Navigating the political waters of open access publishing in libraries

Abstract

The presenters shared their research on politics in library publishing, originally published in 2016 in the book Open Access and the Future of Scholarly Communication. Many libraries have forayed into the world of Open Access (OA) publishing, marking a major shift in the mission of libraries to move from providing access to generating and creating content. The issues involved highlight the approaches various libraries have taken-and the challenges faced-in selecting a platform, writing a business plan, planning for preservation, educating researchers about OA publishing, working with a university press, marketing, and navigating staff training issues. Recommendations for defining library roles, areas of focus, and future research in this new territory will be highlighted.