The Libraries join with our Big Ten colleagues in an unwavering commitment to support learning and discovery. Universities exist to create and share knowledge. We also recognize that our current academic publishing system hinders both creativity and sharing. As noted in the Big Ten statement: “The majority of published research is locked behind paywalls and accessible only to a shrinking number of institutions whose libraries can afford the subscription or license.”
We agree that our institutions must continue to work to change the funding model of our current academic publishing system, and we believe that we must also continue to work for a fully open scholarly communications ecosystem.
An open and financially sustainable scholarly communications ecosystem would fuel research and learning. We also believe such changes would allow for re-investment in libraries in ways that better support the current and future needs of our students and faculty as well as society at large.