10 years of the IFLA open access statement: a call to action
01 September 2022
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is proud to share its 2022 statement on open access (OA), “10 years of the IFLA open access statement: a call to action”. The new statement updates IFLA’s 2011 statement, affirming the value of open access and related initiatives while outlining IFLA’s ongoing work in the area. It also offers a commitment to “lead by example, and complete the transition of IFLA’s publications to OA”.
The statement declares:
“Full and immediate free access to research outputs and publications ensures that everyone – including researchers, policy makers, citizens, scientists, and the public – has the data, evidence, and knowledge they need to address societal, environmental, and global challenges. Open access (OA) moves research towards the goal of full access by removing paywalls and broadening global access across disciplines. OA seeks to make research globally available and discoverable for the long-term and not only in times of crisis…
This 2022 document reviews the steps taken towards the vision articulated by IFLA in 2011 and identifies new areas in need of urgent action. Libraries provide critical support for the development of open access as a societal good. Libraries are uniquely positioned to support the equitable and inclusive development of publishing opportunities, including serving as infrastructure for publishing initiatives and educating authors about pathways for publishing their works open access.”
At IFLA’s 2018 World Library and Information Congress WLIC in Kuala Lumpur, a resolution passed the General Assembly for IFLA to focus on OA in its strategy and advocacy as a matter of urgency. This led to the formation of the working party of the Advisory Committee on Copyright & Legal Matters (CLM) with Fiona Bradley (Australia) and Susan Reilly (Ireland) serving as co-leads. The party met at WLIC 2019 in Athens to report on developments since the 2011 document. It ultimately suggested a new statement.
The statement may be found in full at:
10 years of the IFLA open access statement: a call to action
Full and immediate free access to research outputs and publications ensures that everyone - including researchers, policy makers, citizens, scientists, and the public - has the data, evidence, and knowledge they need to address societal, environmental, and global challenges. IFLA defines open access...