--- title: JMIR Publications Blog | Libraries description: Libraries | Blog posts, white papers and rich media content dedicated to researchers, authors, librarians, institutions, funders in academic and scholarly publishing --- [![JMIR-Publications\_logo\_2020\_blue](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/00%20Marketing/Logos/JMIR-Publications_logo_2020_blue.png?width=550&height=109&name=JMIR-Publications_logo_2020_blue.png "JMIR-Publications_logo_2020_blue")](http://www.jmirpublications.com) Open main menu Close main menu # JMIR Publications # Newsroom Select Category Aging Artificial Intelligence Digital Psychiatry Early Career Researcher Events Industry News JMIR News Libraries Open Access Peer Review Research News Women in Science Posts about: ## Libraries ![Blog header for Charleston conference featuring photo of Mike Byer](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Mike%20blog%20June%202026%20(2).png) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [Scaling Open Access: Lessons from a New Institutional Agreement](https://blog.jmir.org/scaling-open-access-lessons-from-a-new-institutional-agreement) 7 October 2026 4:45 p.m. I’m looking forward to my second visit to the [Charleston Conference](https://www.charleston-hub.com/the-charleston-conference/welcome/2026-charleston-conference/) in November. Since last year, I've noticed that the conversations I’m having about Open Access (OA) with North American librarians are shifting. I’m talking less about whether OA should receive institutional support and more about how to create sustainable publishing agreements that reduce obstacles and create opportunity. ![Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png?width=45&name=Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png) [Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/author/michael-byer-institutional-partnerships-lead) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/scaling-open-access-lessons-from-a-new-institutional-agreement) ![Blog header for ZB Med announcement featuring photo of Mike Byer](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Mike%20blog%20June%202026%20(1).png) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [Celebrating Research Published Through JMIR’s Agreement with ZB MED](https://blog.jmir.org/celebrating-zb-med-research) 2 October 2026 4:28 p.m. JMIR Publications recently [renewed JMIR’s unlimited OA publishing agreement with ZB MED](https://www.jmirpublications.com/announcements/738). Thanks to this partnership, researchers across Germany can continue publishing... ![Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png?width=45&name=Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png) [Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/author/michael-byer-institutional-partnerships-lead) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/celebrating-zb-med-research) ![Choosing the Right Journal: JMIR Welcomes Modern Evaluation Ecosystems](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/V2%20Dennis%20blog%20July%202026.png) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [Industry News,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/industry-news) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [Empowering Your Research Choices: JMIR Welcomes Modern Evaluation Ecosystems](https://blog.jmir.org/empowering-your-research-choices-jmir-welcomes-modern-evaluation-ecosystems) 7 July 2026 5:10 p.m. At JMIR Publications, we believe that choosing the right journal is one of the most critical steps in a researcher’s journey. For over two decades, we have supported open-science frameworks that provide diverse, reliable pathways to measure a paper’s reach and community impact. ![Dennis O'Brien, Vice President of Communications & Partnerships](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Image%20(5).jpeg?width=45&name=Image%20(5).jpeg) [Dennis O'Brien, Vice President of Communications & Partnerships](https://blog.jmir.org/author/dennis-obrien-vice-president-of-communications-partnerships) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/empowering-your-research-choices-jmir-welcomes-modern-evaluation-ecosystems) ![](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/cruk-logo.svg) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [Industry News,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/industry-news) [JMIR News,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/jmir-news) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [How to Reform Publishing Without Dismantling Open Science: A Reply to CRUK](https://blog.jmir.org/how-to-reform-publishing-without-dismantling-open-science-a-reply-to-cruk) 6 May 2026 3:18 p.m. *For over 25 years, JMIR Publications has operated on a simple premise: health research should be immediately and freely accessible to all. However, recent policy changes from major funders like Cancer Research UK (CRUK) now threaten to dismantle the very "Full Open Access" model that made this possible. By cutting all APC support, these policies risk stifling independent, scholar-led publishers while leaving the massive revenue streams of legacy publishers untouched. Below, we share our response to CRUK and propose five alternatives that reform the system without sacrificing the progress of the last two decades.* [JMIR Publications](https://blog.jmir.org/author/jmir-publications-1) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/how-to-reform-publishing-without-dismantling-open-science-a-reply-to-cruk) ![Transformative Agreements: Risk to Open Access Bibliodiversity](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/2026%20Dennis%20UKSG%20blog%20(2).png) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [Events,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/events) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [Transformative Agreements: Risk to Open Access Bibliodiversity](https://blog.jmir.org/transformative-agreements-risk-to-open-access-bibliodiversity) 20 March 2026 5:23 p.m. The transition to Open Access (OA) is no longer a distant goal; it is a rapidly accelerating reality. As we navigate this shift, the [ESAC (Efficiency and Standards for Academic Collecting) Initiative](https://esac-initiative.org/) is a useful compass, tracking the rise of Transformative Agreements (TAs) globally. ![Dennis O'Brien, Vice President of Communications & Partnerships](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Image%20(5).jpeg?width=45&name=Image%20(5).jpeg) [Dennis O'Brien, Vice President of Communications & Partnerships](https://blog.jmir.org/author/dennis-obrien-vice-president-of-communications-partnerships) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/transformative-agreements-risk-to-open-access-bibliodiversity) ![Photo showing man sitting at an exhibit table for JMIR Publications](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/_2026%20ER%26L%20%20blog.png) [Events,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/events) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [What I Actually Learned at ER&L: Open Science, Funding, and the Librarian-Publisher Alliance](https://blog.jmir.org/what-i-actually-learned-at-erl-open-science-funding-and-the-librarian-publisher-alliance) 11 March 2026 4:18 p.m. I had a great time in Austin at the [ER&L Fest](https://electroniclibrarian.org/). The longer I’m in the position of Institutional Partnerships Lead at JMIR, the more I enjoy working with librarians. As a group, they are friendly, thoughtful, and ask great questions. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to me - my mother was a public librarian and I spent many, many hours among the book stacks of her workplaces. ![Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png?width=45&name=Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png) [Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/author/michael-byer-institutional-partnerships-lead) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/what-i-actually-learned-at-erl-open-science-funding-and-the-librarian-publisher-alliance) ![Banner for the upcoming ER&L 21st Annual Library Conference March 1 – 4, 2026 in Austin, Texas](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Copy%20of%20APHA%202025%20Socials.png) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [Events,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/events) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [3 Conversations I Can’t Wait to Have at ER&L](https://blog.jmir.org/3-conversations-i-cant-wait-to-have-at-erl) 9 February 2026 7:24 p.m. As I am preparing for my trip to Austin for the [ER and L conference,](https://electroniclibrarian.org/) I am thinking a lot about the conversations I have had with librarians over the past year, especially at Charleston in November. [The consistent theme of each conversation was uncertainty](https://blog.jmir.org/beyond-the-big-deals-partnerships-for-equity-impact-in-open-access)—often budgetary, but also regulatory and administrative. Everywhere, libraries are under pressure to do more with less, leaving many to ask: how to manage library budget cuts while transitioning to open access? It’s clear that librarians are no longer just managing collections;  they’re navigating a total systemic shift. ![Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png?width=45&name=Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png) [Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/author/michael-byer-institutional-partnerships-lead) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/3-conversations-i-cant-wait-to-have-at-erl) ![Beyond the Big Deals: Institutional Partnerships for Equity and Impact in Open Access](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Librarian%20content%20article%204%20(1).png) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [Beyond the Big Deals: Partnerships for Equity & Impact in Open Access](https://blog.jmir.org/beyond-the-big-deals-partnerships-for-equity-impact-in-open-access) 14 January 2026 2:25 p.m. If you were in Charleston this past November, you know what I mean when I say the air was thick with purpose, and a little bit of worry. [The Charleston Conference](https://www.charleston-hub.com/the-charleston-conference/) is always a place where librarians and publishers come together to discuss the tough questions facing our industry, and this year highlighted that scholarly communication is evolving against a backdrop of economic, technological, and policy-driven uncertainty. ![Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png?width=45&name=Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png) [Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/author/michael-byer-institutional-partnerships-lead) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/beyond-the-big-deals-partnerships-for-equity-impact-in-open-access) ![Librarian's Guide: Vetting Journals and Avoiding Predatory Publishers](https://blog.jmir.org/hubfs/Librarian%20content%20article%203.png) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [Librarian's Guide: Vetting Journals and Avoiding Predatory Publishers](https://blog.jmir.org/librarians-guide-vetting-journals-and-avoiding-predatory-publishers) 8 January 2026 8:20 a.m. The landscape of scholarly publishing has grown increasingly complex, and academic librarians managing collections face mounting pressure to navigate this complexity wisely. With library budgets stretched thin, multiple business models competing for resources, and the ever-present threat of predatory publishers exploiting the open access movement, the responsibility of vetting journals has never been more critical, or more challenging. ![Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png?width=45&name=Screenshot%202026-10-01%20at%2012.32.25%20PM.png) [Michael Byer, Institutional Partnerships Lead](https://blog.jmir.org/author/michael-byer-institutional-partnerships-lead) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/librarians-guide-vetting-journals-and-avoiding-predatory-publishers) [Open Access,](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/open-access) [Libraries](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) ### [Transformative Agreements and the Systemic Risk of OA Consolidation](https://blog.jmir.org/transformative-agreements-and-the-systemic-risk-of-oa-consolidation) 3 November 2025 8:45 p.m. Transformative Agreements (TAs) have been widely lauded as a mechanism to transition subscription content toward Open Access (OA). On paper, these deals offer incremental solutions. However, a growing concern is whether this shift, driven largely by commercial giants, risks trading the core value of equity for administrative efficiency. ![Dennis O'Brien, Vice President of Communications & Partnerships](https://blog.jmir.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Image%20(5).jpeg?width=45&name=Image%20(5).jpeg) [Dennis O'Brien, Vice President of Communications & Partnerships](https://blog.jmir.org/author/dennis-obrien-vice-president-of-communications-partnerships) [Read More](https://blog.jmir.org/transformative-agreements-and-the-systemic-risk-of-oa-consolidation) [1](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries) [2](https://blog.jmir.org/tag/libraries/page/2) © 2026 JMIR Publications