Introduction to C&RL Topical Issue: Open and Equitable Scholarly Communications

Abstract

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL, a division of the American Library Association) has a long history of involvement in helping to shape the evolution of scholarly communications and the role of academic libraries within it. A recent milestone was the June 2019 release of the publication Open and Equitable Scholarly Communications: Creating a More Inclusive Future, with significant involvement from ACRL’s Research and Scholarly Environment Committee (ReSEC) as described in the report’s foreword. Broader in scope than past 2004 and 2007 ACRL scholarly communication research agendas, the 2019 report was more ambitious and action-oriented, and it put social justice at the center as part of ACRL’s broader core commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.