Stanford University Libraries sign Barcelona Declaration

Stanford University Libraries (SUL) have signed the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information, furthering their ongoing commitment to a vibrant, open metadata ecosystem. By signing, the Libraries become one of the first US organizations to join the global network of institutions dedicated to making openness the default for the research information they use and produce. 

Launched in Europe in 2024, the Barcelona Declaration counters the increasing enclosure of information about research and research outputs (such as journal articles) by commercial publishers and analytics firms. The Declaration advocates for a fundamental shift in how research information—including titles, abstracts, references, author data, affiliations, publisher information and funding information—is produced, used and shared. It asserts that this information should be free to access and free of restrictions on reuse.

“Signing the Barcelona Declaration strongly signals Stanford University Libraries’ commitment to a robust research ecosystem. It is critical that the fundamental building blocks of research communication remain in the hands of the academic community rather than behind proprietary walls,” said Michael Keller, the Ida M. Green University Librarian. 

The Libraries make extensive use of research information in their services. 

• The Stanford Digital Repository hosts publications and datasets produced by Stanford researchers. When researchers deposit Open Access versions of their articles into the repository, open metadata from a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) can be automatically retrieved to describe the article, saving time and leading to better deposits. Metadata about published outputs also percolates to authors’ ORCID records, helping maintain their scholarly profile. 
• RIALTO, the Libraries’ research intelligence service, tracks and reports on the University’s research outputs—articles, books, datasets, etc.—or Stanford schools, departments, centers and individual researchers. Open research information from sources such as PubMed, CrossRef and OpenAlex helps paint a fuller picture of Stanford’s research impact. 
• SearchWorks, the Libraries’ catalog, which makes discoverable hundreds of millions of highest quality scholarly publications, is powered by metadata. Open research information enhances discovery and access to the knowledge embodied by these articles.

Signing the Barcelona Declaration is also in keeping with principles and directions both locally and nationally. 

• The Libraries have an open metadata policy that recognizes the long history of cooperative metadata exchange and enrichment driving scholarly communications. 
• The Stanford Center for Open Metadata, based in the Libraries, is committed to making open metadata the global norm for research, education and cultural heritage.
• The Faculty Senate recently renewed its commitment to an Open Access Policy, explicitly calling for research intelligence reports documenting trends in Stanford publishing and open access publishing. 
• Over the last two years, the US government has implemented new public access mandates for federally funded research. Open research information facilitates discovery and access to the fruits of these taxpayer-funded investments. 

Bianca Kramer, Executive Director for the Barcelona Declaration, said, “The Barcelona Declaration is excited to welcome Stanford University Libraries as a signatory to the Barcelona Declaration. Their active work on advocating for open research information including through the Stanford Center for Open Metadata, has important impact both within the university and in the wider community of research, education and cultural heritage organizations.”