The Transfer Code of Practice responds to the expressed needs of the scholarly journal community for consistent guidelines to help publishers ensure that journal content remains easily accessible by librarians and readers when there is a transfer between parties, and to ensure that the transfer process occurs with minimum disruption. Publishers are being asked to publicly endorse and follow the Code of Practice which is a set of voluntary “best practices” for the industry. Assuming the Code of Practice succeeds in gaining broad acceptance, the Transfer Working Group will consider some next steps, which may include establishing a more formal international committee composed of librarians, publishers, societies, agents and other interested parties. The committee could consider such issues as:

• The development of guidelines for publishers on practical aspects of implementing the Code of Practice.
• The development of policies and procedures for ongoing oversight of the Code, conducting periodic reviews of the effectiveness of the Code and considering future revisions to the Code. 

The Code and any policies and procedures developed around the Code will be guided by openness and fairness and will be to the benefit of libraries, readers, users and other consumers.

With the release of the Transfer Code of Practice Version 2.0 publishers are being asked to sign up to the Code.  Publishers endorsing the Code are listed on the Publisher Endorsement page.

• UKSG Transfer Code of Practice, Version 2.0
• Transfer notification list
• Transfer notification blog
• Information on Press relations
• Transfer Papers and presentations
• List of endorsing publishers

If you have any questions please email the Chair of the Working Group, Ed Pentz, at epentz@crossref.org