Each year, International Open Access Week brings together scholars, educators, students, librarians, and institutions to explore how knowledge is created, shared, and accessed. This year’s programming from UW Libraries offers faculty practical opportunities to learn about scholarly publishing, research dissemination, grant requirements, open educational resources, and the growing impact of artificial intelligence on knowledge sharing. Faculty are encouraged to review the full schedule of events and identify sessions most relevant to their research, teaching, and professional interests.
Why open access matters
Much scholarly research remains locked behind subscription paywalls, limiting who can access and benefit from new knowledge.
Why it matters to faculty:
- Increase the visibility and reach of your research.
- Support broader scholarly collaboration and discovery.
- Meet evolving funder and public-access requirements.
- Expand the impact of scholarship beyond academia.
- Help students and communities access research that can inform learning, policy, and practice.
Open access helps ensure that knowledge generated at universities can be found, shared, and used by the widest possible audience.
This year’s theme: The Cost of Knowledge
The theme for International Open Access Week 2026 is The Cost of Knowledge.
The theme encourages researchers and institutions to examine the financial, human, and environmental costs of creating, sharing, and sustaining knowledge, particularly as scholarly communication becomes increasingly influenced by commercial interests.
Key questions include:
- Who has access to research?
- Who pays for publishing and dissemination?
- How can scholars and institutions support more equitable access to knowledge?
- What role should emerging technologies, including AI, play in the future of scholarly communication?
What UW Libraries has to offer
Throughout Open Access Week, UW Libraries will host events that combine big-picture discussions with practical guidance and skill-building opportunities.
Featured sessions include:
- Navigating NIH Data Management and Sharing Grant Requirements
- Publishing on the Cheap (online and in person)
- Navigating Scholarly Publishing and Sharing Your Work
- Storytelling and Mapping with Humap
- Open Access and Your Thesis or Dissertation
- Getting Started with Podcast Mixing
- Recording Studio Open House
- OER 101: Find, Create and Adapt Free Course Materials
- The Cost of Knowledge: What AI Takes, What It Gives Back
Resources available year-round
UW Libraries also provides ongoing support for:
- Publishing support and consultations
- Open access publishing guidance
- Open access policies and compliance requirements
- Open Educational Resources (OER)
- Research data management
- Scholarly communication and research dissemination
Learn more
Whether you are preparing a manuscript, developing course materials, managing grant-funded research, or exploring new ways to share your work, Open Access Week offers valuable opportunities to learn and connect.
View the full Open Access Week schedule on the UW Libraries calendar and explore the many resources available to support your scholarship, research, and teaching.