Open Access Week 2026: “The Cost of Knowledge”

This year’s theme draws attention to the financial, human and environmental costs of creating, sharing and preserving knowledge. It examines the concentration of scholarly information and commercial control, researchers’ unpaid labour, equitable participation by communities and the environmental impact of data centres.

Open Access Week calls for knowledge-sharing systems that serve the public interest and support knowledge as a common good. Sustainable, community-led approaches—including responsible research data management and publishing options with no fees for authors—can help achieve this. The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Sciencelink opens in new page, also available in Estonianlink opens in new page, provides guidance for advancing open science.

Open Access Week events at the Estonian University of Life Sciences and the University of Tartu

20 October, 14:00–15:00 — “Applying Creative Commons Licences”
EMU Library, seminar room Lahendus, Kreutzwaldi 1a, room 057

Join us to discuss which Creative Commons licences to use when sharing research outputs and how to apply them to support open access to knowledge. The discussion will be led by Kersti Laupa and Li Seppet.

22 October, 09:00–17:20 — Seminar “Who Pays and Who Is Responsible for Open Access to Knowledge?”
University of Tartu Library conference hall

The seminar will feature presentations on the costs of creating, sharing and preserving knowledge, alongside discussions on how responsibilities and benefits are distributed among researchers, universities, the state, publishers and society.

The seminar will be held in English.

More information and registrationlink opens in new page 

23 October, 14:00–15:00 — “Open Access Publishing Options with No Author Fees”
EMU Library, seminar room Lahendus, Kreutzwaldi 1a, room 057

Kersti Laupa and Heli Viira will introduce researchers at the Estonian University of Life Sciences to platforms and services that enable open access publication without author publication fees.

20, 21, and 23 October 10:00–14:00 — Drop-in consultations

EMU library, Kreutzwaldi 1a, room 072

During Open Access Week, advice on research data will be available at the Estonian University of Life Sciences Library. No registration is needed for these drop-in consultations—just come along and ask.