The Open Scholarship Commons: Advancing Research for the Public Good

Abstract

The ground is shifting at our educational institutions. We are asked to demonstrate the value of our research to a wider public, particularly as public funding comes with requirements of openly sharing funded research results. At the same time, we are witnessing an educational shift from students as consumers of knowledge to students as co-creators of new knowledge. How can libraries, the traditional keepers and guardians of knowledge, grow to support this changing world? Our library will offer a new space that brings together partners at our academic institution to support the entire research cycle from the conception of an idea to the creation and dissemination of new knowledge in service of advancing research for the public good. Through this paper, we will share our process for creating this new space and how it will open opportunities for the production and sharing of scholarship beyond the academy.