16 The University Library as an Open Science Partner

The University Library of Southern Denmark is increasingly involved in the Open Science movement through different activities which are in line with University strategy and policy. This paper presents a case which shows how these activities come into play in a successful way.

Odense University was established in 1966 as a medical university, but today it is a five faculty institution with ca. 1,500 academics and 30,000 students on six campuses. The Library employs ca. 110 librarians, information specialists and others, supporting the University’s researchers and students. The last couple of years have seen a change in the range and types of services and support functions the Library offers.

Open Science usually covers Open Research and Open Access and thus means unlimited access to research publications, results and methods for everyone. The Library activities in this area include publisher memberships yielding author discounts on Article Processing Charges, dissemination of publications through registration of metadata and full texts, administration of the bibliometric research indicator programme and teaching Responsible Conduct of Research. The case also offers an insight into the additional support offered by other parts of the University. This includes a course in project management, commercialisation of elements of the research results and support in communicating through press releases. Finally, the case exemplifies the development in cooperation between the University and the University Library and shows how Open Science is becoming more integrated into the everyday activities of the entire institution.