Perspectives on Open Access

The sustainability and growth of university libraries and their collections are pressing issues that couple with the burgeoning need for open access and cost reductions.Colleagues at the University of California have been grappling with these issues and forging a way forward for their system of campuses. The following resources were provided by Günter Waibel, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of the California Digital Library, which serves the entire UC System.

• Declaration of Rights and Principles to Transform Scholarly Communication [PDF] (UC Academic Senate principles guiding negotiations)
• Negotiating Journal Agreements at UC: A Call to Action [PDF] (Systemwide Library and Scholarly Information Committee—standing committee of the UCOP Provost bringing together faculty, administrators and librarians)
• Pathways to Open Access [HTML] (Library Strategy)
• “University Research Should Be Free to All” [HTML] by Janet Napolitano (former UC President)
• Update on open access and academic journal contracts [HTML]: a presentation to the UC Board of Regents’ Academic and Student Affairs Committee

For a wider perspective, Vice Provost Waibel shared two documents that were circulated after a recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine call that launched a new open science community of practice:

• Summary of Presidents’ Convening on Open Scholarship [PDF]
• Memo on Launching a Community of Practice [PDF]