all 84 Max Planck Institutes while supporting our S2O pilot of 71 journals from 54 independent publishers. BioOne’s S2O approach creates a collective framework: when enough subscribing libraries participate, current-year content becomes freely available to everyone while protecting publishers from financial risk.
“We’re pleased to support BioOne’s Subscribe to Open pilot, through which we not only serve our researchers but also contribute to the wider scholarly community. This agreement reflects our long-standing goal of making research accessible to all and our commitment to supporting diverse pathways toward open scholarship, ensuring our researchers can both access and share knowledge freely while supporting independent scholarly publishers.” Ádám Dér, Head of the Scientific Information Provision at the Max Planck Digital Library.
Max Planck Society’s commitment supports a sustainable publishing ecosystem, and this agreement ensures access to over 230,000 articles in the biological sciences while supporting open access. Success of the S2O pilot depends on collective commitment, and we’re grateful for the support of our library partners.
S2O: Advancing Sustainable OA in the Biosciences Community
In September 2025, BioOne brought together publishers, librarians, and editors for an insightful panel discussion on Subscribe to Open (S2O) and its potential to transform access to biosciences research.
Our webinar was a lively discussion between members of our publisher and library community. It was especially impactful to hear from three BioOne publishers who chose to join BioOne’s S2O pilot, and why it’s so important for the scientists they serve. Taran Grant represents the South American Journal of Herpetology, the first journal from Brazil to be published under an S2O model. He shared how the sustainable revenues from BioOne subscriptions allow his society to not only publish their research but support their research community – even funding some scholarships for single mothers to attend their annual conference. Jill Emery also detailed how the new COUNTER 5.1 reports can support better evaluation of both paid and OA resources, so that libraries can see the full impact of their collection investment. Librarians also heard how participation is as easy as renewing existing subscriptions to BioOne Complete.
Robin N. Sinn, Interim Associate University Librarian at Iowa State University, emphasized the benefits of S2O:
This was a valuable opportunity for our communities to exchange perspectives on the importance of S2O and how BioOne’s pilot directly benefits the scientists we serve.
Missed the webinar? Watch the full recording to learn more about how S2O can benefit your institution or society.
2025 BioOne Ambassador Forum
Watch a special conversation featuring the 2025 BioOne Ambassador Award winners. These outstanding early-career researchers are celebrated for their creativity and clarity in communicating the impact of their work, fostering scientific literacy, and advancing global understanding.
Communication is central to advancing the BioOne mission to maximize access to scientific research, and we are proud to share insights from this group of researchers. This panel discussion explores their experiences and insights on navigating their fields within a rapidly evolving research ecosystem, engaging diverse audiences to make science accessible and impactful, and crafting creative strategies to share complex findings.
Community Highlights
2026 Collection Updates
We are pleased to share 2026 collection updates for the BioOne Complete aggregation and the array of content options available via the BioOne Digital Library platform.
BioOne Complete
The flagship BioOne Complete journal aggregation will deliver 219 titles in 2026, with no additions to the collection. The database now includes more than 230,000 articles from 157 society and nonprofit publishers representing specialized scientific communities in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. Within the 2025 BioOne Complete collection, 77% of subscribed titles have an Impact Factor and about 60% of current titles are available in full-text XML exclusively through BioOne. BioOne Complete is available via annual subscription, and our aggregation model enables libraries to access this content at an average per-title cost which is 94% below the average title in biology.
New for 2026, BioOne is proud to offer 71 titles from 54 members of our publishing community via our Subscribe to Open (S2O) pilot, marking the largest number of independent publishers under a single S2O offer to date. The pilot offering includes titles that are available exclusively to researchers via BioOne Complete, representing societies, museums, research organizations, and independent presses. Among the pilot cohort are the first S2O titles published in Japan, Brazil, China, and Kenya. BioOne Complete will remain a mixed-model collection of subscribed, S2O, and gold OA titles, and is now being rolled out to the library market for a 2026 volume year launch.
Six respected journals will become exclusively available to institutions via BioOne Complete effective January 2026:
- Herpetologica, The Herpetologists’ League
- Herpetological Monographs, The Herpetologists’ League
- Journal of Herpetology, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
- Journal of the North Atlantic, Eagle Hill Institute
- Northeastern Naturalist, Eagle Hill Institute
- Southeastern Naturalist, Eagle Hill Institute
Two distinguished titles in the BioOne Complete collection will transition to fully open access in 2026:
- Breviora, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
- Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
In 2025, one open access title ceased publication:
- Lundellia, The Plant Resources Center, The University of Texas at Austin
BioOne Complete Archive
The BioOne Complete Archive will expand coverage in 2026 to include all subscribed content published from 1996 through 2021, growing to more than 205,000 articles. The BioOne Complete Archive is available for one-time purchase, giving flexibility to new and existing library partners who wish to add this content to their permanent digital holdings.
BioOne eBooks
BioOne also offers libraries content that complements your BioOne Complete journal collections with respected research from trusted partners in the biosciences. Through a new strategic partnership with GOBI Library Solutions, BioOne eBooks will now be available for procurement via GOBI, allowing libraries to streamline processes while gaining access and integrating digital resources from over 360 eBooks into their library collections.
2025 saw additional growth to both the ESA eBook Collection and CSIRO Publishing BioSelect Collection, and licensees have received access immediately upon publication. The ESA eBook Collection from the Entomological Society of America welcomed two valuable new additions. These new titles, Handbook of Wood Boring Insects of Ornamental Trees and Shrubs in the Eastern United States and Atlas of the Heteropteran (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera) Pterothorax Endoskeleton, complement the existing ESA eBook Collection, creating an even more robust resource for institutions supporting entomological research.
The CSIRO Publishing BioSelect Collection also expanded in 2025 to encompass 15 additional titles, including Guide to Venomous and Medically Important Invertebrates and Monitoring Threatened Species and Ecological Communities, which further enhance the collection’s value for researchers, educators, and conservationists. The CSIRO Publishing BioSelect Collection provides critical access to authoritative content across biodiversity, ecology, and environmental science, supporting global efforts in research and preservation.
These expanded offerings reflect BioOne’s ongoing commitment to providing specialized scholarly resources that meet the evolving needs of our research community. Contact Sales@BioOne.org for one-time purchase quotes.
The 2026 title lists for all options and other librarian resources are available for download on the BioOne Complete website.
Publisher Profile: Dr. Lucy Kerhoulas
Behind every research paper is a human story of curiosity, dedication, and discovery. Our latest Publisher Profile highlights one such story — that of Dr. Lucy Kerhoulas, Editor-in-Chief of Northwest Science, published by the Northwest Scientific Association.
Dr. Kerhoulas’s work exemplifies the dedication and expertise that drives scientific publishing forward. Through her story, we explore how a regional interdisciplinary society spans diverse natural sciences subjects, the critical importance of publishing platforms for early-career researchers, and her insights on the commitment to expanding scientific knowledge through open access initiatives.
Her perspective offers valuable insight into the unique challenges and opportunities in scholarly publishing, the role of regional scientific journals in advancing research, and how BioOne supports societies like the Northwest Scientific Association in achieving their publishing goals.
Meet Dr. Lucy Kerhoulas and learn more about the remarkable work she does to advance our knowledge of the natural world.
Nominations for the 2026 BioOne Ambassador Award Now Open
BioOne’s mission is to maximize access to the scientific research published by our community, and the ability to communicate the value of that research is something we are proud to champion.
The BioOne Ambassador Awards celebrate the next generation of excellent science communicators, and we want to showcase early career researchers who’ve published in our partner’s journals, and who can creatively and effectively communicate the impact of their work. Nominating researchers is an impactful way our publishing partners highlight the achievements of early career researchers and the quality of their research published in their journals.
Nominations from our community of publishing partners are now being accepted. Visit the Ambassador Award page to learn about the program and how to submit your nominations.
BioOne Connects with the Global Community at Frankfurt and Charleston
This fall, BioOne engaged with partners and colleagues at two major industry events. From October 15–19, BioOne President/CEO Lauren Kane and Senior Director of Business and Community Development Christine Orr represented BioOne at the Frankfurt Book Fair, connecting with partners, agents, and scholarly publishing colleagues to discuss our Subscribe to Open pilot and explore economic models that balance stakeholder needs.
Following closely on the calendar, the BioOne team returned to the Charleston Library Conference from November 3–7, where Lauren, Christine, Associate Director of Sales Chelsea Tharp, and Director of Operations and Technology Beth Hutchins engaged with library and consortia partners. The conference also provided a platform to share insights on sustainable open access models, with Lauren participating in “Non-APC Open Models for Nonprofit Sustainability: Practical Approaches and Lessons Learned” and Christine presenting during “Implementing Subscribe to Open (S2O): Lessons from Librarians, Consortia, and Publishers.”
We’re grateful to all the partners and colleagues who took time to connect with us, and we look forward to continuing these conversations in the year ahead.
BioOne Welcomes…
BioOne supports sustainable scholarly communications by partnering with libraries worldwide to expand access to essential scientific research. We are thrilled to welcome new libraries that have recently enriched their holdings with BioOne Complete, the BioOne Complete Archive, and BioOne eBooks collections, advancing global discovery and knowledge sharing.
- Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine
- Max Planck Digital Library
Featured in the BioOne Digital Library
Recent Topics in BioOne Vista
Free To Read Top & Trending Research
All articles in our October 2025 edition of Top & Trending Research are free to read through December 31, 2025, with thanks to BioOne Complete’s participating publishers.
Visit the Article Collection Archive
Browse past editions of BioOne Vista, Top & Trending Research, and other content collections.
Upcoming Article Collections
We’re passionate about sharing research from our publishing partners that advances knowledge and fosters collaboration within the global scientific community. With a new edition of Top & Trending Research coming in January and upcoming BioOne Vista collection topics including forestry, rangelands, and coevolution, join our email list to receive these curated collections directly in your inbox!
Field Notes
BioOne Partners In the News:
When BioOne’s publishing partners make headlines, it demonstrates the real-world impact of our mission to maximize access to critical research. Recent news coverage featuring our partners and their research highlights how our community amplifies critical scientific work, ensuring it reaches audiences beyond academia.
BioOne is an innovative nonprofit collaborative and the leading content aggregator in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. More than 150 global scientific societies and nonprofit publishing organizations include their journals in BioOne’s flagship product, BioOne Complete, for the benefit of 5,500 accessing institutions and millions of researchers worldwide. Since 2001, BioOne has returned more than $83 million in royalty sharing back to its participants, with a commitment to share research more broadly, equitably, and sustainably.