It's Academic

Questions of Free Access to Information

February 15, 2013

On Feb. 11, in a post to the ACRL- TechConnect Blog, Kim Bohyun asked a serious question of academic libraries. Should we be working actively to promote truly free access to information or should we be content with a status quo that limits access to those who can afford it?

This is also the uncomfortable question posed by open access champion, the late Aaron Swartz. Musing on the suicide of Swartz earlier this year, Bohyun speculates on the passing of the Internet as a model of free access to and free exchange of information and wonders if academic librarians have become “too comfortable” with the encroaching Internet censorship and particularly with the licensing e-journals and other resources, especially since this model contradicts the tradition of free access to physical library resources regardless of the user’s affiliation or lack thereof. Granted, Bohyun’s informal survey found that many libraries do provide at least some access to e-resources to walk-ins; but there is no doubting that others do not and that even some Federal Depository Libraries make it difficult for the public to read the free government information placed in their trust.

Bohyun notes the role of tax-supported public libraries in serving the information needs of the general public and the value of digital library initiatives; but I do not think many would contend that either of these gives our society much to cheer about . As long as access to critical information is limited to “authorized users” by licensing agreements, there will be information “haves” and “have nots.” By virtual of our employment, we, of course, will be comfortably in the former category.

Aaron Swartz was clearly not comfortable with this state of affairs. He advocated and committed civil disobedience in pursuit of open access to information. His suicide at age twenty-six came while awaiting trial for the mass downloading of resources from JSTOR. Some of our colleagues have already resorted to the guerilla tactics advocated by Swartz, and many libraries could do more in terms of expanding guest access to their computers and e-resources. There are problems with both approaches. Civil disobedience raises ethical issues, at least if one chooses to take the ALA Code of Ethics seriously. Expanding guest access seems little more than a palliative. Bohyun asserts that we can—somehow—go beyond these alternatives and provide free access to all library resources while accepting that authors and others in the information chain deserve compensation. This brings us back to the issue of “how,” to which I will add another, “how long.” What are your thoughts?

Post By—>James T. Maccaferri

Image Credit: Burton, Gideon. “Open Access: Dawning of a New Day.” 01 Jan 2009. Flickr.

New Ideas in Scholarly Publishing

February 8, 2013

tags: institutional repository, scholarly communication, scholarly publishing

by Rachel Gammons

This week, the Chronicle of Education asked its readers a powerful question – “Can a small college library fix what’s wrong with scholarly publishing?”

As the cost of access to and acquisition of information continues to rise, many libraries are beginning to re-imagine their role in scholarly communication. Moving beyond an institutional repository, this week’s article demonstrates that the academic library may have the potential to significantly influence the direction of scholarly publication. Although we may not be there quite yet,”For New Ideas in Scholarly Publishing, Look to the Library,” is a testament not only to the fact that academic libraries are generating creative solutions to the issues in scholarly publication, but also that the world of higher education is beginning to take notice.

Article Information: Howard, Jennifer. “For New Ideas in Scholarly Publishing, Look to the Library.” Chronicle of Higher Education 4 Feb. 2013: http://chronicle.com/article/Hot-Off-the-Library-Press/136973/.

Congratulations to Villanova University’s Falvey Memorial Library

January 30, 2013

by serendipiTina

The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) recently announced the recipient of the 2013 ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Awards. Congratulations to the library staff at Falvey Memorial Library at Villanova University for being recognized for what they do! Falvey Memorial Library was recognized in the university category for their collaborative and team approach to providing services in support of Villanova’s mission. Other recipients include The Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) Library in the community college category and Olin Library of Rollins Collegein the college category.

To read more about the award and the recipients, visit the ACRL website:

http://www.acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/archives/6601

Librarians continuously strive to offer the best for their communities and it is nice to be recognized for the innovative ways in which they achieve this.

Academic Value and PA Forward

January 23, 2013

by Paul Proces

The new PA Forward initiative, officially launched in February 2012, continues to have a relatively low level of participation by academic librarians. We want to change that! In order for PA Forward to be a strong and effective advocacy initiative, all types of librarians must participate. And to participate, they first must recognize the benefits of a program that clearly demonstrates the value that libraries provide to their communities, whether students on their campuses or citizens in their towns.

How can we demonstrate and talk about that value? One way is take a look at the recent academic library contributions to the PA Forward Best Practices for Literacy database. The University Library System at University of Pittsburgh added a post about the PA Digital Library which they curate and host. The Pennsylvania Digital Library (PADL) is a state-wide metadata repository for digital resources created by Pennsylvania libraries, museums, educational institutions, and other cultural heritage organizations. This search tool increases exposure to Pennsylvania’s digital resources and makes them more available on the open Web at http://padl.pitt.edu/ohs/index.php

Ellysa S Cahoy posted a description of the Central PA K-16 Information Literacy Network which Penn State hosts. The network connects over thirty area schools and public and academic librarians in a joint effort to enhance students’ library research skills and foster collaboration between libraries at all educational levels. It provides professional development opportunities for librarians to network, share ideas, and learn best practices for encouraging and building information and digital literacies in their students.

Ellysa also posted information on the Digital Navigator Program In which Penn State collaborated with Commonwealth Libraries and the public libraries in the Altoona, Central and Johnstown Districts to purchase three mobile Digital Media Kits consisting of digital cameras, Ipads & Macs that can be moved within the three districts for use during online staff workshops and then workshops with library patrons in a train-and-equip-the-trainer approach. The public librarians involved in this project will use the multimedia kit to hold specialized workshops on digital camera usage, iPad basics, and digital storytelling in their local communities.

Linda Neyer at Bloomsburg University added information on The General Library Research Tutorial her team created which consists of 8 online modules designed to help first-year students develop the necessary information-seeking and evaluation skills for their general education courses, freely accessible at http://guides.library.bloomu.edu/genedtutorial. It’s also suitable for anyone wanting a refresher in conducting online research.

Why is the PA Forward Best Practices for Literacy database so important? We need strong examples to share with our public officials, legislators, campus administrators and the general public to demonstrate the multiple ways that academic libraries provide value to their campuses and surrounding communities.

The following is a partial list of some of the activities in which academic librarians regularly participate that could easily be included in the best practices database. Each supports one (or more) of the five PA Forward literacies: information literacy, financial literacy, health literacy, basic literacy, and social & civic literacy:

Library involvement in an institution’s open access repository or online open access journals created and/or edited by faculty members
Pedagogies that work or assessment techniques that measure student learning outcomes of importance to the institution
Library participation in One Book, One Campus events
Online tutorials that engage students and provide assessment of student learning
Library participation in first-year experience programs and events
Library collaborations with student life departments
Librarian contributions to the work of significant campus committees
Programming created and hosted by the library which is designed for the campus community and/or the public at large
Other creative ways you reach out to faculty, staff and students on campus!

We know there are many academic librarians doing similar, creative things on their campuses, significantly contributing to their institutional mission and students’ education, and we want to hear about it! Please take a moment to add a description of your work to the PA Forward Best Practices for Literacy database. It’s very easy. Just go to our online form at http://tinyurl.com/PAFBestForm. The database is moderated by the PaLA Public Relations/Marketing Committee, so it will take a day or two to appear. If you have any questions, feel free to contact either Debbie Malone (debbie DOT malone AT desales DOT edu) or Linda Neyer (crdpala AT gmail). We want to hear from you!

Assessment in Action Team Applications

January 19, 2013

by leslieawc

ACRL is seeking applications from all types of higher education institutions for 75 teams to participate in the first cohort of “Assessment in Action: Academic Libraries and Student Success (AiA),” made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and described on the program homepage. Librarians will each lead a campus team in developing and implementing an action learning project which examines the impact of the library on student success and contributes to assessment activities on campus. They will be supported in this work by a professional development program with sequenced learning events and activities at key junctures. The AiA program, part of ACRL’s Value of Academic Libraries initiative, employs a blended learning environment and a peer-to-peer network over the course of the 14-month long program, which runs from April 2013-June 2014.

In order to apply, each prospective institution must identify a team consisting of a librarian and at least two additional team members from other units (e.g., faculty member, student affairs representative, institutional researcher, or academic administrator). The application requires two essays – the first describes the team’s project goals and the second describes the goals of the librarian team leader – and statements of support from the library dean/director and campus chief academic officer.

Apply online to participate in the first cohort by 5 p.m. Central, Friday, March 8. Applicants will be notified of their status by 5 pm Central, Friday, April 5.

Learn more about the AiA program at the ALA Midwinter Meeting during the session Update on ACRL’s Value of Academic Libraries Initiative to be held Sunday, January 27, 2013, 1:00pm to 2:30pm.