Open access (OA) can benefit everyone at CUNY. OA refers to scholarly works that are accessible online at no cost. While publishing is now easy and inexpensive, journal prices remain high. The traditional system is outdated and exploitative. CUNY needs an institutional repository to make OA easier by allowing faculty to archive their works and increase their impact. An IR would provide access to more literature for students and save money for libraries no longer constrained by journal prices.