Session 2: Publishing for Change: The Value of Diamond Open Access Journals
Thursday, March 26, 10 - 11 a.m. ET

When investments in Diamond Open Access journals are considered in academic libraries, the deliberations often hinge on demonstrating the local return on investment. This is not an easy task given that go-to methods of assessing a journal’s value rely on the number of affiliated scholars engaging with the journal, proxies of prestige, and quantitative usage data. These criteria reinforce the dominance of long-running publications embedded within commercial research and publishing infrastructure that has been designed to track such metrics. How can we make our evaluation processes more open to innovative, experimental journals that are committed to changing the publishing status quo and giving back to their communities? In this webinar, editors of the Diamond Open Access journals Global Social Challenges Journal and Language, Literature, and Interdisciplinary Studies will encourage attendees to consider the values that underlie a journal when assessing its value. The speakers will provide specific examples of how they align their publishing practices with the values of their stakeholder communities. They will also speak to the transformative potential of community investment in Diamond Open Access and share how funding received through the Lyrasis Open Access Community Investment Program (OACIP) has helped sustain their journals.

Speakers: 

• Katie Foxall, Senior Journals Development Editor, Bristol University Press
• Nikita Goel, Editor, Language, Literature, and Interdisciplinary Studies

Session 3: Understanding the Impact of Open: Library Experiences from the Field
Friday, March 27, 12 - 1 p.m. ET

Join us for an engaging conversation with librarians who are at the forefront of advancing open scholarship from a research and scholarly impact perspective. This session will highlight the evolving work of librarians who support researchers, institutions, and communities in understanding and demonstrating the impact of open access, open infrastructure, and open science practices. Panelists will share practical insights into how they define, assess, and communicate the impact of open research across different contexts. This webinar offers an opportunity to learn from experienced practitioners, ask questions, and reflect on the role of openness in shaping the future of research.

Speakers:

• Sheila Craft-Morgan, Research Impact Librarian and Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University  
• Rachel Borchardt, Scholarly Communications Librarian, American University
• Ameet Doshi, Head, Donald E. Stokes Library, Princeton University

Session 4: AI & Open Access: Misconceptions, Opportunities, Risks
Tuesday, March 31, 2 - 3 p.m. ET

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) creates opportunities and risks for the scholarly communication ecosystem, especially in the context of open access publishing and platforms. In this webinar, a group of community experts will engage in a wide-ranging panel discussion about open access in the context of AI. Panelists will address common misconceptions about AI, explore ethical and human-centered applications of AI tools, and discuss key intersections between AI and OA in licensing, publishing, and libraries. This conversation will give attendees a deeper understanding of the ways AI might shape our increasingly Open future.

Speakers: 

• Colleen Cressman, Librarian for Open Publishing, Harvard Library
• Melanie Gainey, Director of Open Science & Data Collaborations Program, Carnegie Mellon University Libraries
• Dave Hansen, Executive Director, Authors Alliance
• Anna Wałek, Head of Technology, OAPEN Foundation

Session 5: Open as an Institutional Asset: Advancing Shared Goals through Cross-Campus Collaboration
Thursday, April 2, 1 - 2 p.m. ET

“Open” practices (open access, open infrastructure, open science, and related initiatives) are increasingly central to how universities advance their core missions in research, teaching, and public service. While libraries are often leaders in the “open” space, cross-campus collaboration is essential to support openness as a shared institutional asset and a foundation for sustainable, impactful scholarship. This webinar will provide an overview of why “open” matters beyond the library, with perspectives from research administrators and librarians at three public universities. We’ll hear how universities are supporting institutional priorities, such as research integrity, scholarly impact, policy compliance, and trust, through partnerships on “open” initiatives. 

Speakers:

• Lori Schultz, Assistant Vice President for Research Administration, Colorado State University
• Catherine Stollar-Peters, Director of Research Data and Strategy for the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development, State University of New York (SUNY) system
• Jeremy Katz, Research Impact Librarian, Florida State University