In the stacks of 'shadow libraries,' where academics worldwide share articles for free
The recipient of these outpourings of gratitude was a Kazakh computer scientist: Alexandra Elbakyan, the founder of Sci-Hub. Sci-Hub is a website that provides access to millions of scientific articles for free. Some call it a "shadow library," while others refer to it as a "scientific piracy website." Hence, the nickname given to Elbakyan: the "Robin Hood of Science."
Elbakyan started developing this tool for her own use in 2011. At the time, she was a neuroscience student struggling to write her dissertation and unable to pay the $30-$40 that journals charged for access to each article. Thus, Sci-Hub was born, joining other "libraries" in this universe, such as the Russian sites Z-Library and LibGen, which have a broader scope and also distribute identical copies of scientific and fiction books. Balazs Bodo, a Hungarian economist and researcher at the University of Amsterdam, views these platforms as the legacy of Soviet samizdat – a clandestine system for distributing banned or unavailable works that was often made possible by academics thanks to their privileged access to texts.
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In the stacks of 'shadow libraries,' where academics worldwide share articles for free
A Tunisian dermatologist posted the following message on the Sci-Hub website: "I want to thank you for giving doctors free access to scientific medical research, especially in developing countries." A Welsh surgeon added, "The help you have given others is invaluable. I have no doubt that you have saved lives." A Turkish orthopedic intern was even more direct, writing, "You deserve a f***ing Nobel Prize!" The recipient of these outpourings of gratitude was a Kazakh computer scientist: Alexandra Elbakyan, the founder of Sci-Hub. Sci-Hub is a website that provides access to millions of scientific articles for free. Some call it a "shadow library," while others refer to it as a "scientific piracy website." Hence, the nickname given to Elbakyan: the "Robin Hood of Science." Elbakyan started developing this tool for her own use in 2011. At the time, she was a neuroscience student struggling to write her dissertation and unable to pay the $30-$40 that journals charged for access to each article. Thus, Sci-Hub was born, joining other "libraries" in this universe, such as the Russian sites Z-Library and LibGen, which have a broader scope and also distribute identical copies of scientific and fiction books. Balazs Bodo, a Hungarian economist and researcher at the University of Amsterdam, views these platforms as the legacy of Soviet samizdat – a clandestine system for distributing banned or unavailable works that was often made possible by academics thanks to their privileged access to texts.
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