Each year during International Open Access Week, the University of Texas Libraries joins a global conversation about the equitable sharing of knowledge. This year’s theme – Who Owns Our Knowledge? – challenged us to consider how scholarship is created, shared, and sustained in the public interest.
Through Texas ScholarWorks, the Libraries amplifies the ideas of our campus community by providing open, long-term access to the research and creative works that shape our world. The digital repository showcases the vast and varied knowledge produced across the Forty Acres – from innovative language education to community-based research.
Among the open access collections available through the repository that we highlighted during this year’s recognition:
Hindi Urdu for Health: Language for Health
Developed for the healthcare profession, this project expands communication and cultural understanding through Hindi-Urdu language learning. Designed for advanced learners and professionals, it offers materials that bridge linguistic skills with real-world applications in medicine.
Latino Research Institute
Supporting interdisciplinary study of Latino populations in Texas and beyond, the Institute’s archive provides an invaluable resource for scholars, policymakers, and community advocates working to improve the lives of Latino communities across the U.S.
John L. Warfield Center for African & African American Studies
A hub for activist scholarship, the Warfield Center advances critical race theory, Black feminism, and creative expression. Its digital collections reflect a commitment to civic engagement, cultural production, and the global study of Black life.
National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes
Federally funded to close gaps in education and employment for deaf people, the National Deaf Center provides open, evidence-based strategies to improve accessibility and opportunity across communities.
Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS)
A cornerstone of Latin American scholarship since 1940, LLILAS connects disciplines and nations. Its repository collections include conference proceedings, scholarly publications, and papers that advance understanding of Latin America’s cultures and histories.
As we reflect on who owns – and who benefits from – our collective knowledge, Texas ScholarWorks stands as a testament to the power of open access to break barriers, foster collaboration, and make scholarship truly public.