It's somewhat shortsighted to see this as a situation where the reader pays versus one where the researcher pays. In both cases it is typically the university

It's somewhat shortsighted to see this as a situation where the reader pays versus one where the researcher pays. In both cases it is typically the university which pays. In one model the library pays, in the other it might be an academic department, research office or the library which pays. Gold open access [the pay to publish model] is distinct from Green open access [where no payment is required]. Many publishers, like Elsevier are adopting a 'hybrid' model where they charge both to publish , and to read. While there are costs to publishing one they don't justify teh huge fees [and profits] that Elsevier make. One would have to assume that the major, technical infrastructure Elsevier etc implement is to keep their texts inaccessible. A new OA publisher, the Open Library of Humanities is trying a new model, where neither reader not author pay. Instead the suite of journals is funded by an international consortium of libraries.