Scholarly Communications Services at the G.R. Little Library

"Non-exclusive Distribution" terminology refers to a type of agreement where the content creator (e.g., author, artist, or copyright holder) grants permission to a third party to distribute and share their content, but retains the right to distribute it themselves or allow other parties to do the same. In essence, the creator is not limiting the distribution rights to just one entity; they can grant similar rights to multiple entities.

The "Non-exclusive Distribution" terminology is crucial for library open access repositories for several reasons:

1. Author Rights Retention: By granting only non-exclusive rights, authors or content creators retain significant control over their works. They can distribute, share, or republish their content elsewhere, ensuring they don't lose the flexibility to utilize their work in multiple ways.

2. Wider Distribution and Visibility: Since the rights are non-exclusive, a work can be hosted on multiple platforms or repositories simultaneously. This amplifies the reach and visibility of the work, making it accessible to a broader audience.

3. Encourages Participation: Knowing that they are not surrendering exclusive rights might encourage more authors to contribute to open access repositories. They can share their work with the public while still retaining the option to publish or share it in other venues or formats.

4. Flexibility for Future Use: Authors who retain non-exclusive rights can more easily adapt, modify, or collaborate on their work in the future, without being constrained by exclusive agreements.

5. Promotion of Open Access: Open access repositories aim to make scholarly works freely accessible to all. Emphasizing non-exclusive distribution aligns with this ethos, ensuring that works remain as unrestricted as possible.

6. Protection against Repository Closure or Changes: In the event that a particular repository ceases operations or changes its policies, having non-exclusive distribution rights means that the work can still remain available in other locations.

In essence, the non-exclusive distribution terminology aligns with the overarching goals of open access, emphasizing free dissemination, author rights, and the broad visibility of scholarly works.