Stratum continuum of information: scholarly communication and the role of university libraries

As a consequence of digitization, universities have to investigate their scholarly communication process. In fact, this is a quest for values that goes beyond the issues of the day. Once found, these values operate as criteria for assessing competencies, roles and instruments. The communication process must allow for free exchange of ideas and results. In particular, knowledge created in the public domain must be openly accessible. The process must be reliable, lend credibility to authors and give support to users. The respective competencies are logistics, validation and mediation. New technologies not only support these classical aspirations, but also develop their own dynamics when it comes to broadening the communication scope. Publications can be enhanced by including audio‐visuals, executable files and datasets. Linking techniques enable the creation of organically growing bodies of knowledge. Who is the fittest for this scholarly communication job? Is it universities and their libraries and university presses, or could it best remain in the hands of global publishing monopolies?