The Principle and the Pragmatist: On Conflict and Coalescence for Librarian Engagement with Open Access Initiatives

Abstract

This article considers Open Access (OA) training and the supports and structures in place in LIS programs and academic libraries in the United States from the perspective of a new librarian. OA programming is contextualized by the larger project of Scholarly Communication in academic libraries, and the two share a historical focus on journal literature and a continued emphasis on public access and the economics of scholarly publishing. Challenges in preparing academic librarians for involvement with OA efforts include the evolving and potentially divergent nature of the international OA movement and the inherent tensions of a role with both principled and pragmatic components that serves a particular university community as well as a larger movement.