Digital technology can make the works of humans permanently accessible to people all over the world. Historically, public libraries have been recognized for their great potential  to improve the quality of life and provide free and equal access to information. Now, open access to support research and publishing equally and widely available. The internet has created new ways to promote this same service on a much larger scale and with the possibility to connect a global society more easily. This paper presents on overview of open access and the benefits to developing countries for research and educational goals.   The challenge will be in how readily available these digital collections will be, how freely they can be accessed, and how the needed technology and learning opportunities will be made available to developing nations.