Theme: “Sustainable Paths Towards Open Science and Open Scholarship“
Introduction
The IFLA Acquisition and Collection Development Section invites proposals for papers to be presented at a session during the IFLA World Library and Information Congress, to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 18–22 August 2025.
This session is co-organized by the Acquisition and Collection Development Section, the Library Publishing Special Interest Group, and the Advisory Committee on Open Science and Open Scholarship. The session aims to explore the role of libraries in shaping open science models that are both equitable and sustainable. As the open science movement evolves, it has become increasingly clear that models designed for well-resourced institutions—particularly in the Global North—do not always meet the needs of less-resourced institutions and communities in the Global South. Achieving truly open and inclusive scholarship requires collaboration across institutions and regions to ensure equitable access to knowledge in all disciplines, while also supporting the long-term sustainability of open science practices.
All submitted papers should engage with the conference theme, “Uniting Knowledge – Building the Future.” The Open Access movement, which seeks to make scholarly content freely available to all readers regardless of institutional affiliation or geographic location, is central to this vision. By removing paywalls and access barriers, we broaden participation in the creation, dissemination, and use of knowledge worldwide.
Suggested topics
We welcome proposals that feature innovative approaches, practical case studies, or forward-looking strategies for building a sustainable and inclusive global open science ecosystem.
- Open Science Mandates and the Role of Libraries
- Library responses to Open Science policies and mandates from research funders, governments, and institutions.
- Strategies for building organizational capacity and workforce expertise to meet these new challenges.
- Sustainable Open Infrastructure and Governance Models
- How community-owned, community-governed infrastructures are enabling the transition to Open Science.
- Exploring tools, platforms, and best practices for creating interoperable, scalable, and sustainable systems for scholarly publishing and research dissemination.
- Collaboration and Community-building, Local vs. Global Needs
- Case studies of cross-institutional collaboration among libraries, university presses, scholar-led communities, and non-profits. Balancing local community priorities with global Open Science objectives.
- Innovative partnerships and business models supporting equitable, accessible, and non-profit publishing ecosystems.
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Open Science
- How we ensure that Open Science and open infrastructure promote equity and inclusion globally.
- Ethical considerations and practical strategies for addressing structural inequities in access to research and scholarly communication. Ethics of transformative agreements and their impact on a global transition to open publishing models.
- Emerging Trends in Open Science
- Exploring how AI, machine learning, and other technological advancements are shaping the future of Open Science and scholarly communication.
- Benefits and challenges posed to Open Science by the use of emerging technologies in science.
Important dates & deadlines:
- 30 April 2025: Deadline for submission of proposals/abstracts
- 30 May 2025: Notification to authors about the status of a submission
- 04 August 2025: Submission of the full text of the paper
- 04 August 2025: Submission of accompanying PowerPoint slides for presentation
Submission guidelines
Proposals should include:
- Title of the proposed presentation
- Abstract of the proposed paper (no more than 300 words)
- Name of the presenter plus position and/or title
- Employer / affiliated institution
- Contact information including email address, telephone number
- Short biographical statement of the presenter
Send proposals via email to:
- Michael Levine-Clark at levine-clark@du.edu
- Lidia Uziel at uziel@ucsb.edu
Use the subject line: “ACD Open Session WLIC2025”
Please note:
- At least one of the paper’s authors must be present to summarize the paper during the program in Astana. Abstracts are to be submitted only with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.
- The language of the session is expected to be English.
- All papers presented at the WLIC 2025 will be available online under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
- All papers must be unpublished and not previously presented.
- Authors must disclose whether they submit this proposal to another WLIC 2025 session.
- Authors of accepted papers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form.
- All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodations, etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. IFLA does not provide any financial support.
Congress Participation Grants
A list of opportunities for support is available on the Grants & Awards webpage.