Faculty members usually contribute their work free of charge to publishers. But while professors receive no monetary compensation, they must publish in reputable journals to receive tenure appointments.

While publishers will say they promote scholarship through “peer review and editorial support,” in addition to widespread distribution, Hierl said he still thinks they should not be gaining undue profit from academic work.

“Why pay a publisher to sell you what you yourself have produced?” he said.

Hierl said he is concerned the model of rising prices could expand to book publishing and other publication forms, as well.

Harvard has also been actively involved in implementing the new Digital Public Library of America, of which former law professor John G. Palfrey '94 is chair.

The DPLA, a national effort to digitize every book in the world, will open in April 2013. Leaders of the project are still working on ways to digitize as many book as possible without infringing copyright.

“Harvard’s part of that; we’ve taken the lead,” Darnton said.

—Staff writer Radhika Jain can be reached at radhikajain@college.harvard.edu.