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Documen géné é le 7 no . 2025 05:02
Canadian Jou nal o Academic Lib a ianship
Re ue canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e
Message om he G ass oo s
Schola ly Communica ion, C isis, and Con adic ions
Camille Ma cos Noûs
Volume 7, 2021
Special Focus on Re using C isis Na a i es
URI : h ps://id.e udi .o g/ide udi /1084795a
DOI : h ps://doi.o g/10.33137/cjal cbu. 7.36448
Alle au sommai e du numé o
Édi eu (s)
Canadian Associa ion o P o essional Academic Lib a ians / Associa ion
Canadienne des Biblio hécai es en Enseignemen Supé ieu
ISSN
2369-937X (numé ique)
Décou i la e ue
Ci e ce a icle
Noûs, C. (2021). Message om he G ass oo s: Schola ly Communica ion, C isis,
and Con adic ions. Canadian Jou nal o Academic Lib a ianship / Re ue
canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e, 7, 1–27.
h ps://doi.o g/10.33137/cjal cbu. 7.36448
Résumé de l'a icle
Les biblio hécai es on épondu à la c ise des pé iodiques qui du e depuis des
décennies a ec un éci commun e une gamme de éponses qui n'on pas
éussi à eme e en ques ion l'idéologie e les s uc u es qui l'on p o oquée.
En u ilisan la héo ie du gué ille o in ellec uel de Wal e Rodney, nous
examinons de maniè e c i ique la comp éhension dominan e de la soi-disan
c ise e soulignons le ôle que le capi al y joue. La na u e impé iale de l'édi ion
de e ues sa an es e ce aines de ses nomb euses con adic ions son
discu ées. Les acco ds ans o ma eu s eçoi en une a en ion pa iculiè e en
an que mani es a ion hype -capi alis e de ces con adic ions au cœu de
l'édi ion comme ciale. La poli ique du e us es une éponse au me can ilisme,
au p es ige e aux déséquilib es de pou oi qui animen le sys ème d'édi ion
uni e si ai e. Soulignan les di é ences en e e us e é o me, ce a icle
explo e le ôle p incipal que les biblio hécai es peu en joue dans une lu e
p olongée à l'in é ieu e au-delà des limi es de no e p o ession. Ce a icle
p é oi alle au-delà du discou s adi ionnel qui po e le blâme uniquemen
su l'oligopole de l'édi ion uni e si ai e e dé oile l'u ilisa ion de la p oduc ion
de sa oi pou l'accumula ion de capi al pa l'académie bou geoise.
Noûs, Camille Ma cos. 2021. “Message om he G ass oo s: Schola ly Communica ion, C isis, and
Con adic ions.” Canadian Jou nal o Academic Lib a ianship 7: 1–27. h ps://doi.o g/10.33137/cjal- cbu.
7.36448 © Camille Ma cos Noûs, CC BY-NC 4.0.
Message om he G ass oo s: Schola ly
Communica ion, C isis, and
Con adic ions
Camille Ma cos Noûs
1
1. This wo k is he esul o a collec i e and was shaped by gene ous con ibu ions om edi o s, pee
e iewe s, and ou communi ies. We ecommend ha eade s esis he u ge o specula e abou he
au ho ship and, ins ead, use you aluable ime o engage wi h ou analysis and conclusions.
ABSTRACT
Lib a ians ha e esponded o he decades-long “se ials c isis” wi h a common na a i e and
a ange o esponses ha ha e ailed o challenge he ideology and s uc u es ha caused i .
Using Wal e Rodney’s heo y o he gue illa in ellec ual, we c i ically examine he dominan
unde s anding o his so-called c isis and emphasize he ole ha capi al plays wi hin i . The
impe ial na u e o schola ly jou nal publishing and some o i s many con adic ions a e discussed.
“T ans o ma i e” ag eemen s ecei e special a en ion as a hype -capi alis mani es a ion o hese
con adic ions a he hea o comme cial publishing. The poli ics o e usal a e one esponse o
he comme cialism, p es ige, and powe imbalances ha d i e he academic publishing sys em.
Highligh ing he di e ences be ween e usal and e o m, his pape explo es he p o agonis ic ole
ha lib a ians can play in a p o ac ed s uggle wi hin and beyond he con ines o ou p o ession.
This pape is in ended o mo e beyond he adi ional discou se o laying blame solely a he ee
o he academic publishing oligopoly and expounds on he bou geois academy’s use o knowledge
p oduc ion o capi al accumula ion.
Keywo ds: big deals · c isis · impe ialism · p es ige · publishing · schola ly communica ion
· se ials c isis · ans o ma i e ag eemen s
RÉSUMÉ
Les biblio hécai es on épondu à la c ise des pé iodiques qui du e depuis des décennies a ec un
éci commun e une gamme de éponses qui n'on pas éussi à eme e en ques ion l'idéologie
e les s uc u es qui l'on p o oquée. En u ilisan la héo ie du gué ille o in ellec uel de Wal e
Rodney, nous examinons de maniè e c i ique la comp éhension dominan e de la soi-disan c ise
e soulignons le ôle que le capi al y joue. La na u e impé iale de l'édi ion de e ues sa an es e
ce aines de ses nomb euses con adic ions son discu ées. Les acco ds ans o ma eu s eçoi en
une a en ion pa iculiè e en an que mani es a ion hype -capi alis e de ces con adic ions au
cœu de l'édi ion comme ciale. La poli ique du e us es une éponse au me can ilisme, au p es ige
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
e ue canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e 2
e aux déséquilib es de pou oi qui animen le sys ème d'édi ion uni e si ai e. Soulignan les
di é ences en e e us e é o me, ce a icle explo e le ôle p incipal que les biblio hécai es peu en
joue dans une lu e p olongée à l'in é ieu e au-delà des limi es de no e p o ession. Ce a icle
p é oi alle au-delà du discou s adi ionnel qui po e le blâme uniquemen su l'oligopole de
l'édi ion uni e si ai e e dé oile l'u ilisa ion de la p oduc ion de sa oi pou l'accumula ion de
capi al pa l'académie bou geoise.
Mo s-clés : acco ds ans o ma eu s · communica ions sa an es · c ise · c ise des
pé iodiques · édi ion · g ands ensembles de pé iodiques · impé ialisme · p es ige
Re olu ion is ne e based on begging somebody o an in eg a ed cup o co ee. Re olu ions a e ne e
ough by u ning he o he cheek. Re olu ions a e ne e based upon lo e-you -enemy and p ay- o -
hose-who-despi e ully-use-you. And e olu ions a e ne e waged singing “We Shall O e come.”
Re olu ions a e based on bloodshed. Re olu ions a e ne e comp omising. Re olu ions a e ne e based
upon nego ia ions. Re olu ions a e ne e based upon any kind o okenism wha soe e . Re olu ions a e
ne e e en based upon ha which is begging a co up socie y o a co up sys em o accep us in o i .
Re olu ions o e u n sys ems.
– Malcolm X, “The Black Re olu ion”
DE SPI T E an inc ease in he amoun o schola ly li e a u e ha is open access (OA),
eade s and ins i u ions a e s ill unable o access ( ead and euse, in o ma s ha sui
hem) all o hei desi ed jou nal a icles. This lack o access is commonly desc ibed
as a “se ials c isis,” and he na a i e o his c isis has pe sis ed o se e al decades.
To unde s and how a c isis can pe sis o o e 40 yea s, who i a ec s, and why he
s uc u al p oblems pe sis , we ind i help ul o u ilize Wal e Rodney’s (2019) he-
o y o he gue illa in ellec ual. Rodney asked schola -ac i is s wi h challenging
bou geois knowledge and o begin by a acking he ideas wi hin one’s own discipline.
As academic lib a y wo ke s, we will c i ically examine he his o y and dominan
na a i e o he se ials c isis wi h special a en ion o he ole lib a y wo ke s play
in pe pe ua ing he s a us quo and se ing he powe eli e. La e in he i s sec ion
we will in oduce a ma e ialis analysis o desc ibe he unde lying con adic ions in
academic knowledge c ea ion and jou nal publishing as a coun e poin o he dom-
inan libe al iewpoin . In he second sec ion we will discuss he poli ics o e usal
and p o agonis ic p axis as a means o esponding o he c isis. This includes he need
o collec i ely ejec capi al accumula ion by bo h he uni e si y and schola ly pub-
lishe s.
P es ige is he mechanism by which symbolic capi al is ans o med in o ma e ial
weal h. Because p es ige is a cu ency in academia and implica ed in he injus ices we
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
e ue canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e 3
discuss, we a e publishing pseudonymously. Ou pseudonym is bo h a commi men
o collec i i y and a e usal o sel -p omo e (G ande 2018, 61). I is also con enien ly
p o ided by Subcomandan e-Fo me ly-Known-as-Ma cos o he Zapa is as, who
eminds us ha “e e y hing ha makes powe and he good consciences o hose in
powe uncom o able— his is Ma cos” (Ma cos 1994). This is ou small goal in his
piece. We hope ou c ea ion o al e na i e epis emologies abou schola ly p oduc ion
can be used bo h in e usal and in ac ion.
Whe e A e We and How Did We Ge He e?
The se ials c isis is a poli ical mani es a ion o class s uc u es. Social and economic
inequali ies (o pu chasing budge s, o access, o who is ep esen ed in ha access) a e
no na u al. They a e p oduced, la gely by he uni e si y-as-employe and he la ge
sys em o capi al accumula ion ha schola ly publishe s bene i om. Looking a his
sys em o inequali y—no jus he indi idual lib a y wo ke s who ha e some ole in
i —is c ucial o iden i ying si es o opp ession. I is possible o alk abou he se ials
c isis wi hou alking abou hese la ge sys ems o exploi a ion, bu one’s analysis
would be incomple e.
Two dominan and in e connec ed na a i es ega ding he se ials c isis ha e
de eloped o e he pas o y yea s and pe sis oday—one o unsus ainable cos s
and ano he o open access as a solu ion. As ea ly as 1981, he wo d c isis was used o
desc ibe se ials subsc ip ion p ices ising as e han bo h in la ion and collec ions
budge s (G a hwol 1982, 408). One lib a ian w o e ha a 1990 se ials c isis a hei
ins i u ion ga e hem “a s ong sense o déjà u” and p omp ed hem o e isi a 1981
se ials c isis and jou nal cancella ion p ojec (Ro h 1990, 123). A 1982 summa y o
wha led o he so-called c isis blamed he 1970s hype in la ion, a g ea e quan i y o
publica ions, and space issues wi hin lib a ies (Milne 1999, 74), bu i is wo h no ing
ha his inabili y o a o d subsc ip ion access o li e a u e became a c isis only when
i s a ed o a ec weal hie schools ha we e accus omed o ha ing eady access.
Less weal hy schools’ and in e na ional eade s’ lack o access was ne e amed as a
c isis—i was an accep able inequali y in a neolibe al “ ee ma ke ” amewo k.
Ea ly s a egies o mi iga e he e ec s o ising p ices included consul ing acul y
on jou nal cancella ions, conduc ing ci a ion analyses o acul y publica ions,
ga he ing jou nal usage s a is ics, and de eloping co e i le lis s (G a hwol 1982;
Ro h 1990). Such s a egies a e s ill employed in p esen ime, especially among
schools looking o end hei Big “Deal” con ac s. P omising mo e obus in e lib a y
loan and documen deli e y se ices as a means o managing c isis-induced se ials
cancella ions is a ela i ely old s a egy as well (Kilpa ick and P eece 1996). In he
1990s, he discou se expanded o inco po a e a mo e manage ial, business-minded
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
e ue canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e 4
body o esea ch. Kimbe ly Douglas (1990) explo ed a “p ac ice o en ep eneu ship,”
in eg a ing he ideas o managemen consul an Pe e D ucke . Ross A kinson (1994)
discussed c isis and oppo uni y in an Age o T ansi ion. In he 1990s, he c isis
discou se became mo e ala mis : a e 454 jou nal i les we e cu a he Uni e si y o
No h Ca olina-Cha lo e, Jeanie Welch (1996) au ho ed an a icle asking, “Is he e li e
a e se ials cancella ion?”
OA Responses o Se ials C isis
The c isis was la gely desc ibed om he 1980s o 2000s as one o an unsus ainable
ma ke , impe ec o subjec o dis o ions such as lack o di ec p ice sensi i i y o
academics, whe e uni e si ies and hei lib a ies we e sepa a ed ou om hei ole
as p oduce s o jus ha o consume s. F ee ma ke s as he only possibili y o he
dis ibu ion o goods and se ices a e, o cou se, inex icably linked o he capi alis
ideology o neolibe alism. This aming o comme cial schola ly publishing as an
impe ec ma ke ( ha s ill mus emain comme cial in na u e)— a he han as
e idence o he commodi ica ion o knowledge, collec i e impe ialism and some o
he deep con adic ions wi hin capi alism—also ames many o he esponses o he
se ials c isis.
,2
2. Used by Sami Amin (2014) o desc ibe he pos -70’s impe ialism cha ac e ized by a Global No h
collabo a ing o ensu e he con inued exploi a ion o he Global Sou h.
The second dominan na a i e o he se ials c isis, ocusing on open access,
began in he la e 1990s. E-jou nals we e discussed as a way o “su i e he c isis” as
ea ly as 1995 (Da is 1995), bu open access would become hough o as he cu e o
he c isis a he u n o he cen u y. Th ee e y in luen ial s a emen s we e issued in
a sho span ha would shape he subsequen discou se: he Budapes Open Access
Ini ia i e public s a emen in 2002, he 2003 Be lin Decla a ion on Open Access o
Knowledge in he Sciences and Humani ies, and he Be hesda S a emen on Open
Access Publishing. One o he impac s o aming he se ials c isis as a ma ke issue—
ei he a ma ke ailu e, o an oligopoly ma ke doing exac ly wha i is supposed o
do—is ha he solu ions o en ocus on “access.” Access i sel is a b oad e m ha
encompasses hings like physical access, access in a sui able o ma , pe sis en access,
cul u ally o linguis ically app op ia e access, and access in a way ha is ba ie
ee depending on one’s ace, class, housing s a us, o pe cei ed sob ie y. While
schola s such as Ap il Ha hcock (2018) and Da id James Hudson (2017) ha e c i ically
in e oga ed access, i is mo e o en ea ed by lib a ians and adminis a o s as a
neu al good ha lib a ies as consume s a e s i ing o . Ha hcock poin s ou ha
access is in e wined wi h exclusion and ha access should no jus mean online, bu
3
3. Sam Moo e desc ibes how he ocus on access o in o ma ion is one pa icula lineage o Open Ac-
cess, dis inc om app oaches ha de i e om open sou ce and emixing (2019, 63).
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
e ue canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e 5
uly accessible. And Hudson no es ha “uni e salizing access” (205) is pa o he way
he language o p ac icali y in lib a ianship obscu es and no malizes he whi eness
a i s pu po edly neu al oo s. In his case, access is educed o a subsc ip ion and
open access becomes a le e o lowe he p ice o ha access. The neolibe al goal
becomes (in hei language) using ma ke mechanisms o e ec cos sa ings on he
consume good o schola ly a icles o he gi en lib a y. Access is p o ided h ough
pu chasing o licensing (don’ men ion SciHub) o a na owly de ined se o use s. As
Cha lo e Roh, Ha ison Ine uku, and Emily D abinski (2020) say, “access does no
necessa ily mean equali y, and some imes does no e en mean equali y o access” (41).
The dominan way o app oaching cos educ ion in lib a ies is h ough b eaking
up Big Deal ag eemen s, main aining access o key esou ces while educing lib a y
spend. In eac ion o aus e i y budge s in he las decade, indi idual lib a ies and
conso ia a e ying o nego ia e o apply ma ke mechanisms in la ge enough
numbe s o ha e an e ec on he ma ke . Open access is seen as pa o a consume
esponse o publishe p ices (Moo e 2019, 76-77) and is used wi h inc easing
equency as a ool o p o ide al e na i e access and/o o p essu e publishe s o
lowe p ices. This ins umen alis (o , as Da id James Hudson migh say, p agma ic)
posi ion does li le o in e oga e o ques ion whe he knowledge should be ea ed as
a commodi y in a comme cial ma ke and whe he capi alis ma ke s a e e e a he
me cy o consume s.
Open access is in i sel no a poli ics. The e a e innume able poli ical posi ions
wi hin he open access mo emen ; some openly s a ed, some masked. The e a e a
numbe o s a egies a ound open access ha ecognize ha pa , i no all, o he
se ials p oblem lies in opp essi e and exploi a i e models and p ac ices o publishing.
Typically, hey a ge he concen a ion o capi al and weal h in he hands o a ew
oligopolies, and he e o e couch hemsel es in some so o edis ibu i e language,
including:
Redis ibu ion o budge s. In es in Open, he 2.5% commi men (Lewis e al. 2018), and
o he o ms o “di es and ebalance” all imply a edis ibu ion o lib a y spend, o y
o p io i ize open access p ojec s and in as uc u e, o di e some unds away om
he ob ious oligopolies. A lo o he li le o ganiza ions ha ill his space a e e y
much a he me cy o g an s om philan h o-capi alis NGOs—o ganiza ions ha
a e hemsel es a edis ibu ion o he g oss p o i s made by capi alis s.
Changing he balance o powe . This includes s a egies ha y o ebalance powe
ela ions by o ming blocs la ge enough o coun e he oligopolies. Regional o
na ional conso ia, o e en cOAli ion S, some imes imply hey a e s a egies o
edis ibu e powe . These conso ia a e usually composed o adminis a o s, di ec o s,
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
e ue canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e 6
and o he senio decision make s om esea ch-in ensi e uni e si ies, so while hey
may y o coun e balance powe , he e is e y li le g ass oo s edis ibu ion. And
hey s ill ul il hei eal edis ibu i e unc ion, ha o ans e ing public money o
p i a e co po a ions.
S opping he (comple e) ans e o in ellec ual p ope y (IP). Recognizing ha IP is an asse
aluable o capi al, some s a egies a e aimed a ensu ing ha au ho s’ IP ans e is
non-exclusi e (e.g., C ea i e Commons licenses, publica ion addendums, uni e si y
policy ha au ho s e ain igh s, and e en he Ta e ne Amendmen ). The app oaches
don’ necessa ily challenge he p ope y na u e o IP bu y o edis ibu e he igh s
o i .
4
4. A Du ch law ha p e en s academics om signing away exclusi e igh s o hei academic wo ks.
Redis ibu ing p es ige. While p es ige as a concep is cons an ly unde a ack in
academia, o en his c i ique has o do wi h he dis ibu ion o p es ige—skewed
owa ds legacy jou nals and he anglo, whi e male au ho s ha p edomina e he
“p es igious” ankings in gi en ields. Whi eness, and he p io i y gi en o English
language and cul u es (anglo sup emacy), cloaks i sel in p es ige by becoming an
obscu ed assump ion and baseline (only occasionally made e iden when we look
a wha is indexed in Web o Science and SCOPUS [Mongeon & Paul-Hus, 2015],
o example). C i ical bibliome ics and hei c i iques o he jou nal impac ac o
(JIF), uni e si ies signing he Decla a ion on Resea ch Assessmen (DORA), and he
inclusion o commi men s agains JIF in enu e and p omo ion assessmen s, a e
some s a egies ha a emp o edis ibu e p es ige. Howe e , hese s a egies a e
cons an ly unde mined as he same playe s con inue o pu sue p es ige/compe i i e
ad an age in o he o ms. The ela ionship be ween p es ige and he su plus alue
ex ac ed by he uni e si y-as-employe is, howe e , di icul o add ess in i s en i e y,
pa icula ly when he e is a spli ocus on he addi ional su plus alue ex ac ed by
publishe s.
As Philippe Askenazy eminds us, “To edis ibu e is no o dis ibu e” (2021, 26).
Fundamen ally, edis ibu ion can only happen a e an al eady unequal alloca ion
o powe and esou ces. While mos o he s a egies o add ess he se ials c isis a e
edis ibu i e o some deg ee o ano he (whe he in a deeply challenging way o
in a mo e su ace app oach), some do also y o app oach changing he p ima y
dis ibu ion o powe i sel (o o allow schola s o di ec ly commodi y hei
labou -powe hemsel es). Such app oaches some imes implici ly also challenge
he commodi y na u e o knowledge and ou eliance on comme cial ma ke s o i s
dis ibu ion. These include:
Ins i u ional eposi o ies (IRs) and p ep in se e s. IRs and p ep in s a e some imes
posi ioned almos as a way o build dual powe —an al e na i e sys em ha can ul ill
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
e ue canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e 7
he same needs as he publishing oligopoly. Howe e , IRs in pa icula a e no as ully
sepa a e om he es o he publishing sys em as hey may seem and s ill do no
ha e he p ima y us o use s, pa icula ly hose s ill in sea ch o p es ige.
Collec i e owne ship. Pa icula ly a ound schola ly communica ion in as uc u e
(which migh be in e p e ed as he means o p oduc ion), p ojec s like he Public
Knowledge P ojec ’s Open Jou nal Sys ems a emp o collec i ely design and
con ibu e o in as uc u e ha can be used by anyone. P ojec s like Schola Led
also seek collec i e go e nance and sha ing solu ions collabo a i ely a he han
compe i i ely.
O ganizing labou . The e ha e been a ious a emp s o o ganize boyco s o “ ee”
labou gi en o publishe s (wi h Else ie as a common a ge ), mass esigna ions
o edi o ial boa ds, as well as calls o unionize he speci ic labou ha is done o
publishe s. This ype o o ganiza ion has no had much no able e ec , possibly
because, as Sam Popowich (2021) poin s ou , he “uppe s a a o academics e use o
see hemsel es as wo ke s a all,” limi ing how academics a e willing o o ganize and
ake ac ion.
Capi al has been ema kably adap able in he ace o all hese s a egies, wi h
new ways o exploi and ex ac labou cons an ly appea ing along wi h new ways o
ex ac p o i s om lib a y and ins i u ional budge s (a p ocess akin o p i a iza ion,
as public unds end up in p i a ee ing co e s). Capi al’s esponse o ins i u ional
eposi o ies p o ides a good example.
Ea ly champions o open access ( he au ho s included) o en saw sel -a chi ing/
g een open access as a sub e anean way o mee ing an access need ha could occu
ou side o he ma ke . A e eP in s came ou in la e 2000, IRs we e equen ly
posi ioned as a pa allel op ion ha add essed eading access issues easily wi h low
cos and inc easing unde buy-in in a way ha didn’ necessa ily di ec ly challenge
legacy publishe s. Fo “de eloping” na ions, Leslie Chan, Ba ba a Ki sop, and Subbiah
A unachalam (2005) p oposed ha IRs would enable no jus in e na ional, bu
domes ic access o schola ship p oduced in hose coun ies, while also inc easing
p es ige and esea ch impac (4-5). While many IRs in No h Ame ica s ill s uggle
wi h une en and low up ake (Pe e Sube ’s ques ion in 2002, “So i i ’s easy, ee,
use ul, and eady igh now, why isn’ i sp eading as e ?” now seems e e nal), some
lou ish. IRs ha e become ins umen al in mee ing Resea ch Excellence F amewo ks
(like REF21) o uni e si ies in he UK, which has inc eased access ( hough likely
no anyone’s ac ual happiness wi h IRs). Indeed, Hea he Piwowa (2019) made a
compelling a gumen o he ise o eposi o ies, showing ha open eposi o y da a
is eaching mo e use s han e e . Samuel Moo e sees he ze o-emba go push o
5
5. La e , Albo noz, Okune, and Chan (2020) ecognized ha OA o en eplica es he powe imbalances i
was seeking o challenge.
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
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eposi o y copies in Plan S as p og essi e (2021), a leas compa ed o he APC-based
open access op ions.6
6. This is no by any s e ch a comple e his o y o Open Access, which is a e y con es ed and con adic-
o y g ound. See Reassembling Schola ly Communica ions (E e and G ay 2020), Moo e (2019), and Lawson
(2019) o some o ha wo k.
Bu as he “low-cos ” op ion o IRs ose, so oo did he pay- o-play op ions o
open access, u he comme cializing academia. A icle p ocessing cha ges (APCs)
ha e become ubiqui ous, some wi h as onomical p ices like he $10,000+ cos o a
single open access a icle in Na u e jou nals (B aina d, 2020). Bjo n B embs wa ned
us ha high APCs we e p edic ed ea ly on by many leading open access schola s—
no leas because o he con inued sepa a ion o esea che s om he di ec cos s o
schola ly publishing (2020). In 2013, S ephen Pin ield ecognized ha APC in la ion
may be he new se ials c isis. Rising a as e han in la ion, APCs ha e gi en ise
o housands o hyb id jou nals—cha ging bo h open access ees o ce ain a icles
as well as subsc ip ion ees o en i e issues—and p o ided a new o m o p o i
ex ac ion in he al eady e y p o i able indus y o schola ly publishing (Khoo,
2019). Else ie , o example, c ea ed 100 open access jou nals in jus nine mon hs in
2020 (Ab ahams, 2020).
“T ans o ma i e” Ag eemen s
The dominan esponse o APC in la ion has, unsu p isingly, ocused on ma ke -
based ac ics o nego ia ion ( om hose wi h he powe o nego ia e) and has esul ed
in he massi e inc eases o conso ia and lib a y sys ems (and cos s associa ed
wi h hem) en e ing in o “ ans o ma i e” ag eemen s—o wha Meg Wacha has
e med “Big Deals o APCs” (2019). T ans o ma i e ag eemen s (TAs) a e a a ie y
o di e en ypes o la ge con ac s ha ypically co e subsc ibing o an en i e
publishe ca alogue (o subse he eo ) and ha ing uni e si y (o na ional) a icles
published open access o ee wi h ha publishe . Cos s may be based on his o ical
subsc ip ion p ices ( ead & publish), his o ical publica ion amoun s (publish & ead),
an o se o a discoun on APCs, o a hyb id o hese. Howe e he cos s a e se , hey
s ill ep esen monumen al amoun s o money. Like he es o he neolibe al ma ke
/ access-based solu ions, he la ge poli ical economy o TAs is usually igno ed by
uni e si ies and conso ia in he Global No h. Meanwhile, schola s such as A ianna
Bece il-Ga cia and Edua do Aguado-López (2020) and Joy Owango (2020) con inue
o show who is excluded om hese ag eemen s—coun ies and lib a ies ha canno
a o d o pay he cos s, p edominan ly in he Global Sou h, and sys ems like hose in
La in Ame ica ha ha e his o ically esis ed comme cializa ion and APCs en i ely.
TAs show us, pe haps e en mo e s a kly, ha hese p icing c ises a e
manu ac u ed by capi alism and he impo an ole ha impe ialism plays in
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
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Lib a ians, Coe cion, and Consen
Lib a ians’ ole in he a o emen ioned se ials c isis and b oade knowledge
p oduc ion and in e na ional publishing p ocesses wa an u he examina ion.
Lib a ians a e educed o being he ca e ake s o he con adic ions ha we desc ibe.
We ind An onio G amsci’s concep o coe cion and consen o be a use ul amewo k
o his pa o he analysis (Ramos J ., 1982). G amsci a gued ha he uling class
main ained i s hegemony h ough a mix u e o coe cion and consen . In ou con ex ,
coe cion pa ly explains he p essu e ha collec ions and acquisi ions lib a ians eel
o ul ill he ins i u ion’s demand o schola ly li e a u e. The disciplina y na u e o
he wage sys em s ee s hese lib a ians away om dis up ing a icle access and he
uni e si y’s capi al accumula ion p ocess.
Howe e , he uling class main ains i s hegemony mo e seamlessly h ough
consensus han coe cion. This means ha lib a ians’ ideological alignmen wi h
he eli es helps o signi ican ly pe pe ua e he s a us quo. When lib a ians sha e
he same sys em o alues, belie s, and ideals wi h he uling class hey do no
need o be coe ced in o ying o ind a cu e o he se ials c isis ha p ese es he
es ablishmen ’s powe . Sam Popowich’s (2019) explo a ion o libe alism in he
p o ession is insigh ul and p o ides a use ul con ex . I lib a ians and employe s
mainly ag ee in hei co e belie s, including libe al ene s o indi idualism and
espec o p i a e p ope y, hen he accep able pa ame e s o hough and beha io
emain ai ly na ow. F ei e’s concep ion o adhesion o one’s opp esso and E a h’s
(2018) heo y o oca ional awe bo h apply he e as well. Lib a ians’ belie in he
inhe en goodness o he p o ession, as E a h expe ly elucida ed, combined wi h
F ei e’s obse a ion ha he opp essed end o ollow he uling class’s ideology
helps explain why many wo k owa ds e o ming se ials publishing a he han
eplacing he s uc u e. The seemingly na u al esponse o a se ials c isis is o wo k
owa ds es o ing he sys em o i s o me s a e, which bene i ed eli e uni e si ies
and o sides ep issues o hie a chy, acism, and exploi a ion. Media ing schola ly
communica ion in a ma ke sys em is unp oblema ic om a libe al pe spec i e
because libe alism espec s indi idual choice, p i a e p ope y, and capi alism. Once
again, change becomes jus a ma e o inke ing a he edges.
The powe o consen , howe e , may be waning as he exis ing con adic ions
heigh en and new ones appea . As mo e lib a ians become conscious o he ac ha
OA is no by i sel libe a ing, he uling class p opaganda becomes less e ec i e. As
is o en he case wi h c ises, he p i a e sec o is o en bailed ou wi h a la ge cash
in usion om he s a e. So, in some espec s, TAs a e no di e en han bailing ou he
housing and au o indus ies. Being “ oo big o ail” is a p o i able condi ion, and he
s a e ea s he publishing oligopoly in ha manne .
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
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Whe e Do We Wan To Go & How Do We Ge The e?
Gi en he assump ions buil in o a c isis na a i e and he inabili y o mains eam
open access e o s o add ess oo causes, wha ole migh he poli ics o e usal
play? Faced wi h in ensi ying con adic ions and he ecogni ion ha he uni e si y,
like o he wo kplaces, is a si e o domina ion, hie a chy, and exploi a ion, g appling
wi h e usal heo y seems app op ia e. I we decen e ou sel es and ecognize
he uni e si y’s b oade his o ical unc ion as “ he ins i u ional nexus o he
capi alis and eligious missions o he se le s a e, mi o ing i s his o ies o
dispossession, ensla emen , exclusion, o ces assimila ion, and in eg a ion,” (G ande
2018, 47-48) hen he poli ics o e usal could ha e majo implica ions o schola ly
communica ion. We begin his inal sec ion by di e en ia ing be ween e usal
and e o m be o e mo ing in o a discussion o lib a ians as p o agonis s. We will
in oduce Wal e Rodney’s model o he gue illa in ellec ual and his g oundings
me hodology. Finally, we will examine pa icula publishing e o s h ough he lens
o e usal.
Re o m, Resis ance, and Re usal
C isis he o ic in highe educa ion and o he public sec o s o en ins ils ea : ea
o less ui ion, ea o lack o public unding (and mo e in angible suppo ), ea ha
he only solu ion is o become a mo e agg essi e compe i o , o u n mo e o he
p i a e sec o , o ma ke mo e and mo e o s uden s as consume s. In lib a ies, he
se ial c isis eeds on a ea o dec easing budge s, loss o access o ang y consume s
( acul y and s uden s alike), ea o a uni e si y sys em ha doesn’ see lib a ies (and
hei subsc ip ions) as aluable. The same solu ions— u ning o he p i a e sec o ,
inc easing compe i ion o p es ige by main aining collec ions/access, and ma ke ing
lib a ies as pa o s uden sa is ac ion—keep he c isis na a i e going.
TAs simply come o he aid o capi al while gi ing he appea ance o
edis ibu ion. S a us quo de ende s and libe al e o mis s adhe e economically
and ideologically o he exis ing powe s uc u e, ypically bene i ing om i so
ha hei ole becomes o con ain opposi ion and blun he calls o change. Bu as
Sami Amin poin s ou , we need s a egies ha a e no jus “exi s om he c isis,”
bu a he s a egies ha a e aimed a an “exi om capi alism in c isis” (2009).
While e o mism smoo hs o e he con adic ions o capi alism, and enables powe
ela ions o emain undamen ally unchanged, o he app oaches challenge and c ea e
al e na i es. The e is a long his o y o a ious o ms o coun e -hegemonic hough
and s uggle ha seek he c acks in hegemony and c ea e al e na i es wi hin hem.
We app ecia e he poli ics o e usal coined by Aud a Simpson and ou lined by Sandy
G ande because pas e o mis e o s ha e ailed o cen e powe , exploi a ion, and
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
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ma e ial s uc u es, was ing collec i e ime and ene gy and con inuing o be oo ed
in he same neolibe al logics ha ha e p oduced and sus ained he c isis.
Resis ance, a he han e usal, may be a mo e amilia s a egy. Resis ance
in he academy ypically ge s educed o c i ique, a he han s ikes o labou
ac ion (Popowich 2019, 269), bu he e a e a wide a ie y o o ms esis ance can
ake. Riyad A. Shahjahan (2014), building on wo k om Da id Je ess, delinea es
pa icula s a egies o esis ance in he academy, using ou main ypes o esis ance
amewo ks.
The i s , cul u al esis ance, ocuses on w i ing om he ma gins and keeping
al e na i e epis emologies ali e and ac i e. C i iques ha ocus on he lack o
di e si y/ ep esen a ion would all in his ca ego y, such as many o he c i iques
a ound bibliodi e si y (Chan 2019a) o he lack o di e si y in publishing (Roh 2016).
We ecognize, as many c i ical schola s do, ha while ep esen a ion and inclusion
ha e some alue, inclusion in ep essi e s uc u es like he uni e si y does no
cons i u e powe and is no inhe en ly libe a ing. The dis inc ion be ween being an i-
disc imina o y and being an i-opp essi e is impo an . I is he di e ence be ween
wan ing change ha ge s id o oadblocks o you own ad ancemen and wan ing
change owa ds jus ice and libe a ion.
The second amewo k, esis ance as opposi ion, includes ac ions like p o es s,
social mobiliza ion, and di ec challenges o labou p ac ices including demanding
mo e equi able hi ing o mobilizing o esis es uc u ing. Some o he dis ibu i e
s a egies all wi hin his ca ego y o esis ance, such as di ec opposi ion and
mobiliza ion agains inc easing me ics o p es ige. Shahjahan ecognizes ha
while hese s uggles may necessa ily be b oad and mask he e ogenei y, some imes
s a egic essen ialism is use ul in o de o uni e people’s opposi ion (2014, 227).
The emaining wo o ms o esis ance, esis ance as sub e sion and ans o ma i e
esis ance, include e e yday e usals o he neolibe al p ojec and i s logic. These
amewo ks no malize new ela ionships and change opp essi e na a i es and
ma e ial s uc u es, all o which may be be e sui ed o he poli ics o e usal han o
esis ance.
G ande cau ions ha esis ance in i sel is no necessa ily agains he in e es s
o he s a e o capi al. Powe s uc u es will o en ecognize, nego ia e wi h, and,
he e o e, weaken esis ance. Howe e , e usal o e s a model ha canno be easily
subsumed and is a mo e dange ous h ea o he sys em because o he adical doub i
cas s on he ins i u ions and hei au ho i y (2018, 59). Wi h e usal, he powe o he
gi s and concessions o e o m is s ipped om he ins i u ion. They can no longe
be in he ole o easonable bene ac o o bene olen au ho i y. Re usal in academia,
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in schola ly communica ion, means ceasing o nego ia e, ceasing o ecognize he
ex ac i e publishe s and gi e hem he bene i o ou engagemen .
A poli ics o e usal o schola ly communica ion should e use whi eness and
he p ac icali y we disguise i wi h. As Da id James Hudson explains, “ he exal a ion
o p ac icali y ce ainly connec s a some le el… o ou explici ly a icula ed
commi men o access, o a poli ics o inclusion ha seeks o s uc u e esou ces,
se ices, and spaces so as o elimina e ba ie s o use s” (Hudson 2017, 211). We need
o ejec ha ou oles a e only o o e access o li e a u e, and we should e use
o acknowledge s uc u es such as APCs ha con inue o deny he abili y o all o
pa icipa e on equal e ms. We also should ejec he idea ha he only way o add ess
inequali y in schola ly communica ion is h ough edis ibu i e e o s and e use
o con inue pa icipa ing in and celeb a ing hese deals on ou campuses. We need
o e use o keep unding he ske chy da a p ac ices o ou endo s. Many o hese
companies need o be de unded. We also need o e use he no ion ha he only
al e na i e o paying in o comme cial oligopolies is accep ing philan h o-capi alis
guil -money, and we de ini ely need o e use he IP es ic ions ha come wi h ha
unding.
We need o e use he indi idual p emise o in ellec ual p ope y en i ely, while
s ill ecognizing ou deb s o he communi ies o knowledge ha ha e come be o e
us. We need o ind p ac ices ha e use indi iduali y and p es ige, ha cease o
engage wi h he my h o he oes and sa iou s in open access, and ha cease o acc ue
ci a ions and p es ige o he c i ics. We need o e use c isis na a i es ha se e
capi alism, pa icula ly when hey imply neolibe al solu ions. We need o s a
collec i ely e using ou labou and ime as solida i y. And as G ande no es, ins ead
o using ou ime o call o mo e di e si y, inclusion, and sa e y wi hin he academy
and publishing, we need o build gue illa spaces o so e eign y ou side o academia
(2018, 60) (possibly by pi a ing i s unds). All o hese o ms o e usal a e gene a i e,
maybe e en ans o ma i e (!), o he deg ee ha hey imagine (and in many con ex s,
emembe ) communali y, collec i ism, solida i y, and libe a ion.
7
7. We sugges , o example, w i ing collec i ely and pseudonymously.
P o agonis ic P ac ice
Because e usal has been heo ized as a p o agonis ic ac ion by Robin D. G. Kelley
(2016), G ande (2018), S e ano Ha ney and F ed Mo en (2013), and o he s, we mus
discuss wha lib a ians could ac i ely b ing o h in ou wo ds and deeds. Wal e
Rodney (2019), a Guyanese Black Ma xis schola , con ibu ed he heo y o he
gue illa in ellec ual and a g oundings me hodology and pedagogical p axis o his
a ea. Rodney’s gue illa in ellec ual begins hei jou ney wi h e usal: o capi alism,
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he (whi e) bou geois academy, and he com o s hese a o d many schola s. This
in ellec ual is a schola -ac i is who “mus ac i ely wage a s uggle o he e ain
o academia, o knowledge p oduc ion, o knowledge dis ibu ion” (Benjamin and
Sp inge 2019). They do no seek o e o m bou geois ins i u ions and ins ead ha e
h ee asks. As Jesse Benjamin and De yn Sp inge desc ibe, Rodney p oposed o
Black audiences ha one becomes a gue illa in ellec ual:
(1) by a acking wi hin hei own discipline he dis o ions which whi e bou geois cul u al
impe ialism has b ough abou , (2) o hen mo e beyond hei own discipline o challenge
social my hs conce ning acialized socie y and his o y, and las ly (3) hey mus a ach
hemsel es o he ac i i y o he Black masses.
The gue illa in ellec ual-lib a ian edis ibu es c i ical knowledge and his o ies
in ou communi ies while aiding in cons uc ing new and libe a ing knowledge.
Rodney’s me hod o accomplishing his was done h ough a g oundings p axis. This
me hodology aimed o ans o m powe and upse hie a chies h ough pa icipa ion
in non-hie a chical g ounding, o easoning, sessions wi hin one’s communi ies. In
hese sessions c i ical knowledge and his o ies a e sha ed and p oduced wi h he
goals o inc easing poli ical consciousness and suppo ing libe a ing ac ions (Rodney
2019). Lib a ians a e well posi ioned o exp op ia e knowledge and esou ces and,
when necessa y, dis ega d copy igh law o sha e hem. Sha ing DIY me hods o
knowledge dis ibu ion like zine-making is an example o skill sha ing ha can be
used owa ds poli ical goals.
I is impossible o engage wi h he gue illa in ellec ual’s hi d ask on pape . I
is also wo h no ing ha Rodney had an expansi e de ini ion o who is Black. “[They]
a e non-whi es— he hund eds o millions o people whose homelands a e in Asia
and A ica, wi h ano he ew millions in he Ame icas” (Rodney 2019, 10). Black olks,
he e o e, a e he masses, he global majo i y, and he his o ically colonized people,
which includes he US’s in e nal colonies. Black gue illa in ellec uals mus commi
class suicide in o de o uly g ound and be in solida i y wi h he Black masses
(Adeleke 2000, 48). And aspi ing whi e gue illa in ellec uals mus accep leade ship
om Black olk, who a e expe s in hei own opp ession. Only a e his solida i y
is buil can we begin o, among o he hings, co-des uc he academy (Benjamin and
Sp inge 2019).
Some lib a ians a e al eady sub e ing he academy om wi hin and can do so in
be e ways by wo king collec i ely. Pu ing hese ideas in o mo ion is a di icul ask,
e en o he Zapa is as: Subcomandan e Insu gen e Moisés said “we say ‘collec i ely,’
bu one needs a lo o p ac ice in o de o igu e ou how o do ha ” (2015). How
collec i e p ac ice looks can di e om pa icipa ion in ade unions o wo king
in smalle a ini y g oups. Ei he way, building ne wo ks o solida i y, suppo ,
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communica ion, and de ense is a necessi y o hose who e use. Some lib a ians
a e capable o edis ibu ing money o closely aligned ou side g oups, while o he s
may only be able o sha e hei ime, expe ise, and ene gy. Wo king collec i ely
helps us de elop s onge coun e na a i es o he ne e -ending p opaganda, lies,
my hs, and dis o ions ha we ace. I also p o ides a hedge agains he ap o
indi idualism, egos, and he dominance o cha isma ic, messianic (whi e) igu es.
Final In e oga ions
Philan h ocapi alism desc ibes he endency o philan h opy o esemble o -p o i
en i ies, wi h emphases on e u ns on in es men and quan i a i e esul s (Ramdas
2011). One could a gue ha he eli e’s use o philan h opic en e p ises o shape he
lib a y and in o ma ion science wo ld in hei ideology and mo ali y is no new.
And ew Ca negie’s legacy o lib a ies was buil on he exploi a ion o his wo ke s and
he na u al wo ld. He pa onizingly s a ed o wo ke s “wha you needed, hough you
didn’ know i , was my lib a ies and conce halls. And ha ’s wha I’m gi ing o you”
(S ambe g 2013). C i icism o Ca negie’s e ec on local communi ies is longs anding
(Mickelson 1975). Today’s philan h o-capi alis s, howe e , ha e global (meaning
impe ial) ambi ions. Ramdas (2011) summa izes he c i ique o hese ambi ions as
“[opposi ion] o he policymaking and agenda-se ing powe s ha end o accompany
his new global eli e.” In schola ly communica ion, g an s a e no cha i y, bu a he
capi al se in mo ion o c ea e a e u n o he philan h o-capi alis . This comes
in he o m o epu a ion launde ing and, we specula e, u u e comme cializa ion
o open access esea ch and accompanying open sou ce ools and in as uc u e.
Despi e any good in en ions, g an ecipien s a e in luenced by he philan h o-
capi alis ’s ideology. One mus p o e hemsel es o be us wo hy o he g an -
make , which may include comp omising one’s alues along he way. Ei he willingly
o unknowingly, by accep ing a g an , he ecipien becomes a ool o he philan h o-
capi alis and hei impe ial ambi ions. Any good ha comes om a g an - unded
p ojec canno be ully ealized while we a e collec i ely subo dina e o capi al and
he uling eli e.
8
8. Philan h opies lowe hei axable income as well.
No discussion o e usal in se ials publishing (and schola ly publishing mo e
b oadly) would be comple e wi hou iden i ying some e o s making hones a emp s
o challenge he s a us quo. Redalyc, a uni e si y-based OA publishing pla o m based
in Mexico bu now open o jou nals om any coun y, is oo ed in a non-comme cial
and no-APC model. I is a majo cons i uen o AmeliCA, a b oade coali ion ha
p o ides publishing ools and se ices. These g oups a e explici ly designed o be
by and o he Global Sou h. Thei e o s a e s i ing o sel -de e mina ion and
ep esen a collec i e igh back agains global knowledge sys ems oo ed in whi e
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
e ue canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e 21
sup emacy and a e coun e -s uc u es o he comme cialized jou nal oligopoly and
e o s like Plan S (Aguado López and Bece il Ga cía 2019). Thei app oach is s a e-
based, howe e , and i is no clea wha le el o decision-making and con ol lies
di ec ly wi h ank-and- ile knowledge p oduce s. A ican Jou nals Online, a non-
p o i o ganiza ion, was ini ia ed by INASP, a who’s who o philan h o-capi alis s.
This o ganiza ion inc eases access o A ican jou nals, bu is en angled in many o
he con adic ions ha we p e iously discussed. The Open Lib a y o Humani ies,
a egis e ed cha i y, also publishes wi hou APCs and elies on lib a y membe s o
unding. I also has leaned hea ily on philan h o-capi alis g an s om he Mellon
Founda ion and A cadia, which may push and pull i in ce ain di ec ions and o ms.
Schola Led’s membe p esses a e wo h paying a en ion o, especially as
hey con inue wo k on he Communi y-led Open Publica ion In as uc u es o
Monog aphs (COPIM, see COPIM n.d.) p ojec . The p esses demons a e a high-le el
o au onomy and some ha e been in exis ence o o e a decade. Th ee o he p esses
a e ei he cha i ies o communi y in e es co po a ions and, in e es ingly, meson
p ess is a wo ke -coope a i e. Schola Led (Schola Led n.d.), which Moo e (2019)
explo ed in his disse a ion, is pu pose ully scaling small, which has he po en ial o
mo e expe imen alism and e usal o neolibe al p essu es. The ques ion o access o
capi al, wi hou becoming subsumed o i , is a ecu ing challenge o au onomous,
mo e adical o ganiza ions. Fo Schola Led his means ha ing o na iga e he
con adic ions o wo king wi h philan h o-capi alis money in hei COPIM p ojec .
The mo e s a e-based AmeliCA, un o una ely, always isks a e e sal o p og ess
depending on he will o u u e go e nmen s (and he impe ial p essu es on hem).
Conclusion
C isis na a i es don’ always se e us, especially when hey na ow ou op ions
down o ea , sca ci y, and pe pe ual c isis. This is pa icula ly ue o he se ials
“c isis,” which happens in a uni e si y sys em whe e he majo playe s equen ly
ha e a es ed in e es in compe i ion, powe , weal h, and hegemony, a he han a
commi men o u h, jus ice, communi y, and knowledge sha ing. Indeed, c isis is
an engine o capi alism, o as Da io Gen ili calls i , c isis is he a o go e nmen
(2013). C isis all oo o en becomes a p ocess o u he ing e en deepe , mo e iolen
capi alism. As Alain Badiou (2014) says, “Capi alism is expanding e e ywhe e
a ound he wo ld—i is doing wonde ully. Wa s and c ises a e pa o i s means o
de elopmen . These means a e as b u al as hey a e necessa y o wiping ou he
compe i ion and allowing he winne s o concen a e he g ea es possible quan i y o
disposable capi al in hei own hands.” I comes as no su p ise, hen, ha he se ials
c isis and he esponses o i ha e esul ed in highe concen a ions o ma ke sha e
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
e ue canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e 22
o he oligopoly and s onge collec i e impe ialism. Reducing he c isis o one o
wo boogeymen is no only lazy. I ’s also decei ing.
While open access e o s and edis ibu ing budge s gi e us he illusion o choice
and ac ion wi hin he sys em, hey do li le o o e come he ul ima e dic a o ship o
capi al and he need o accumula e. Mo e weal h is con inually edis ibu ed upwa ds
han we a e capable o edis ibu ing ho izon ally. And as much as we may ha e he
u ge o e o m, i is impo an o emembe ha he sys em isn’ b oken, i was
buil his way. Exclusion, inequi y, and p i ilege a e a he hea o many academic
sys ems. Hegemony, howe e , is ne e comple e, and e usal o neolibe alism in ou
uni e si ies can help us escape ou e o mis endencies. Re usal o he comple e
coloniza ion o knowledge can help us ecognize and cul i a e al e na i es, like he
schola ly publishing p ojec s in La in Ame ica o mo e collec i is p ojec s. We can
ind c acks in he hegemony, and nu u e he p ojec s ha can g ow in hem. We
need new ba ome e s o judging whe he ou OA p ojec s a e success ul. Has his
imp o ed Black people’s li es? Has his imp o ed Indigenous people’s li es? Does i
build powe and/o lead owa ds libe a ion?
The g ea e amoun s o money being h own a he uns able publishing sys em
a e a sign o bo h he capi alis s’ con inued commi men o i and i s p obable
collapse. The misleade ship class will de end i and p op i up o as long as possible,
which o en in ol es co-op ing he de ac o s’ own language. The p i ileged
academics, who enjoy being nea he mas e s, ha e shown no solida i y and will be
u he weaponized agains less o una e wo ke s. Howe e , a sys em’s collapse
does no gua an ee a be e eplacemen , and he ime has ne e been mo e ipe o
o ganizing. The sys em canno hide i s o enness, especially as he con adic ions
keep expanding. The e is only so much p o i le o be squeezed om us. The
majo i y o acul y a e p eca iously employed, and hei wo king condi ions will
inc easingly esemble hose o non-academic wo ke s, po en ially allowing hem o
see common cause. This c ea es mo e space o explo e, adap , and p o agonis ically
deploy Rodney’s g oundings me hodology. C ea ing g ea e ideological independence
om he uling eli e is an u gen ask. We will only be ee when he masses a e
conscious, o ganized, and accep no hing less han comple e libe a ion. We should
be p epa ed o his o be a decades-long s uggle. We should also be p epa ed o
eac iona y esponses and he disp opo iona e ha m hey his o ically cause o Black
and Indigenous olks. In he mean ime, we build powe collec i ely by s uggling and
e using. ¡Ya bas a!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This wo k is he esul o a collec i e and was shaped by gene ous con ibu ions om edi o s, pee
e iewe s, and ou communi ies.
canadian jou nal o academic lib a ianship
e ue canadienne de biblio héconomie uni e si ai e 23
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