Friday, April 17 | 1 p.m. Eastern (12 p.m. Central) | Virtual 

MCLS is pleased to invite you to a webinar on April 17 at 1 p.m. Eastern (12 p.m. Central) presented by Charles Watkinson, Associate University Librarian at the University of Michigan Library and Kelsey Mrjoian, Library Relations Manager at Michigan Publishing.

The important perspectives of smaller academic and public libraries are often not heard amid the international push toward open access. However, librarians in these organizations are often closest to the learners and researchers who benefit most from openly accessible books and journals.  

This interactive webinar will present a portfolio of open-access initiatives seeking affordable levels of financial support, each presented with transparent investment criteria. We hope participants will provide feedback to inform refinements that help these initiatives better meet local needs and the realities of limited budgets.  

All the initiatives are community-led and supported by Michigan Publishing, part of the University of Michigan Library. They include Big Ten Open Books, Lever Press, University of Michigan Press eBook Collection, Opening the Future, and the Open Journals Initiative.  

For institutions currently unable to allocate funds to open access initiatives, the webinar will also provide instructions on how to add almost 1,500 high-quality open access books and 300 vetted open journals to library catalogs immediately.  

Participants should expect to walk away with a valuable collection of free course and research materials as well as a greater understanding of the changing landscape of open access. 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.