Dear All,
We are pleased to inform you that the Department of Library and Information Science (DLIS), Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), Thiruvarur organised an invited talk titled “Beyond the Financial Veil: The Domino Costs of Open Access” on Thursday, 22 October 2026, at 3:00 PM via Google Meet. The programme was organised as part of the celebrations of International Open Access Week 2026, observed from 19 to 25 October 2026.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Prof. S. Thanuskodi, Head of the Department, who highlighted the importance of Open Access and the significance of International Open Access Week. He warmly welcomed the invited speaker, faculty members, research scholars, students, and other participants joining the programme online.
The invited talk was delivered by Dr. Reggie Raju, Director of Research and Learning Services, University of Cape Town Libraries, South Africa. His presentation examined the challenges associated with existing Open Access systems, structural inequalities in scholarly communication, and possible approaches to making research publishing more inclusive and equitable. Tracing the evolution of scholarly communication from the establishment of learned societies to the subsequent commercialisation of academic publishing, Dr. Raju discussed how the Open Access movement emerged in response to the commodification of scholarly knowledge and inequalities within the publishing sector. He raised important questions about who owns, governs, produces, and preserves scholarly knowledge, emphasising the need to reconsider the existing structures of academic publishing.
Dr. Raju observed that Open Access has the potential to expand the reach of scholarly communication and make research available to a wider community. However, he pointed out that existing systems do not always address local research needs and that the Global South continues to face challenges in achieving equitable representation. He also discussed concerns about biases in peer review and stressed the importance of empowering researchers to publish and disseminate their work while recognising diverse knowledge traditions. Various Open Access movements and declarations promoting greater equity in scholarly communication were also discussed. A significant part of the presentation focused on the Indian scholarly publishing landscape and the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative. Dr. Raju highlighted the need to balance access to international scholarly literature with sustained investment in Indian journals and indigenous publishing platforms. Referring to the level of utilisation of subscribed resources, he noted that only around 20% of the subscribed content was being used, as discussed in his presentation. He argued that strengthening Indian journals could improve the visibility and reach of Indian research. He further emphasised that initiatives such as ONOS should address the structural challenges of scholarly communication in India rather than focusing primarily on access to international publications.
The presentation also explored the broader meaning of the cost of knowledge, extending beyond direct financial expenditure to include structural inequalities, publishing biases, barriers to participation, and the challenges faced by researchers within existing scholarly communication systems. Dr. Raju stressed that the success of Open Access should be assessed not only by the availability of publications but also by the equity and inclusiveness of the systems through which knowledge is produced, published, disseminated, and preserved. Following the presentation, an interactive question-and-answer session was held. Participants raised questions concerning research assessment in Indian universities, the costs of scholarly communication, the promotion of indigenous scholarly publishing, and the inclusiveness of Diamond Open Access. The discussion provided an opportunity to clarify key issues and exchange perspectives on building a more equitable and sustainable scholarly publishing ecosystem.
Overall, the invited talk provided valuable insights into the financial, structural, and ethical dimensions of Open Access. It highlighted the importance of addressing inequalities in scholarly publishing, strengthening indigenous publishing initiatives, reconsidering research evaluation practices, and promoting equitable participation in knowledge creation and dissemination. The programme reinforced the view that the true success of Open Access lies not merely in making scholarly publications available, but also in ensuring fairness, inclusiveness, and equity in the global scholarly communication system.
The lecture program was coordinated by Dr. Anila Sulochana, Assistant Professor, Department of Library and Information Science, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, and attended by more than 34 participants from India and abroad. The session concluded with a formal vote of thanks proposed by Prof. Akhandanand Shukla. Ms. Anjali C. A., Junior Research Fellow, served as the rapporteur for the program.
