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November 30, 2008
Open access to special collections, Intellectual property, and copyright.
The Press Releases & Announcements of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) News, November 21, 2008 highlights main issues addressed in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Bimonthly Report, no. 260. Open access to special collections, and the intellectual property and copyright are the first two announced.
The announcement about Makala's proposal for Special Collections: The Need for an Open Access, Online Directory [PDF] (Nov. 21, '08), (see, http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/arl-br-260-spec-coll.pdf accessed Nov. 29, 2008).
Jeffrey Makala, Assistant Special Collections Librarian, University of South Carolina, proposes to create open access directory for Special Collections. One of his arguments is based on "biblio-futurist predictions" that libraries are on the path of creating uniformed collections. Libraries' acquisitions, subscriptions and licenses are based on "essentially the same databases... on standing orders for the same serials and for monographs from the same university presses." Hence, what will define libraries essentially will be based on their rare, special collections and library special subject strengths. Makala says that "we need an aggregator for this type of information, ... bring our collective knowledge of our own collection strengths into a browsable and searchable format to benefit our readers and the research community."
The newly created ARL's Celebrating Research Web site inspired Makala to investigate the void of "full collection-level" information identifying subject strengths in the collection emphasised on areas of "collecting focus, or unusual depths or breadths. Makala states also, that this kind of information is only located in "narrative or separate page on the institution's own Web site, and difficult to be located and discovered by a user. This new directory would serve as a gateway making "hidden" collections better "exposed."
On copyright and Intellectual property issue.
"Peter McPherson, President of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), identifies intellectual property [IP] law as a major factor in how universities are able to conduct their mission and cites examples of how recent law revisions, court decisions, and discoveries have come together to impose barriers to faculty and researcher access to critical resources" (see, http://www.arl.org/news/pr/br260-21nov08.shtml accessed Nov. 28, 2008).
McPherson suggests these barriers slow down the process "to promote the Progress of Science and the useful Arts." To bring the lost balance back, he proposes for academic community, creators of IP, and decision making people in Washington DC find a common goal and mutual understanding of needs of all involved in the process of creating knowledge. "Hindering" that access should be stopped for the good of society, who benefits from early and broad access to knowledge. A success will be possible if a mutual ground is found, and "an adequately funded structure [built] to advance this agenda in Washington and across the country."
Wanda Rosinski
For Coll. Development class IS 560
Fall 2008
Posted by colldev at November 30, 2008 02:37 AM