Ex Libris: Books, creativity and academic freedom

Abstract In this commentary I build on my earlier contribution to Area and engage with a series of responses as part of an emerging debate on the future of academic books. Although the deficiencies in UKRI's approach culminated in the suspension of an open access mandate for books to be submitted to the 2029 REF (Research Excellence Framework), the pressure to extend a science‐based publishing model to the social sciences and humanities remains intense. I argue that the imposition of an open access policy for books will restrict academic freedom, threaten independent publishers, exacerbate existing inequalities in access to research funding, disrupt career development for early‐career researchers, and facilitate the economic exploitation of intellectual labour for the development of AI systems.