Academic Libraries' Roles in Open Access Publishing for Visibility and Accessibility of Scholarly Publications.

Abstract

This study investigated Academic Libraries’ roles in Open Access Publishing for visibility and accessibility of scholarly publications. The study was guided by three specific objectives. The study adopted descriptive survey designed and employed the use of self-developed questionnaires to generate responses from librarians in academic libraries in Northern Nigeria. The questionnaire was administered via Google form through professional and institutional social media platforms of the librarians. 137 responses were found valid for data analysis. Findings revealed that academic libraries in Northern Nigeria are highly involved in the promotion of open access publishing initiatives. Strategies employed by these libraries to encourage open access publishing include promotion and awareness campaigns on the citation advantage of open publishing. Challenges of open access publishing as identified by the findings included funding and absence of institutional policies regarding open access publishing initiative. Partnership with development partners and continued advocacy in Northern Nigerian academic libraries are some of the recommendations proffered based on the findings of the study.