Academic libraries routinely struggle to afford access to expensive journals, and patrons may not be able to obtain every scholarly paper they need. Is Open Access (OA) the answer? In this ALA Editions Special Report, Crawford helps readers understand what OA is (and isn't), as he concisely: (1) Analyzes the factors that have brought libraries to the current state of breakdown, including the skyrocketing costs of science, technology, engineering, and medicine (STEM) journals; consolidation of publishers and diminishing price competition; and shrinking library budgets; (2) Summarizes the benefits and drawbacks of different OA models, such as "Green," "Gold," "Gratis," "Libre," and various hybrid forms; and (3) Discusses ways to retain peer-review, and methods for managing OA in the library, including making OA scholarly publishing available to the general public. Addressing the subject from the library perspective while taking a realistic view of corporate interests, Crawford presents a coherent review of what Open Access is today and what it may become. An index is included.