All Things Open: Free to Read, Free to Publish: Library Publishing and Global Scholarly Communication

Abstract:  Open access is a right exercised by scholars and their institutions, not a privilege granted by publishers. From this perspective, library publishing is not peripheral to the open access movement but a necessary extension, and when libraries take on publishing roles, they reclaim functions long outsourced to commercial actors and re-center scholarly communication within academic communities. The partnership among libraries, institutions, and researchers is foundational to the production, evaluation, and sharing of knowledge. Library publishing shows that open access can be sustainable and scholar-driven without reliance on paywalls, article processing charges, or exclusivity.

Since 2014, library publishing has evolved from isolated local initiatives into a global practice. The Library Publishing Coalition and the IFLA Library Publishing Special Interest Group have documented this growth through tools such as the LPC Directory and the Global Library Publishing Map. However, documentation alone does not explain the phenomenon. Its deeper cause lies in a growing recognition of libraries as both the ethical and logistical center of open knowledge, combining durable infrastructure with commitments to equity and access.

This presentation argues that the global rise of library publishing represents a reassertion of scholarly agency across the communication cycle. Drawing on geographic data, editorial demographics, and exemplary journals, it shows how library publishing advances openness in governance, authorship, and readership, fostering a more plural and inclusive scholarly record.