International Open Access Week | 19th to 25th October 2020

The commitment of the School Libraries Network (Portugal)
to make knowledge and culture a value and a purpose of all

In the International Open Access Week which is celebrated from 19 to 25 October with the theme, "Open with Purpose: Taking Action to Build Structural Equity and Inclusion," the School Libraries Network (SLN) reinforces its commitment to build libraries that are "inclusive organizations, ensuring equal access to information services and resources" – SLN. (2014). Strategic Framework 2014-2020, p. 10.

Open access practices and policies enable the reading, distribution and recreation of knowledge and culture without borders, making them a value that is a public right and heritage and on the basis of which people find opportunities and develop skills to improve their lives.

How do school libraries facilitate and stimulate open access in their daily lives?

- By ensuring equity in "access to diverse equipments, services and information resources capable of fulfilling the specific needs of different users" - SLN. (2014). Strategic Framework 2014-2020, p. 22.

- Creating and making available open and inclusive repositories that allow the consultation and collaborative creation, in different languages, media and formats. They integrate works fallen into the public domain or with open Creative Commons licenses (e.g. CC BY 4.0), for example: SLN Digital School Library - Ebooks.

- Using software (for example: Libre Office has Writer and Calc equivalent to Word and Excel, respectively) and open source digital tools such as those gathered in SLN Digital School Library - Instruments.

- Training and stimulating the participation of children and young people, teachers, parents, municipality, local library and other community agents to fulfil the library's mission.The promotion of literacies is based on unique educational resources, centered on users' autonomy and created by the library based on the curriculum - for example: SLN Digital School Library - Information and Media Tutorials. It works on issues that contribute to resilience and well-being, for example: copyright, data protection, online ethics.

- Proposing and spreading to the whole school guidelines/ policies and good practices that, based on the IFLA Statement on Open Access, deepen and disseminate the right for information, knowledge and culture that supports a free and good life.

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