The impact of open access on librarians | Swets

"Open access (OA) is possibly one of the greatest (in a size sense) topics being discussed in academic publishing right now, and with just cause. It has a real chance to fundamentally change the research landscape and dissemination of its results, potentially facilitating greater productivity, collaboration and transparency in the research method. The most vocal bodies or individuals to talk about this issue have generally been from either the researcher or the publisher side, which are the two groups it most affects. But what position should the library take in these discussions, and how will an increase in the volume of open access material (and a potentially exponential one) change the type and volume of work for the librarian? We wanted a bit more information on some of the big issues that directly face the library and its staff of information professionals, so back in August 2012 we talked to a couple of librarians from North America and Europe in the first instance to see how they are planning and preparing for high levels of OA content in the future. We posed 4 questions about how open access will affect the role of the librarian to June Hedges (University College London, UK (UCL)) and Chuck Hamaker (University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA (UNC))... Where do these answers fit into the wider picture? Citing the results of an InTech-commissioned report published in June 2012, of the 156 librarians who completed their online survey, 78% were in favor of Open Access and 26% believe that it will be the main model for scholarly publishing. The report also mentions that the respondents to the survey were on the whole not worried about open access resources impacting on the perceived value of libraries or librarians... The second report that was also published recently (August 2012), is the result of a roundtable discussion commissioned by Sage with the British Library, and written by Siân Harris of Research Information. This report states from the outset in its key discussion points that: [1] 'Discoverability of open access content will be key to its usefulness'  [2] With regards to uncertainty and lack of trust, 'communication with researchers and institutions about open access will be an important function for libraries'..."