Library book and journal costs are growing at an unsustainable rate, inhibiting access to scholarship. Open access (OA) publishing overcomes the barriers of paywalls but is challenging to navigate and include in library collections. This year, JMU librarians provided a significant contribution to the library and information science profession about needs and opportunities to improve OA adoption.
JMU faculty members Yasmeen Shorish and Liz Thompson recently completed their OA in the Open research project, which was funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. The project identified the needs of librarians at all types of libraries through a series of focus groups at various national conferences. Results and final recommendations were coded as part of a final report. Since the report’s release in mid-September, the report has been downloaded over 400 times. Last week, Yasmeen and Liz presented their findings at the national Digital Library Federation Forum.
Access to knowledge and the scholarly record is important for everyone, not just libraries. You can find more details about the project and access the final report at the OA in the Open website. To learn more about open access at JMU, review our Open Access page, ask your liaison librarian, or participate in our Open Access Week events this week.