Open Access to All, and to All a Goodnight

Cordero, Brandon

Oladokun, B. D., Sambo, A. S., Bassey, M. M., & Enakrire, R. T. (2024). The open access effect:    Transforming collection development using open repositories. International Journal of Librarianship,        9(4), 36–51. https://doi-org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.23974/ijol.2024.vol9.4.395

Summary:

This paper employs a systematic literature review to look at the effect of increased open access (OA) articles on academic libraries. The study finds OA articles and journals have facilitated libraries to reallocate their funds from subscription-based journals to to support OA initiatives and improve digital infrastructure. OA supports collaboration, innovation, and equitable information between libraries and their audiences. However, challenges like sustainability, quality control, copyright compliance, and digital preservation are factors that can inhibit OA from expanding. 

Review:

This topic is important in addressing the rise of digital age materials. While digital age media has become more accessible than ever before, subscriptions and their rates are also rising. Open access looks to solve these problems by creating a source of free resources. Resources and collections will no longer depend on which college you attend, open access incentivizes academic institutions to work together in creating equitable access. Oladokun and crew have done a great job at laying out the benefits, the most effected groups (such as STEM majors having the most expensive journal subscriptions), challenges, and future outlook if we keep investing in open access materials.