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It is only natural that librarians have led the way in identifying the crisis in scholarly communications and developing potential solutions. One example of this leadership is the Association of Research Library's Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)[1] initiative. After all, providing users with access to the information they need is one of the most core of librarianship's values. There is currently substantial consensus that open access to scholarly information is the ideal, not only for the public good, but also as the most effective means of advancing scholarly research. An opportunity exists for library associations to lead by example in the open access arena, by making our own publications as openly accessible as possible. This article will address some of the reasons for opening up access to library literature, issues and challenges, and some examples of library associations that are already providing open access to their publications.
The benefits of open access to library literature
When library associations publish journals for distribution to members and/or subscribers only, potential readership and impact is primarily limited to these groups.
Library staff in smaller, rural, or poorer areas are less likely to enjoy the advantages of institutional membership. They also often have a lower salary, which makes it more difficult to purchase individual memberships or subscriptions. People in countries where libraries are less common are very unlikely to be members of library associations, or subscribe to library journals.
Even in larger, more affluent libraries, the library or individual staff probably have access to, at most, only a few journals through memberships, subscriptions, or journal database packages. Only the very largest research libraries have the means to subscribe to a large percentage of the world's library literature.
Therefore, if the aim of library professional publishing is library practice enlightened by theory, research, and experience, then open access is the most effective means to this goal.
When journals are openly accessible, there are advantages for readers, authors, and the profession as a whole. Picture what might happen if library literature were freely available to all.
A staff or board member at a smaller library would be more likely to find just the information they need to create a new program, solve a problem, or even advocate effectively for...