In 2014, LIBER introduced a set of Open Access Publication Guidelines for work that it produces.

The guidelines are as follows:

 

1. Principles

LIBER endorses the Berlin Declaration on open access to knowledge as essential to supporting its mission of providing an information infrastructure that enables research in LIBER institutions to be world class and of enhancing the user-experience in LIBER institutions.

As an Association, LIBER is committed to transparent governance which serves its members, while at the same time offering the widest possible public access to its resources and knowledge. It actively collaborates with SPARC Europe and COAR to fulfil this aim of providing open access to knowledge.

Furthermore, LIBER has set out in its copyright position statement the urgent need for reform to Europe’s copyright regime. The rights of creators to be recognised for their work need to be fairly balanced with the rights of the end user to access information in an environment of legal certainty. Copyright law should foster research, innovation and creativity, rather than creating barriers to education and learning.

To support all of these objectives, LIBER has drawn up a set of open access guidelines, the goal of which is to maximise access to LIBER’s public outputs in the context of the current copyright regime. LIBER requires its Executive Board, Office, Steering Committees, Fora and Working Groups to follow these guidelines.

Licences framework: LIBER wants to guarantee free access and unrestricted use of its public outputs by applying a CC-BY or CC0 license to as much of its work as possible.

A CC-BY license allows users to share (to copy, distribute and transmit the work), to remix (to adapt the work), and to make commercial use of the work, under the condition of attribution (the work must be attributed in the manner specified by the author or licensor but not in any way that suggests endorsement of the new work by its original creator).

A CC0 license allows users to copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without attribution. LIBER encourages and appreciates appropriate attribution whenever possible.

If LIBER wants to use or publish material for which copyright lies with a LIBER member institution, LIBER will seek a non-exclusive license to publish any written work as CC-BY and any data as CC0.

 

2. LIBER Executive Board, Office, Steering Committees, Fora and Working Groups: Open Access Regulations

 

2.1 LIBER OUTPUTS

 

  • Website: All site content, except where otherwise noted, will be licensed CC-BY.
  • Position papers, public consultations, LIBER presentations, videos, etc: All LIBER public content will be licensed CC-BY and data will be licensed CC0.
  • Peer-reviewed papers: The LIBER Executive Board, Office, Steering Committees, Fora, and Working Groups will publish papers as CC-BY in Open Access journals, or in journals that allow the paper to be deposited and made open access no later than the publication date in an open access repository. Research data (eg. in supplementary files, within the text) accompanying an article will be published as CC0or in journals where the data can be deposited and made open access in an open access repository no later than the publication date.
  • LIBER Quarterly: All research papers published in LIBER Quarterly will be licensed CC-BY. Research data accompanying the article (eg. in supplementary files, within the text) will be published as CC0. A detailed open access policy will be shortly released by LIBER Quarterly.
  • LIBER participation in interviews, and other communication activities in the media: The LIBER Office, Steering Committees, Fora and Working Groups contribute to interviews, papers and other communication activities in a variety of media. Some provide open access to their content or at least open access to the LIBER-specific contribution. Where possible, contributors should request a  CC-BY license be assigned to the LIBER-generated output.

2.2 LIBER OUTPUTS IN ITS EUROPEAN PROJECTS PARTICIPATION

 

  • EC-funded peer-reviewed papers and research data: When members of LIBER’s office, Steering Committees, Working Groups and Fora participate in European projects, they will comply with the OA guidelines for FP7 projects and for scientific publications and research data in Horizon 2020.
  • Project deliverables and other public outputs: When members of LIBER’s office, Steering Committees, Working Groups and Fora represent LIBER in new European projects, they will strongly encourage the consortia to license all the public reports and deliverables as CC-BY. Similarly, they will strongly encourage the consortia to deposit all of the project’s public materials in an Open Access repository.