To a new Balance of Forces: How can Librarians and Researchers Work together to Regain Control on the Dissemination of Scientific Information?

Two essential movements can be observed in the innovation of scholarly communication i.e. Open Access on one side and the Open Archives Initiative on the other. The first being a more individual choice of the researcher, the latter being either a more institutional or subject-oriented way of providing access to scientific information. Although these proposals to replace the old publication model are mainly oriented towards the academics, the results of their choices will have important implications on libraries and institutional budgets. This paper makes a plea for both parties to work together towards a profitable solution for each of them, not so much as an action out of enmity against commercial publishers, but rather as a way to cope with the growing danger of monopolism in the scientific publication market. This matter brooks no delay at all, especially if the researchers and with them the whole academic scene, plan to regain control on the dissimination of scientific information.