Libraries
The Libraries of the Big Ten Academic Alliance are aligned in the vision of uniting our separate collections into one collection, shared and fully networked: the BIG Collection. By this phrase we mean a holistic and comprehensive understanding of what a library "collection" is: not simply the things we hold, but our services; our people; our expertise; our technology; and our infrastructure.
In advancing this future of interdependence and excellence, we are guided by our North Star in everything that we do:
In order to advance a just, trustworthy, scalable & sustainable open knowledge ecosystem, make open, more equitable scholarship our lead purpose.
On these pages, you'll find more about the services, programs, and community that are advancing this vision in a principles-centered, mission-driven, values-aligned way.
ADA Title II & Libraries
Catch the webinar replay + slides from our August 27 event. Now posted on our Accessibility page.
Big Ten Open Books
A new model for open-access publishing
Free, trusted titles from Big Ten university presses.
Shared Print White Paper
Explore the vision for a collaborative, distributed archive across Big Ten libraries.
Diamond Open Access on the rise in the U.S., thanks to Gates Foundation grant
November 19, 2025 — A $206,886 grant from the Gates Foundation awarded to Lyrasis, in collaboration with the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Center for Library Programs and the California Digital Library (CDL), will support the new project Mapping U.S. Diamond Open Access Journals — an initiative to advance community-governed scholarly publishing in the United States.
"We’re very excited about this opportunity to advance Diamond OA work in the US and deepen this very important work in alignment with the global effort to develop sustainable, academy-owned solutions for scholarly publishing," said Maurice York, Vice President for Library Programs for the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
Diamond OA journals are peer-reviewed and free for authors to publish in and readers to access, operating on a completely non-commercial basis.
The new project will continue to build on the already ongoing commitment of the awarded organizations to advance Diamond Open Access in the United States.
"This foundational study will strengthen the U.S. community of Diamond OA publishers and create greater alignment with the global Diamond OA publishing community in our shared work to advance solutions to some of scholarly communications’ most persistent problems," said Kate McCready, Program Director for Open Publishing at the Big Ten Academic Alliance.
By eliminating commercial barriers, the project aims to expand the reach and impact and broaden the range of voices and perspectives in today’s scholarly research landscape. The project will run through February 2027.
Read the official press release here.
Media Contact:
Kate McCready,
Program Director for Open Publishing
Big Ten Academic Alliance
612-626-4357
kate.mccready@btaa.org