Call for Submissions to ‘Theological Librarianship’ Special Forum on the Ethical Imperative of Open

The Atla Scholarly Communication & Digital Initiatives Committee, in collaboration with the Theological Librarianship editorial board, seeks submissions for a special forum on the “ethical imperative of Open” to be published in October 2023 to commemorate Open Access Week 2023.

The opening sentence of the Budapest Open Access Initiative in 2002 is very clear in stating that the nascent movement was seeking to “make possible an unprecedented good.” The question that arises out of that statement is if there is anything that turns the Open movement into something that should happen rather than merely something that can happen. In other words, is there an ethical imperative that should compellingly drive librarians to promote the production and dissemination of Open resources? And if so, what is it? 

Theological librarians are in a unique position to reflect on ethical issues from the perspective of spirituality. In order to explore this underdeveloped area of the Open environment, the fall 2023 issue of Theological Librarianship will host a forum that invites librarians and other information professionals to share their experiences with, or reflections on, the development or use of an ethical imperative to promote the production and/or dissemination of Open resources.   

Submissions (750-1,500 words) are due by June 1, 2023, and should be submitted at https://serials.atla.com/theolib/about/submissions. Any questions about the forum or submitting to it should be directed to the editorial board of Theological Librarianship.