Towards Post-Neoliberal Open Access: The Transformative Potential of Library Publishing Cooperatives

Room G

This presentation will describe the need for a system of open access that moves beyond neoliberalism and is based, instead, in library publishing cooperatives. The political and economic aspects of scholarly journal publishing will be examined in a discourse of critique and will focus on neoliberalism’s role in the industry, including causing the serials crisis. Two major efforts in the open access movement that promote an increase in OA funded by article processing charges will be critiqued as neoliberal frameworks that would perpetuate existing systems of domination and exploitation. In a discourse of possibility, ways of building a post-neoliberal system of journal publishing using new tactics and strategies, merging theory and praxis, and grounding in solidarity and cooperation will be presented. This includes organizing journal publishing democratically using cooperatives, which could decommodify knowledge and provide open access at a greater scale. The presentation will conclude with a vision for accomplishing this though a New Fair Deal.