As part of its continued efforts to advocate for openly accessible electronic resources for advancing research, innovation, and industrialisation, the Midlands State University Library held a blended workshop on the 22nd of October at Gweru Main Campus to celebrate International Open Access Week 2024.
Themed “Community over Commercialisation,” the 2024 Open Access Week Celebrations brought together experts and researchers from across faculties and departments to raise awareness of the importance of community control of knowledge-sharing systems over profit-making.
In his welcome remarks, Executive Director—Quality Assurance and Professional Development, Professor A. S. Chiromo, highlighted that the 2024 Open Access Week was a call to action to increase access to openly accessible e-resources to enhance teaching and learning, research, and innovation.
“On the 19th of November 2012, MSU joined esteemed universities to sign the Berlin Declaration on open access to research material,” said Professor Chiromo.
Speaking on Open Access, MSU Enterprises – Executive Director, Professor Upenyu Guyo, gave a detailed explanation of Open Access, different types of Open Access models, its benefits to the author and the University, shedding light on the existence of deceptive, money-making journals by unscrupulous publishers and possible ways of preventing them.
Participants had the privilege of being joined by Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL) Open Access Programme Programme Projects Coordinator – Milica Sevkusic, who joined the workshop from Serbia and delivered an informative online presentation on Open Access and its impact on research.
A presentation from MSU Deputy Librarian—Scholarly Communications, Research Support and Digital Services, Mr E. Makeke, which Mr S. Mazhindu presented, demonstrated the University’s efforts to promote open access to e-resources through the well-resourced MSU Institutional Repository, which collects, maintains, disseminates, and distributes the research output produced by MSU staff and students to advance research, innovation, and commercialisation.
The workshop featured a question-and-answer session, which allowed participants to have a lively discussion on Open Access, particularly its benefits and challenges posed by predatory journal publishers.
In her closing remarks, MSU Librarian Ms. N. P. Chibanda commended all participants for their steadfast dedication to promoting open, accessible resources for advancing research, innovation, and industrialisation.
The event highlights the University’s efforts to facilitate increased access to, use, and management of e-resources for community benefit.