Five years ago IFLA released its current Statement on Open Access. With the importance of access to knowledge acknowledged by the Sustainable Developemnt Goals, its recommendations are as strong and relevant as ever.

IFLA wants to mark International Open Access Week 2016 by promoting the work our members are doing to promote and raise awareness of this important new phenomenon. Follow the updates on Twitter and Facebook.

Here are just some examples of what libraries have been doing:

  • The University of Kentucky has made editions of the Kentucky Review available online in open access format. Anyone can now read and learn from it without limitations.
  • The University of Texas Libraries published theur first open access policy. This will start by applying to library staff, before potentially going broader.
  • The Universitate Aberto in Portugal held a seminar on the production, dissemination and impact of scientific research papers, looking at how to progress towards the EU's objective of open access by 2020.
  • The Koç University Research Centre for Anatolian Civilisations in Turkey held an informal seminar on the goals and opportunities of open access.
  • The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México brought together teachers, researchers and students to discuss what each could contribute to achieving open access.
  • The Radboud University, the Netherlands, celebrated Open Access Week this year by focusing on Open Science, holding a series of events.
  • The Library at the London School of Economics, in the UK, looked at how to improve access to the university's research work.
  • The Nazarbayev University Library, Kazahkstan, held an event explaining what open access is, and what resources are already available in the format.
  • The KTH Royal Institute of Technology Library, Sweden, set up pop up-desks around campus, giving hands on support to researchers who wish to make their articles open access.
  • The University of Lille, Sciences and Technology, France, made a board game on open access and scientific publishing at the university, crowning the winner Open Access King/Queen.

Clarifying IFLA's position and strategy – the 2011 Statement

IFLA is committed to the principles of freedom of access to information and the belief that universal and equitable access to information is vital for the social, educational, cultural, democratic, and economic well-being of people, communities, and organizations.

Open access is the now known name for a concept, a movement and a business model whose goal is to provide free access and re-use of scientific knowledge in the form of research articles, monographs, data and related materials. Open access does this by shifting today's prevalent business models of after-publication payment by subscribers to a funding model that does not charge readers or their institutions for access. Thus, open access is an essential issue within IFLA's information agenda.

Read the full statement