Students today are digital natives. We've grown up in a world of unfettered access to digital information, instant gratification in the best possible sense. Yet when we need access to scholarly journals, we’re suddenly locked out. Though our education literally depends on them, we're often cut off from journals crucial to our research, our papers, and our understanding of both details and the larger picture. However, students, in addition to numerous other stakeholders, are quickly realizing that access barriers to journals are as unnecessary as they are harmful. We're working to reform the current academic publishing system into one that is open and equitably serves the interests of all who depend on it, not just those who can afford the often high cost of access.

Given by Nick Shockey, Director of the Right to Research Coalition, and Director of Student Advocacy at the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) at the Apple-sponsored AcademiX 2010 conference.