Through rigorous peer review, scholars maintain the integrity and worth of scholarship. It is also the sole responsibility of the scholars themselves, as embodied in editorial boards. Production is chiefly the province of publishers. Publishers add value through the copy editing process, illustrations, and management of the peer review and editorial processes. Distribution of scholarly communication is handled by both libraries and publishers, with libraries accounting for dissemination to most readers.
Libraries add value by providing cataloging, indexing, physical organization, and preservation.
Consumption is also the province of scholars, but it extends as well to their students and to non-scholars who might have an interest in their work. Underlying the system is the support provided by institutions such as universities, governments, granting agencies, and, of course, the taxpayer. Support , often left out of consideration in discussions of scholarly communication, is critically important, especially at the creation and distribution phases. Most scholars who publish are supported in their work by their institutions, by grants, etc. And libraries are able to buy journals through the support provided by their institutions.