[BOAI] Alhambra Declaration

[Reme Melero]

  The consortia of libraries of Southern European Libraries Link (SELL) 
(http://www.heal-link.gr/SELL/index.html) that represents consortia of 
libraries from Portugal, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Spain has 
prepared reports on the situation of Open Access in each of their 
countries, concerning information, electronic resources, management, 
etc. These reports are a first step towards offering the basis to 
establish common policies of action in terms of Open Access, especially 
how it affects the diffusion process of scientific information.

In this context, FECYT (Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology) 
organized the seminar *“Policies for the development of OA in Southern 
Europe”*. This major planning event took place from 12th to 14th of May 
2010 in Granada, Spain, and gathered approximately 50 people which draw 
up a social network map (public administration, founders, authors, 
publishers, experts and librarians) of the Open Access in Southern 
Europe. The aim of this seminar was to promote common policies for Open 
Access in the South of Europe. As a result of this meeting and due to 
contributions of any of the attendees raised the *Alhambra Declaration 
on Open Access* ( 
http://oaseminar.fecyt.es/Publico/AlhambraDeclaration/index.aspx ):

....We recommend:
1. Implementing policies for fostering Open Access to scientific information
2. Enhancing advocacy initiatives to promote Open Access among 
researchers, policy makers, etc.
3. Building sustainable alternative business models for publishing
4. Assuring quality of Open Access publications
5. Fostering repositories

...We are committed to:
· Exploring new forms of coordination and networking between European 
Open Access stakeholders
· Making a sustained effort to implement the attached action plan to 
develop Open Access in Southern European countries

Best wishes
Reme

R. Melero
IATA, CSIC
PO BOX 73 46100 Burjasot, Valencia, Spain
TEl +34 96 390 00 22. Fax 96 363 63 01
E-mail rmelero at iata.csic.es