The University Library has developed this website as a resource for the University of Illinois community. It is intended to encourage dialogues: between faculty and publishers, between faculty and the library, between faculty and their scholarly societies, and within departments. Why is this discussion important?
- Scholarly communication is in flux. The web publishing revolution has made it possible to disseminate research more quickly and inexpensively than ever before. At the same time, some publishers have raised prices to a point where libraries are having to make incredibly difficult budget decisions.
- Scholarly communication is valuable. In addition to intellectual value, your research has economic value. Even though you provide it free of charge to publishers, it can be packaged and sold for great profits. More than ever before there are alternative publishing options, such as open access, for you to consider that will give your work greater visibility.
- Scholarly communication is the lifeblood of the university. The dissemination of knowledge is an imperative of land grant universities like Illinois. Anything that threatens access to, or the free flow of, research and ideas is a threat to the health of the entire system.
