IFLA’s Academic and Research Libraries (ARL) Section will host a satellite conference preceding the World Library and Information Congress 2023 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

The value of open access in scholarly communication has been understood for almost as long as the internet has offered the potential to disseminate information and materials immediately and universally. Twenty years after the start of the open access movement, the scholarly communication ecosystem is rapidly evolving into an open paradigm, and we can easily imagine a not-so-distant future in which open scholarship is the norm.

Beyond enabling open access quality research, the open access transition should generate new opportunities for inclusive and equitable participation in the global research and scholarly communication system. How can libraries influence the forces at play in the current landscape to ensure that the open paradigm that is rapidly coming into focus is genuinely open to and supportive of marginalized communities and individuals in the current system, particularly those who live and work in resource limited contexts and in countries with political constraints on access and resources?

The satellite meeting will offer some insights on the many ways that global equity and inclusion can be fostered in the new realm of open scholarly communication systems and open science practices.

Full details on the satellite meeting website.