Open Access (OA) literature is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. What makes it possible is the internet and the consent of the author or copyright-holder (Peter Suber). OA is achieved through two primary channels: archiving (Green OA) or publishing (Gold OA). OA publishing shifts the costs of content creation and distribution away from subscribers. What this means is that OA published information is freely available to anyone worldwide with an internet connection – no subscription necessary.
Each October, Open Access Week offers a chance to advocate for more scholarly work to be made available OA. This year, the Furman University Libraries will celebrate Open Access Week through workshops and online awareness. This is a great chance to learn more about Open Access, make your own scholarship available through OA archiving in the new Furman University Scholar Exchange (FUSE), or considering publishing OA.
Open the Library. Open the World. Open Access.