In this interview, Aneta describes her role in helping researchers navigate publishing decisions, maintain access to scholarly resources, and engage with open access initiatives, while reflecting on the expanding embrace of OA across the academic community.
As part of an ongoing series here on ACS Axial, we’re interviewing authors and librarians from around the world to find out more about their research, their published work, and the impact that open science is having on a changing landscape of research communication.
In this installment, we talk to Aneta Drabek, Librarian at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland about her experiences of working in the field of scholarly information and championing open science at her institution.
Open access is not only about the ability to read and reuse research results, but also about scientific transparency, easier replication of research findings, and inclusivity.
What responsibilities do you have at your institution?
I am a librarian with 30 years of professional experience and a wide range of responsibilities. First and foremost, I work in the Department of Collection Access and Scholarly Information Services, which means that I work directly with library users. I provide reference services, help readers locate books and other publications, and show them how to navigate the library.
I am also responsible for access to bibliographic and databases and other electronic resources. This includes preparing informational materials, liaising with publishers, delivering database training sessions, analyzing usage statistics, and keeping the e-resources section of our library website up-to-date.
I participate in the preparation and implementation of library grants. A significant part of my work involves supporting researchers: I prepare data for academic promotion applications, advise on selecting appropriate journals for publication, verify journal credibility (including identifying predatory journals), promote open access agreements, and deliver various training sessions.
I also prepare scientific and popular science publications, and participate in scientific conferences.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
My typical working day starts with checking email and preparing responses. During the day, I also have reference desk duties at the Information Desk. Sometimes I conduct training sessions, and at other times I meet with colleagues to discuss new ideas or resolve ongoing issues.
When did you first hear the term 'open access' (OA)?
I believe I first encountered the term open access over 20–25 years ago. It appeared in the context of open journals and a database that I have been developing for more than 20 years together with my friend Arkadiusz Pulikowski. This is the Arianta – Polish Scientific and Professional Electronic Journals database, which collects information on Polish electronic journals.
The database includes not only basic metadata such as title, URL, publication frequency, ISSN, and publisher, but also information on accessibility and indexing in other databases. One of the many data elements concerns open licences. Many Polish scholarly journals are published under the diamond open access model.
What does the concept of open access mean to you?
Open access is not only about the ability to read and reuse research results, but also about scientific transparency, easier replication of research findings, and inclusivity. Anyone can benefit from research outputs regardless of income level or geographic location.
Your institution joined an ACS read and publish agreement as part of the Polish Academic Consortium. What was the rationale?
I am a strong advocate of open access. I want research results produced by our scholars to be available to other researchers, which is why I recommended joining the read and publish program. The university authorities are also very supportive of this approach, and therefore we actively participate in such agreements, not only with ACS, but also with other publishers.
How have you found the experience of working with ACS to publish your research community's papers as open access?
I assess my cooperation with ACS very positively. So far, it has proceeded without any problems.
What do you think are the biggest recent developments in open science and open access?
The most important achievement in the area of open science and open access is, above all, the change that has taken place among researchers themselves. They have come to understand how important it is for their research results to be published in open access. They willingly choose to publish OA, and actively seek to make their publications accessible.
Just a dozen or so years ago, authors were afraid of OA. They pointed to legal, ethical, and technical concerns, and were afraid of plagiarism. Without removing these barriers, such a rapid growth in open access publishing would not have been possible.
Where do you see open access in 10 years' time?
I hope that in 10 years’ time (perhaps even sooner) all scholarly publications will be open, because research results should be available to everyone, not only to those who can afford to pay for access.
What would you be doing if you weren't a librarian?
I am an animal lover at heart, so I think that if I were not a librarian, I would run an animal shelter.
View the Entire Series
Open Science Conversations: An Interview Series
This series features interviews with authors and librarians from around the world, providing insights into the importance of open science on the landscape of research communication.