Who We Are

The Open Knowledge Commons is a network of librarians, universities, students, lawyers, and technologists who are working on the challenges and opportunities of building a knowledge commons. OKC’s Executive Director and Board of Directors coordinate these efforts. OKC is supported by start-up funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Why OKC?

In addition to advocating for the knowledge commons, action is needed to tackle key obstacles to its realization, including:

  • Technical restrictions on legal use of digitized versions of works scanned from library collections by commercial firms.
  • Lack of national or global funding strategies.
  • The need for a shared understanding of the attributes of a knowledge commons.
  • The need for an effective roadmap to its implementation.

What We Do

Founded in fall 2008, Open Knowledge Commons is a young organization with a growing, evolving agenda. Here are some of the activities we’re working on:

  • Initiating and supporting projects to bring works to the open Internet and offer tools for their discovery and use.
  • Fostering collaboration by organizing gatherings to identify, discuss, debate and make recommendations on vital issues and policies.
  • Supporting suitable long-term digital preservation arrangements for works that have been scanned.
  • Articulating the knowledge commons vision through participation in professional and public programs.
  • Advocating public policies that advance the knowledge commons vision.
  • Arranging funding support to scan printed works for availability under appropriate terms.

How You Can Help

OKC invites librarians, university administrators, students, lawyers, and technologists to be part of its network. For more information, contact info@knowledgecommons.org