NASIG 2018

Title: Open Access:  How Accessible Is It?

Abstract: The Budapest Open Access Initiative made the first public statement of open access principles in 2002.  In the more than 15 years since, open access publications have proliferated.  The ideals of the open access movement to make open access the default method of sharing research, however, have not yet been fully realized.  In this presentation, Lisa will examine where we are in the open access movement; the successes we can celebrate and the challenges still to be overcome.  She will also posit that we may have reached a moment in the open access movement when it is time to expand on our conception of open access and consider accessibility more broadly.  Librarians have been central players in the open access movement, but is there more we could or should be doing?  Should we broaden our definition of access to be more expansive and include accessibility?  As we close the conference, we’ll consider ways we can all contribute to making open access more accessible.