Opting out is not an option: Why all academic librarians must understand open access

Abstract

This presentation challenges the still-too-prevalent notion that scholarly communication competencies are essential only for scholarly communication librarians and optional for other academic librarians. The session will focus on one competency in particular: a robust understanding of open access. Specific ways in which open access factors into a wide array of academic librarian roles -- or, at the very least, into performing those roles well -- will be covered as well. Together, we will consider whether open access literacy should be a job requirement, and crowdsource ideas for encouraging and advancing open access literacy among our colleagues.