This post was part of a series for Open Access Week 2014 and some information may be outdated. Questions? Please reach out to us online or at the Information Desk.
What got you interested in Open Access?
Part of my job as Serials & Electronic Resources Librarian is to stay on top of new developments in publication models, so I’ve been aware of Open Access for quite some time. My position is situated in the Acquisitions & Collection Development department, where all the bills are paid for books and journals, so I know how much the traditional publication models cost the university. I think it’s fun to think about alternative ways of sharing scholarly output, and the Open Access approach fits right in there.
I’ve become so interested in these new models that in 2013 I helped to found/edit an Open Access journal, The Journal of Creative Library Practice. The journal is designed to highlight out-of-the-box thinking in libraries related to policy issues, technology, and education. It is up to the author whether or not the article submitted is peer reviewed, and the accepted articles are published when finished, so the journal reads like a blog rather than a typical issue-driven journal.
What do you see as the value to Open Access?
The value of Open Access is immediate to the reader because there are no barriers to the use of the material. The reader clicks and reads; there’s no fee to read, no username/password to enter, no affiliation required. For a reader interested in the fastest way to consume relevant literature, Open Access is it.
Open Access has similar advantages for the producer of the resource. It allows the author to communicate with a wide audience because the access to the resource is not restricted.
How have you incorporated OA in the distribution of research data and publications?
I’ve made the personal commitment to contribute as much of my own research output to LMU’s Digital Commons, to the Librarian Publications collection. I’ve posted article pre-prints, slides from conference presentations, and the rubric I refer to in my first book, Marketing Your Library’s Electronic Resources.
What do you think LMU could do to play a role in the Open Access movement?
LMU is playing a great role right now with the ongoing development of the digital collections, which are all freely available to scholars throughout the world. Have you seen the live, updating map on the front page of the Digital Commons @ LMU and LLS which shows where in the world LMU’s collections are being downloaded for use? It’s so cool! I hope that the library can be an inspiration to others on campus who are like-minded, to build a whole community committed to sharing their scholarly and creative works using this model.