By a national library of science in Colombia

In late 2024, Colombian scientists and academic leaders launched a proposal aimed at establishing a national science library, seeking to transform how scientific knowledge is accessed and shared across the country. The initiative was spearheaded by Luis Antonio Orozco, president of Avanciencia and professor at the Universidad del Rosario, who called for the creation of a centralized infrastructure for scientific knowledge akin to national road networks or digital communication systems. This effort comes amid growing concerns over the high costs of accessing scientific literature and the fragmented nature of current access mechanisms. The proposal builds upon historical insights into the sociology of science, particularly the work of Robert Merton, who described how scientific knowledge is disseminated through organized communication systems, primarily via peer-reviewed journals. These systems have evolved with the contributions of key figures such as the Elzevir family, Julius Springer, John Wiley, Richard Taylor, William Francis, and the SAGE publishing house, which ensured that research reached scholars and institutions like universities and scientific societies. Over time, these publishers developed subscription-based business models, leading to the formation of powerful and profitable oligopolies. Researchers, reviewers, and editors often worked voluntarily, relying on reputation rather than financial compensation as part of the reward system Merton outlined. Historically, access to scientific content operated within a free market framework, where publishers negotiated directly with libraries to set prices and content availability. Elite universities could afford double the cost of less prestigious institutions for the same materials. However, this model proved unsustainable for under-resourced universities and research centers, which struggled to meet the exorbitant subscription fees. In 2017, Colciencias, the Colombian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, initiated a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Education, Ascun, and 19 universities to form the Consorcio Colombia. The goal was to negotiate fairer subscription rates and gradually include all research organizations nationwide. This initiative marked a significant step forward, benefiting 67 institutions today. However, Colciencias eventually stepped back due to budget constraints and governance challenges. Subsequently, the Ministry of Science under President Gustavo Petro abandoned the project during a critical period when the nation needed a unified strategy for equitable access to scientific knowledge. As a result, a fragmented and inefficient system emerged, perpetuating disparities in access to international scientific literature. Despite these setbacks, the Consorcio Colombia has achieved notable progress, generating economies of scale and facilitating transformative agreements. Nevertheless, the current structure operates within a flawed incentive system, where negotiators earn a percentage of the value transacted. This setup encourages more expensive negotiations, even if they are less beneficial for the broader academic community. While acknowledging the achievements of individuals and institutions involved, the proposal highlights a structural issue within the institutional design of the Consorcio itself. Economic theory, including insights from Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, suggests that poorly designed incentives can lead to opportunistic behaviors, adverse selection, and moral hazard, ultimately increasing social costs and reducing market efficiency. The push for a national science library represents a renewed effort to address these systemic challenges, aiming to create a more democratic and accessible framework for scientific knowledge. With ongoing discussions and potential policy changes, the future of scientific access in Colombia remains uncertain but increasingly focused on long-term institutional reform.