“Our assumption is that we are moving into a world in which open science and open access publishing are the rule not the exception, the norm not an experiment. Ever since “open” became an ambition in academic libraries (one of our organizers has been an OA publisher since 1990!), we have believed and assumed that a critical benefit will be opening up science and scholarship to those who are disadvantaged in the world of high paywalls and closed systems. The time has come to make sure the publishing and library worlds are ready to deliver on that promise.
Accordingly, this conference will start with our assumption and focus on the issues that arise and the steps that need to be taken in order to make a more open world a genuinely more inclusive world. What mistakes must we avoid? What strategies succeed? What considerations do we need to keep “top of mind”? Much of our focus will be on the global south as a region whose development and advancement will be critical to the health, prosperity, and sustainability of the human family in the coming decades. A keynote speaker coming to Rotterdam from Zambia will set the tone and a rich variety of presentations by stakeholders and colleagues from many diverse places will frame the discussion….”