Rosalyn Metz
Associate Dean, Library Technology & Digital Strategies
Emory University
Lisa Macklin
Associate Dean, Research, Engagement, & Scholarly Communications
Emory University
In the fall of 2019, Emory Libraries began a process to determine how we would evaluate requests for financial support of open initiatives. We are actively involved in various open source software initiatives, and can clearly articulate their value. Also, the Libraries have an Open Access Collection Development Policy to guide our decisions on investing in open access content. However, we did not have similar criteria or guidelines for supporting open initiatives or a way to determine the cost-benefit of memberships. A small group set out to identify principles for investing in open infrastructure, eventually creating criteria as a series of questions to evaluate requests for financial or other support for open initiatives and new memberships.
Only a few short months later COVID-19 hit and the library was asked to temporarily reduce spending. The administrative team recognized that an evaluation of our support for open initiatives and similar commitments might help minimize the impact on the rest of the Libraries’ budget. The presenters will discuss the work they began prior to COVID-19 and how the principles and criteria established facilitated meaningful discussions and principled decision-making.
