Libraries are evolving into dynamic digital ecosystems that champion openness, equity, and collaboration. As integral players in the scholarly landscape, they work alongside scientific publishers to advance Open Science and Open Access, reshaping how knowledge is shared and accessed globally.
Libraries have always been conduits of information, but access has often been limited by location, institutional ties and publishing paywalls. However, constantly advancing digital technologies and evolving practices have made modern libraries gateways to more information than ever, facilitating collaboration and providing access to knowledge wherever and whenever it’s needed. This evolution aligns with two closely entwined global movements: Open Science, which promotes transparency, reproducibility and collaborative research; and Open Access, which makes scholarly outputs freely available to all.
Open Science breaks down barriers by encouraging the sharing of research data, transparent peer review, citizen science and open-source tools. Libraries are uniquely positioned to support this transformation. Many are offering data stewardship and research data management services, helping researchers plan, share, and preserve data according to FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles. These services can not only improve scientific quality, but also enhance reproducibility and long-term impact, which aligns perfectly with the mission of scientific publishers to share information as widely and as fairly as possible.
Advancing Open Access
At its core, Open Access is about equity. Libraries have become strong advocates for change, negotiating transformative agreements, funding institutional repositories, and encouraging open publishing. More than ever before, libraries need options to support Open Access with transparent and sustainable publishing models.
One such option is the Subscribe to Open (S2O) publishing model offered by Karger Publishers. It is an innovative approach to Open Access publishing that transforms traditionally subscription-based journals into Open Access journals one year at a time if certain conditions are met. Under this model, institutions continue to subscribe to a journal as usual. If enough institutions renew their subscriptions for a given year, the publisher makes that year’s content freely available to all readers.
A central feature of the S2O model is elimination of financial barriers for authors. Unlike many Open Access models that rely on Article Processing Charges (APCs), S2O allows authors to publish their work Open Access without incurring any fees. This ensures greater equity in scholarly publishing, particularly benefiting researchers who lack funding for APCs. At the same time, the model relies on the support of subscribing institutions to make Open Access sustainable, creating a collaborative framework that involves the entire academic community.
Libraries and institutions are encouraged to maintain their subscriptions not just for access, but to actively support the transition to Open Science. Their continued participation is essential for unlocking the content and ensuring that it remains freely accessible. Another avenue for equitable access is transformative agreements between institutions and publishers, which cover the publishing costs for researchers from certain institutions.
The transition to Open Science and Open Access requires ongoing investment in robust digital infrastructure. This includes repositories for preprints and datasets (e.g., Figshare, Dryad, or bioRxiv), persistent identifiers (DOIs, ORCIDs), metadata standards for discoverability and tools for long-term digital preservation. Also important is addressing the digital divide. Libraries and scientific publishers alike are advocating for global and multilingual access to ensure equitable participation in scientific discovery.
A Shared Vision
The role of an academic librarian is ever evolving. They are data stewards, scholarly communication experts, metadata architects, digital preservationists, and community facilitators, requiring such diverse skills as data literacy, coding, IP law and global publishing trends. Yet the core mission always remains: connecting people with knowledge. This mission is something we publishers share with libraries.
Looking ahead, libraries may increasingly serve society as a whole alongside their academic institutions. They can be civic-scientific hubs, hosting citizen science events, supporting local data initiatives, and collaborating with communities to preserve shared knowledge. Libraries bridge divides – between experts and the public, disciplines and sectors, and the Global North and South.
Challenges remain. Open Access funding models are evolving and many institutions face limited resources. But the momentum is clear: funders expect openness, researchers value transparency, and citizens demand access. Scientific publishers and libraries must work together as partners to ensure that openness becomes the norm, not the exception. Together, both libraries and publishers can help ensure that knowledge reaches the widest possible audience, regardless of geography or individual resources.
