Shaping Sustainable Scholarly Publishing through the European Diamond Capacity Hub and National Capacity Centres

In an increasingly complex and fragmented scholarly communication landscape, research libraries can play a crucial role supporting and promoting community-led, equitable publishing efforts that enable access to knowledge and provide the model and structure for sustainable open solutions. The European Diamond Capacity Hub (EDCH) – an ongoing OPERAS program– takes the lead in this mission by offering services and coordinating a distributed network of National Capacity Centres (NCCs) that support Diamond Open Access (Diamond OA). Building on the outputs of the DIAMAS and CRAFT-OA projects, the EDCH was created to serve as a central infrastructure fostering alignment, sustainability, and robustness of Diamond OA services and tools across the European landscape. It operates by facilitating coordination among NCCs, providing a platform for visibility and knowledge exchange, and streamlining services in support of publishers, service providers, and technology partners. Together, these national centres strengthen the Diamond OA ecosystem by offering regional support, advocacy, and capacity-building in ways that are responsive to specific regional community needs. This presentation will show how research libraries and key Diamond OA actors can exercise purposeful leadership to sustain an open scholarly infrastructure and invest in Diamond OA. We will showcase how NCCs, as part of the broader EDCH network, are emerging as centres of excellence that drive the adoption of standards (such as the Diamond Open Access Standard (DOAS)), encourage collaboration, and empower local communities of practice. National Capacity Centres play a pivotal leadership role within the European Diamond Capacity Hub by acting as trusted national posts for Diamond Open Access. To date, the EDCH has identified 21 National Capacity Centres, of which 11 are fully established and 10 are currently in development. This reflects both the maturity and the growth potential of this distributed publishing model. Embedded in local research and library ecosystems, NCCs bridge European-level coordination with national contexts of legislation, education, and research, ensuring that policies, standards, and capacity-building efforts are adapted to local needs. By providing hands-on support, guidance on best practices, and pathways to professionalisation for Diamond OA publishers and service providers, NCCs enable libraries to move beyond advocacy and into action-oriented leadership. This model of distributed national Diamond OA centres strengthens resilience across the scholarly publishing landscape, empowering national communities to co-develop, co-own, and sustain open, non-commercial publishing infrastructures while remaining aligned with shared European goals. This presentation will highlight how the EDCH mission strengthens Diamond OA and coordinates with key European and global stakeholders. It will demonstrate the strategic role of research libraries in championing initiatives like the EDCH and promoting inclusive, community-led knowledge production and sharing. It will also explore community-led governance models that enable shared decision-making, effective stakeholder engagement, and accountability. Specifically, the presentation will explore: National Capacity Centre functions: Acting as national representatives, raising awareness, and offering training and practical guidance for implementing Diamond OA locally. Impact examples: Showcasing already established NCCs leading regional Diamond OA efforts and driving adoption of standards and best practices. Cross-institutional collaboration: Amplifying impact through partnerships that promote inclusive participation and strengthen the Diamond OA ecosystem. Challenges and lessons learned: Insights from coordinating NCC activities, managing resources, and aligning regional efforts to broader European goals. This presentation will offer participants concrete insights into how research libraries and trusted partners are exercising leadership in collaboration with the European Diamond Capacity Hub and the National Capacity Centres. By examining the role of National Capacity Centres in practice, the session will highlight transferable leadership approaches that support sustainable, community-owned scholarly publishing and can be adapted to diverse national and institutional contexts.