Purpose:This paper aims to provide a systematic analysis of challenges and responses of the imminent open access-based environment so as to enable sound development of open access(OA)resource strategies.Design/methodology/approach:A systematic and evidence-based analysis is used to discover,identify,and contextualize the factors that relate or interact.A challenge metric for the overall context and additional frameworks or alternative lists is used for the detailed analysis.Findings:Research libraries are facing a reality conflict between the traditional library solution and the OA solution.New resource strategies are needed but have to be based on an open knowledge infrastructure and a systematic analysis of factors and alternatives.Support for OA publishing is becoming a major task and complicated capabilities involved call for libraries to play a central role.Hybrid collection development should be in place to take full advantages of the open world while ensuring reliable and trusted retrieval,reuse,and preservation.Research limitations:The research covers main developments in US and European countries mostly in scientific fields and for scholarly papers.Practical implications:There are already evidences for sound OA resource policies.With the imminent dominance of OA resources,research libraries should and can set up their OA resource strategies.Originality/value:The paper suggests a factor metric as an analysis framework,presents rationale lists and policies to support OA publishing,and proposes a hybrid collection strategy to plan for collection development,retrieval,and preservation. Purpose: This paper aims to provide a systematic analysis of challenges and responses of the imminent open access-based environment so as to enable sound development of open access (OA) resource strategies. Design / methodology / machinery: A systematic and evidence-based analysis is used to discover, identify, and contextualize the factors that relate or interact. A challenge metric for the overall context and additional frameworks or alternative lists is used for the detailed analysis. Findings: Research libraries are facing a reality conflict between the traditional library solution and the OA solution. New resource strategies are needed but have to be based on an open knowledge infrastructure and a systematic analysis of factors and alternativess.Support for OA publishing is becoming a major task and complicated capabilities involved call for libraries to play a central role .Hybrid collection development should be in place to take full advantages of the open world while ensuring reliable and truste d retrieval, reuse, and preservation. Research limitations: The research covers main developments in US and European countries mostly in scientific fields and for scholarly papers. Practical implications: There are already evidences for sound OA resource policies. The the imminent dominance of OA resources , research libraries should and can set up their OA resource strategies. Originality / value: The paper suggests a factor metric as an analysis framework, presents rationale lists and policies to support OA publishing, and proposes a hybrid collection strategy to plan for collection development, retrieval, and preservation.