Scholarly Communication is the system of creating, sharing, and using the results of research and scholarship, as well as the economic and legal processes that make up a part of the system. K-State Libraries can help you navigate your way through this complex system.

What K-State Libraries are doing:

Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities

The Berlin Declaration was signed on behalf of Kansas State University by Provost April Mason in October 2011. As a cosignatory, the university encourages and advocates the following:

• Publication of scholarly work by K-State authors/researchers according to the principles of the open access paradigm; making information widely and readily available to society.
• Recognition of open access publications in promotion and tenure evaluation.
• Deposit of the work and all supplemental materials in at least one online repository

K-State Open Access Publishing Fund 

The K-State Open Access Publishing Fund (KOAPF) supports the goal of making K-State research and scholarship immediately, freely and globally available. When support is not available from other sources, the KOAPF will assist K-State authors by paying reasonable article processing fees for publishing in open access journals and for a portion of paid access fees charged by other publishers.

K-State Research Exchange (K-REx)

K-REx is a digital archive of over 13,000 scholarly works produced by K-State faculty, staff, and students. Contents of K-REx include peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, book chapters, theses, dissertations, data files, and more. In support of Open Access and the Berlin Declaration, materials in K-REx comply with publisher agreements and copyright law and are freely available to all. 

New Prairie Press (NPP)

New Prairie Press offers the opportunity for the creation and hosting of open access publications by editors at K-State. NPP welcomes proposals for journals, conference proceedings/events, and monographs in all disciplines. 

Open Access Week

Open Access Week is a global event held in the final full week of October. K-State Libraries has participated in observing Open Access Week since 2009 through blog posts in Talking in the Library, articles in K-State Today, open forums, and invited speakers.

Copyright Information/Instruction Service

This consultation service is available for anyone on campus who has questions or concerns about maintaining their copyrights or using copyrighted materials. The site includes guides on how to use works copyrighted by others and how to manage your copyrights and has a specialized webform for submitting questions.

Open/Alternative Textbook Initiative

The Open/Alternative Textbook Initiative was created to encourage faculty experimentation and innovation in finding new and less costly alternatives to traditional textbooks. For the second year, the initiative has been funded through Student Centered Tuition Enhancement funds and K-State Libraries. Stipends up to $5000 have been awarded to faculty in 19 courses to replace commercial textbooks with freely available materials. Projected savings in textbook costs for K-State students have already reached a million dollars.