On January 1, 2026, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) completed a five-year transformation to become a fully open access publisher, making ACM the first large society publisher to transition from a subscription/paywall model to open. Nine months post-launch, what results have we seen?
This session will cover the preliminary findings, including impacts to platform usage, publishing activity, and early indicators of reach and engagement in a fully open environment. We will share trends observed since the go-live date, including changes in readership, download patterns, and author participation.
The session will also highlight key operational and strategic considerations encountered during the transition, offering a candid look at what has worked, what remains uncertain, and where further evaluation is needed. Attendees will gain an early, data-informed perspective on the opportunities and challenges of large-scale open access transformation within a society publishing context, with a focus on long-term sustainability. This session is intended to spark discussion among publishers, librarians, and stakeholders navigating similar transitions or evaluating participation in open access models.

​​​​​​​Please note: Frankfurter Buchmesse Trade Visitor Tickets will be scanned upon entry to this professional event.