We tend a bit CUNY-centric over here at the Open Access @ CUNY blog.  We at CUNY certainly stand to benefit from prevalent (or, better yet, universal) open access to scholarly publications, but we can’t forget that we’re advocating open access for the benefit of all, not just those at CUNY.

Here is an excellent reminder of why everyone needs access to scholarly literature. Not just faculty, not just students, not just doctors, not just high-level researchers.  From Jack Andraka, the high school student who developed a fantastically accurate, quick, and inexpensive method detecting pancreatic cancer:

I was 14 and didn’t drive and it seemed impossible to go to a University and request access to journals.

Some adults have told me I should have done that but, as a 14 year old, it was intimidating. It was also hard to get my parents to drive me to a University library since they didn’t really believe in my project and were trying to convince me to change projects! So there are a lot of barriers for kids to learn more and educate themselves. Open access would help people like me who may not drive or have access to a University library.

In our conversations about open access, we must remember that CUNY revolves around scholarly communication, not the other way around.

Follow the light.