Integrating Open Access Information into the Library Discovery System

Open Access (OA) has become the standard model for academic publishing, yet many researchers still face challenges in accessing comprehensive, up-to-date and reliable information on their OA options. Disparities in OA conditions across publishers, journals and article types, along with changes over time, such as quota applications or journal flipping, complicate the discovery process. While libraries have implemented new systems to address these issues, they often create additional channels of information, which can confuse rather than streamline access for researchers. The Lib4RI Search Tool tackles this issue by integrating OA-related information directly into the library’s discovery system, providing a centralised and user-friendly interface. This tool aggregates search results from multiple scholarly sources and additionally provides researchers with institution-specific information on OA publishing options. A key feature of the Lib4RI Search Tool is its dedicated journal tab, which not only displays journal accessibility but also provides detailed, up-to-date OA publishing information for individual journals. This includes (a) customized data on institutional Read&Publish agreements, (b) information on Gold OA journals, including APCs and possible funding options and (c) filtered options for Green OA relevant to our local institutional repository. The tool strives for a balance between showing the most relevant information directly while also providing links to further details.