Library Open Access Resolution

Adopted by Library Council on June 19, 2017. Revised by Library Council in 2018, 2022 and 2024.

Background

Members of Brock University’s Library Council recognize that open access to scholarship brings many benefits including broadening the global reach of librarians’ research and enhancing opportunities for collaboration. We believe that publicly funded research should be freely available to the public.

Open access also holds the potential to improve a dysfunctional scholarly communication system by reducing reliance on subscription information resources and promoting the development of new models to freely share scholarship. We also recognize our responsibilities to lead by example as champions of open scholarship at Brock.

While Library Council members, as Brock Scholars, are covered by the Brock University Open Access Policy, this resolution signifies our broader support for, and dedication to, the practice of open access. 

Open access statement

Library Council members support the principle of open access and are committed to sharing our scholarship as widely as possible. There are many strategies available to achieve open access, including:

  • Depositing scholarly outputs in the Brock Digital Repository or other appropriate subject/institutional repositories or preprint servers
  • Publishing in open access journals
  • Openly disseminating any scholarly non-textual outputs
  • Advocating for open publishing in their work as editors, reviewers and authors
  • Assisting all Brock researchers, including their Library colleagues, to make their research openly available

Guidelines and scope

As of the date of its adoption, this resolution includes the results of scholarly activities as defined in the Brock University and Brock University Faculty Association Collective Agreement, 22.06b, including, but not limited to:

  • the publication of books, bibliographic work, case studies, monographs, and contributions to edited books (metadata-only deposit permitted for monographs)
  • papers in peer-refereed journals;
  • papers delivered at professional meetings;
  • papers in edited professional publications;
  • creative works;
  • software, hardware or technologies;
  • other scholarship appropriate to the discipline

As well, the resolution includes:

  • research data

Retrospective deposit is encouraged.
Co-authored works should be included with the permission of the other author(s)

Copyright considerations

Publisher copyright policies will be accommodated by the Brock Digital Repository, which permits immediate deposit with public release in compliance with any embargo periods. If embargoes or copyright policies are barriers to self-archiving, metadata only may be deposited.

Author post-prints or final published versions are preferred for deposit, but other article versions are acceptable.

Participation

This resolution pertains to Library Council members.

Timeline

Library Council will review this resolution biennially.