Open access isn't just about putting scans of books online. To ensure that these titles are found by the readers who'll benefit the most, a complex network of human and machine intermediaries needs to be activated. For Big Ten Open Books collections, this activation requires the careful preparation of metadata as well as the selection of complementary platforms that can boost the signal.

• In addition to traditional Library of Congress subject headings, Big Ten Open Books uses community-centered terms to ensure that titles are described appropriately. For the Gender and Sexuality collection, for example, we've added selections from the over 1,600 headings from the Homosaurus controlled vocabulary. Homosaurus is an international, linked data vocabulary of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) terms.
• Each book has a Crossref DOI, allocated by the publisher, and to the extent possible, we're adding author IDs (ORCIDs). Not every author has an ORCID or is willing to create one, but where this has been possible, the benefits of ensuring that creators get credit for their important work are multiple.
• As well as hosting the ebooks in the collection (on the Fulcrum open source platform), titles from Big Ten Open Books are sent to JSTOR, Project MUSE, and OAPEN. Each of these platforms is actively working to make using ebooks as easy as possible for complementary communities, and their work boosts the reach of the titles.

A particular focus of the work of Big Ten Open Books is to tell the story of the impact and usage of the titles that are being made open. Aggregating usage data from multiple platforms and tracking indicators of engagement on the open web are both activities that good metadata practices enable - and further evidence of the value that standardized description adds.