Workshop 1.6 | Alternative Paths Towards the Future of Open Access – Developments for and by Libraries
Date: Wednesday, 1 July 2026, 16:00-18:00
Location: R92
Speaker(s): TBD
Organised by the LIBER Open Access Working Group
There is a shift underway in open science, particularly in open access publishing and library culture. The most significant change of late is due to a shift in how scholarly output is distributed and valued. There are several descriptions of this change, such as the report “Publishing Futures” from Cambridge University Press, or the position paper “Embracing the Complexity of ‘100% OA’: From Percentage to Participation” by OASPA. We have seen new models emerge in recent years, such as the collaborative Diamond Open Access movement, the rise of community-owned publishing collectives and platforms for open peer review, and new ways of analysing scholarly output. What do these new initiatives mean for research libraries? New platforms are emerging, giving us a multitude of ways to disseminate researchers’ work in formats beyond the traditional journal article.
This workshop aims to showcase current alternative publishing options and how they work, and to offer a space for colleagues to discuss how libraries can continue to support the transition to open science. The workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to learn and share experiences on how to guide researchers towards an open future that safeguards academic freedom and the integrity of scholarly output. The workshop will include expert speakers presenting different examples of ongoing work and group activities. The list of speakers will be updated.
Learning goals:
1) Knowing more about new and alternative models for open publishing,
2) analysing the current landscape with the help of shared experience and expertise,
3) bringing home tools and ideas on how to further develop support for open scholarly communication