The National University of Lesotho (NUL), in cooperation with UNESCO and the International Network for Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP), will celebrate International Open Access Week in order to sensitize academia on the philosophy and advantages of Open Access to scientific knowledge.  The celebrations will take place at the NUL Library, Roma, from 24 to 28 October 2011. This activity is a direct follow-up to the Regional Workshop on the Benefits of Open Access for Research Dissemination, Usage, Visibility and Impact, which was organized in collaboration with the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and EIFL, in Pretoria (South Africa) on 22 and 23 November 2010.

 

During the week long celebrations, two workshops will be organized to support the implementation of the capacity development plan for Open Access in Lesotho. 

The first workshop will sensitize academia on the importance of Open Access in Lesotho and suggest activities to be undertaken to support the implementation of the capacity development plan for Open Access in Lesotho. 

The second workshop will target information professionals from the following institutions: National University of Lesotho, Lesotho College of Education, Lerotholi Polytechnic, National Health Training College, Lesotho Agricultural College, Limkonkwing University Library, Lesotho National Library Services, Lesotho Library Consortium, Lesotho National Commission for UNESCO and Ministry of Communications, Science and Technology. These institutions will come together in order to discuss the practical steps to be undertaken in order to establish a country-wide repository of scientific information. Specific attention will be given to intellectual property, content types, technical infrastructure and indexing standards of the repository.

 

Open Access Week is celebrated around the world to sensitize the academic and research communities on the potential benefits of Open Access, and to encourage them to share their experiences with colleagues. Ultimately, the week inspires wider participation in helping to make Open Access a new norm in scholarship and research. This year’s Open Access Week will highlight the collaboration and collective action that have heightened the momentum behind Open Access, and showcase a broad range of initiatives around the globe. Participation by hundreds of universities, research facilities and other institutions worldwide will illustrate the depth and breadth of support for Open Access, and demonstrate the real impact of unfettered access on advancing discovery across disciplines.