Open Access and its Practical Impact on the Work of Academic Librarians

Scholarly communication continues to change, and this up-to-date, one-stop resource provides practicing and aspiring academic librarians with a comprehensive introduction to open access (the availability of free content online) and its impact on today’s library environment. Author Laura Bowering Mullen, a Behavioral Sciences Librarian at Rutgers University, provides key insights into open access as it relates to practical changes in reference, collection development, subscription indexes and databases, preservation, faculty liaisons, LIS literature, institutional repository issues, publishers, and potential new user services.

Mullen also includes numerous references to open access resources and suggestions for further reading. This book is essential reading for practicing academic librarians, library school students, LIS faculty, and anyone interested in following, or joining, the open access debate.