Making open access work for you: Practical librarian insights

Author: Nicole Ameduri

Head of Account Development

For librarians, research offices and institutional leaders, open access (OA) offers an opportunity to expand reach, strengthen impact, and deliver greater value to their communities. During the 2025 Charleston Conference, Springer Nature hosted a lunch and learn at the historic American Theater, where librarians shared practical strategies to achieve these goals. Get four insights from the discussion, with suggestions for actions you can implement today.

Open access (OA) continues to shape scholarly publishing, and success depends on aligning strategies with institutional priorities such as impact, compliance, affordability, and visibility. At the lunch and learn event, titled ‘Making OA work for you: TA experiences from the field,’ we heard inspiring presentations from librarians representing various institutions of different sizes, focus areas, and funding models:

• Danielle Aloia, Assistant Director of Information Management at New York Medical College, Capozzi Library, part of the NERL-Springer TA
• Mark Paris, Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Resources and Discovery at Brandeis University, part of the NERL-Springer TA
• Peggy Kain, Associate Professor and Licensing and Scholarly Communication Librarian at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Libraries, part of the Lyrasis-Springer TA

The conversation highlighted actionable steps that enable progress today and in the years ahead. From building data-driven dashboards to implementing transformative agreements (TAs), the ideas presented empower libraries and research offices to move confidently toward sustainable OA.

“This has been the most useful session I’ve been to out of the entire conference.” 

Lunch and learn participant Willa Liburd Tavernier, Research Impact and Open Scholarship Librarian, Indiana University

What’s working: Four insights to take forward

The discussion at the lunch and learn was rich with practical ideas that libraries and research offices can apply today. The following key takeaways combine strategic thinking with real-world examples from institutions already making progress. Each one offers a way to strengthen OA implementation, improve visibility, and demonstrate value to stakeholders. 

(1) Transformative agreements: When collaboration lowers barriers

TAs can be powerful levers for growing the adoption of OA while stabilizing costs. In her presentation, Danielle Aloia, from the Capozzi Library at New York Medical College, explored the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches, from consortia and fellowships to TAs, for gaining an OA advantage. She shared how her institution decided on a TA through a consortia, which enabled them to cover their researchers’ article processing charges (APCs) for publishing OA.

Indeed, speakers emphasized that joining a consortium often makes these agreements more feasible than negotiating solo, spreading administrative load, and unlocking better terms. If your institution is mid-sized or has limited negotiation capacity, a consortium route may be the most pragmatic way to build momentum (and internal support).

Action to consider: Map your local priorities (publishing output, author disciplines, compliance needs) to consortium options already operating in your region. Engage peers to benchmark terms and workflows, especially reporting and author support.

(2) Data-driven advocacy: Make value visible 

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Libraries’ approach shows how granular tracking transforms perceptions of library value. This institution focused on transformative agreements (also referred to as Read and Publish agreements), and uses rigorous tracking and targeted communication, calculating savings per researcher and per college to demonstrate tangible benefits. According to Peggy Kain, “Giving back to the university and showing the value of the library has been key.”

Kain explained how the library tracks and records data for every APC funded through their TAs: approval dates, publishers, APC costs, journal types, faculty ranks, and departmental affiliations. By rolling that up into dashboards, the team has demonstrated over $2 million in institutional savings. This level of detail enables targeted conversations with departments and senior leadership, connecting OA spend to academic outcomes.

Action to consider: Start a minimally viable dataset: fields you can reliably capture each month without new systems. Build from there and publish periodic internal “OA impact briefs” for deans and research leadership.

(3) Repositories: Cornerstone, not afterthought

Brandeis University underscored the role of the institutional repository as the cornerstone of OA strategy supporting compliance, preserving outputs and amplifying visibility. Mark Paris explained how repositories are also an engagement platform: They give departments and research offices a lens on where outputs sit and what could be improved.

Action to consider: Audit repository metadata quality, deposit workflows, and outreach. Prioritize researcher experience (fast deposit, clear rights guidance) and surface analytics that matter locally (downloads by department, open vs. closed proportions).

(4) Funders’ shifting priorities: Impact over inventory 

Participants in the lunch and learn noted that traditional collection narratives resonate less with funders; impact evidence resonates more. OA initiatives aligned to institutional goals, research visibility, collaboration, and societal benefit are easier to champion when supported by data and clear stories about researcher outcomes.

Action to consider: Build a simple “funders’ view” dashboard: outputs by funder with OA status, compliance, and usage. Pair it with practitioner stories that connect OA to research impact in the field.

“OA is a journey that thrives on collaboration, data-driven decisions, and a willingness to innovate.”

Librarians leading with communication in the OA transition

Throughout the discussion, speakers emphasized the importance of partnerships and reframing OA within the broader context of scholarly communication. In her presentation, Danielle Aloia stated, “Pursuing OA work and forming partnerships is essential work.” She further explained that while this work is sometimes perceived as extra and time-consuming, it is in fact essential.

As the role of librarians shifts and transforms in the age of OA, collaborations across various departments in your institutions become vital. Librarians are pivotal to getting both the buy-in and the funding to support and promote OA from various stakeholders in their institution. They advocate for OA with these stakeholders to ensure support and educate and inform colleagues on the value of OA publishing for the researchers, the institutions, and science more broadly.

Communication is therefore fundamental to the broader goals of librarians, especially in the OA transition. Through clear, consistent dialogue and proactive engagement, librarians build trust, foster collaboration, and create momentum for change.

OA is a journey that thrives on collaboration, data-driven decisions, and a willingness to innovate. The thoughtful insights and open discussions at this lunch and learn underscore the power of partnerships and practical strategies that help institutions achieve impact and sustainability.

Whichever route you and your institution are on, we are here to support you. Learn more about TAs and how you can benefit from them. 

Related content:

• Exploring AI with research librarians at Charleston
• Evolving roles of academic librarians adapting to change and new technologies
• From the floor of ALA to the future of libraries 
• Empowering research in the United States (US) through open access agreements 
• OA agreement stories: University of Miami
• Accelerating open access at scale: Key insights for research librarians 
• Increasing equity through open access agreements 

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