What is Open Access (OA)

The open access (OA) movement, a paradigm shift in scholarly communication, has emerged as a cornerstone of modern higher education and academic libraries. By removing financial barriers, OA ensures unrestricted access to academic resources, democratizing knowledge and fostering a more equitable learning environment. Furthermore, OA promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, enabling scholars to engage in expansive knowledge exchange across diverse fields, fueling innovation. Academic libraries have become instrumental in curating vast repositories of openly accessible content, enhancing their role as facilitators of information literacy. Embracing open access principles enhances the visibility of institutions and researchers but also promotes inclusivity, ensuring that diverse voices find resonance in academic discourse. Explored in this chapter are the multifaceted advantages of the OA movement, underscoring its pivotal role in shaping a more accessible, collaborative, and egalitarian landscape within higher education and academic libraries.