Comments on: The impact of open access on academic libraries [excerpt] http://lackoftalent.org/michael/blog/2006/03/06/the-impact-of-open-access-on-academic-libraries/ The occasional rambling of a digital library artisan Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:05:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: mjgiarlo http://lackoftalent.org/michael/blog/2006/03/06/the-impact-of-open-access-on-academic-libraries/#comment-4 mjgiarlo Tue, 07 Mar 2006 18:12:31 +0000 http://lackoftalent.org/michael/blog/2006/03/06/the-impact-of-open-access-on-academic-libraries/#comment-4 Thanks for the comments, Peter and Stevan. The three papers I posted last night were all written during the last semester of my MLIS program, and could certainly use more rigorous research and careful writing. I figured that posting them to the web would definitely elicit useful comments from more knowledgeable folks than myself, so I am endebted to both of you. Peter, I have fixed the link you mentioned; I made the mistake of trying to post after my bedtime. Stevan, you raise a number of interesting issues. I'll mull them over and send a response to your e-mail. Again, thank you. -Mike Thanks for the comments, Peter and Stevan.

The three papers I posted last night were all written during the last semester of my MLIS program, and could certainly use more rigorous research and careful writing. I figured that posting them to the web would definitely elicit useful comments from more knowledgeable folks than myself, so I am endebted to both of you.

Peter, I have fixed the link you mentioned; I made the mistake of trying to post after my bedtime.

Stevan, you raise a number of interesting issues. I'll mull them over and send a response to your e-mail. Again, thank you.

-Mike

]]> By: Stevan Harnad http://lackoftalent.org/michael/blog/2006/03/06/the-impact-of-open-access-on-academic-libraries/#comment-3 Stevan Harnad Tue, 07 Mar 2006 17:25:02 +0000 http://lackoftalent.org/michael/blog/2006/03/06/the-impact-of-open-access-on-academic-libraries/#comment-3 It is odd to cite Crawford on the green/gold distinction! The distinction was first formulated on the American Scientist Open Access Forum: http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/3148.html and first published in: Harnad, S., Brody, T., Vallieres, F., Carr, L., Hitchcock, S., Yves, G., Charles, O., Stamerjohanns, H. and Hilf, E. (2004) The Access/Impact Problem and the Green and Gold Roads to Open Access. Serials review 30. http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/9939/ Whereas Open Access (OA) via the green road of author self-archiving could be indeed be described as "an intermediate phase" between the current toll-access model and the gold OA publishing model for journal cost-recovery, it is important to understand and remember that green OA is not "intermediate" OA. It is full, 100% OA, which was defined by BOAI as free online access to the full text of journal articles. It is a mistake to imagine or imply that OA was defined as the gold OA publishing model! Nor was OA devised as a solution to the library serial affordability crisis (although the serial affordability crisis helped raise consciousness about the need for OA). OA was devised as a solution to the researcher accessibility crisis -- and this solution is provided by 100% OA, whether via gold or green or both! Similarly, where you write (again citing Crawford): "while the green model of open access will undoubtedly benefit scholars by globally providing scholarly material at no cost, with no access restrictions, other benefits such as budget relief may not be realized" This is certainly true, but again is not an OA matter, because OA's direct concern is article-accessibility for users, not journal-affordability for subscribers. It would be helpful if you could clarify this. Stevan Harnad American Scientist Open Access Forum http://amsci-forum.amsci.org/archives/American-Scientist-Open-Access-Forum.html Chaire de recherche du Canada Centre de neuroscience de la cognition (CNC) Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3P8 http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/cogsci2/isc/article.php3?id_article=79 Professor of Cognitive Science Department of Electronics and Computer Science University of Southampton Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ UNITED KINGDOM http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/ It is odd to cite Crawford on the green/gold distinction! The distinction was first formulated on the American Scientist Open Access Forum:

http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/3148.html

and first published in:

Harnad, S., Brody, T., Vallieres, F., Carr, L., Hitchcock, S., Yves, G., Charles, O., Stamerjohanns, H. and Hilf, E. (2004) The Access/Impact Problem and the Green and Gold Roads to Open Access. Serials review 30.
http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/9939/

Whereas Open Access (OA) via the green road of author self-archiving could be indeed be described as "an intermediate phase" between the current toll-access model and the gold OA publishing model for journal cost-recovery, it is important to understand and remember that green OA is not "intermediate" OA. It is full, 100% OA, which was defined by BOAI as free online access to the full text of journal articles.

It is a mistake to imagine or imply that OA was defined as the gold OA publishing model! Nor was OA devised as a solution to the library serial affordability crisis (although the serial affordability crisis helped raise consciousness about the need for OA). OA was devised as a solution to the researcher accessibility crisis — and this solution is provided by 100% OA, whether via gold or green or both!

Similarly, where you write (again citing Crawford):

"while the green model of open access will undoubtedly benefit scholars by globally providing scholarly material at no cost, with no access restrictions, other benefits such as budget relief may not be realized"

This is certainly true, but again is not an OA matter, because OA's direct concern is article-accessibility for users, not journal-affordability for subscribers.

It would be helpful if you could clarify this.

Stevan Harnad
American Scientist Open Access Forum
http://amsci-forum.amsci.org/archives/American-Scientist-Open-Access-Forum.html

Chaire de recherche du Canada
Centre de neuroscience de la cognition (CNC)
Université du Québec à Montréal
Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3P8
http://www.er.uqam.ca/nobel/cogsci2/isc/article.php3?id_article=79

Professor of Cognitive Science
Department of Electronics and Computer Science
University of Southampton
Highfield, Southampton
SO17 1BJ UNITED KINGDOM
http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/

]]> By: Peter Suber http://lackoftalent.org/michael/blog/2006/03/06/the-impact-of-open-access-on-academic-libraries/#comment-2 Peter Suber Tue, 07 Mar 2006 15:54:29 +0000 http://lackoftalent.org/michael/blog/2006/03/06/the-impact-of-open-access-on-academic-libraries/#comment-2 Michael: At the end of your post, you link to the wrong paper. I'm guessing this is the URL you meant to use: http://staff.washington.edu/leftwing/papers/532.pdf Best, Peter PS. See my Open Access Overview http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/overview.htm and blog, Open Access News http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/fosblog.html Michael: At the end of your post, you link to the wrong paper. I'm guessing this is the URL you meant to use:

http://staff.washington.edu/leftwing/papers/532.pdf

Best,
Peter

PS. See my Open Access Overview
http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/overview.htm

and blog, Open Access News
http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/fosblog.html

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