Robert Morris University

Robert Morris University and Wayne State University will plan for and develop a Community of Practice from small- and mid-sized academic libraries interested in pursuing transformative Open Access (OA) agreements. The community will engage its members using Human-Centered Design to gain an understanding of the collective interests it possesses to advance best practices, an environmental scan, and lessons learned in coalescing as a group. This project will result in a community that represents a critical mass of institutions with sufficient publishing output and negotiating power to speak with one voice. By exploring collectively held needs, facilitating conversations to identify possibilities for collaborative action, and articulating best practices, the project team will identify the communities' aspirations and plan next steps that will be disseminated via a white paper and a national workshop. The resulting Community of Practice is expected to remain in place beyond the award period of performance.