Defining and Achieving Success in the Movement to Change Scholarly Communication

In the pursuit to change scholarly communication, libraries have undertaken a number of initiatives. These may include establishing a formal program, creating a committee, or taking other concerted actions at their institutions. While librar- ians have been engaged in targeted activities for some time, there has been no attempt to describe what constitutes a successful program. This paper proposes that five stages that are experienced in organized attempts to change scholarly communication, arguing that the use of stages provides a practical approach to addressing a nearly intractable problem. The author defines these stages, offers illustrative examples, provides measures of success, and details strategies that sup- port the efforts toward change.