"This publication has its genesis in the recommendations and proceedings of UNESCO-supported th international conferences and workshops including the 4 International Conference of Asian Digital Libraries (ICADL2001, Bangalore); the International Conferences on Digital Libraries (ICDL2004 & ICDL2006, New Delhi); and the International Workshop on Greenstone Digital Library software (2006, Kozhikode), where many information professionals of this sub-region demonstrated their Digital Library and Open Access Initiatives. It discusses successful activities in the South Asia subregion bringing closer to the worldwide audience, the subject of access to scholarly literature and documentary heritage. This may thus be considered an authoritative source-book on Open Access Development in this sub-region." (Foreword)