(1) I completely misunderstood the first query because it never crossed my mind that anyone might think of snail-posting a hard-copy in response to the repository's automated email eprint request button!
(2) Yes, the purpose of the button is to provide "Almost-OA" (through two keystrokes, one email/address cut/paste by the requester and one click by the author) for papers (refereed final drafts) that have been deposited in the author's institutional repository as Closed Access instead of Open Access (presumably because the author wishes to comply with a journal's embargo on OA).
(3) The author can decide case by case whether or not to fulfill each individual email request for a single copy for research purposes with one click, which automatically sends a single copy of the Closed Access deposit to the requester.
(4) Authors have been doing essentially the same thing (snail-posting hard copies) for more than a half century (but more time-consumingly).
(5) However, if it is not the author who decides whether to fulfill the eprint request but 3rd parties in the library or institution, that is neither OA nor almost-OA, nor author reprint-request fulfillment but something much closer to consumer piracy, conflating a direct, long-standing requester/author communication with unrelated functions such as institutional course packs and interlibrary loan, defeating both the practical and the juridical purposes of the button.
Please see:
(i) The Immediate-Deposit/Optional-Access (ID/OA) Mandate: Rationale and Model (2006)
http://openaccess.eprints.org/index.php?/archives/71-guid.html
(ii) ECS Notices: Boost repository content with EPrints "Request eprint" button (2006)
https://secure.ecs.soton.ac.uk/notices/publicnotices.php?notice=902
(iii) Sale, A., Couture, M., Rodrigues, E., Carr, L. and Harnad, S. (2012) Open Access Mandates and the "Fair Dealing" Button. In: Dynamic Fair Dealing: Creating Canadian Culture Online (Rosemary J. Coombe & Darren Wershler, Eds.) http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/18511/
ABSTRACT: We describe the "Fair Dealing Button," a feature designed for authors who have deposited their papers in an Open Access Institutional Repository but have deposited them as "Closed Access" (meaning only the metadata are visible and retrievable, not the full eprint) rather than Open Access. The Button allows individual users to request and authors to provide a single eprint via semi-automated email. The purpose of the Button is to tide over research usage needs during any publisher embargo on Open Access and, more importantly, to make it possible for institutions to adopt the "Immediate-Deposit/Optional-Access" Mandate, without exceptions or opt-outs, instead of a mandate that allows delayed deposit or deposit waivers, depending on publisher permissions or embargoes (or no mandate at all). This is only "Almost-Open Access," but in facilitating exception-free immediate-deposit mandates it will accelerate the advent of universal Open Access.
Stevan Harnad
EnablingOpenScholarship
http://www.openscholarship.org
On 2011-08-03, at 7:24 AM, Katie Evans wrote:
> Sorry, my earlier message was ambiguous. When I said we pass messages on to the academic, I meant we send the request to the academic here at Bath, and then it's up to them to send the copy to the requester (or not, as they choose). Repository staff don't send out copies - as Simon says, this isn't generally permitted by the copyright agreement.
>
> Katie.
>
> de Montfalcon S.P. wrote:
>> That's a good point Katie but is this permissible, (if I'm not being too pernickety)? Strictly speaking, for copyright, shouldn't requests for papers be sent directly by the author to the requestor (i.e. not via a third party)? In the old version of eprints - before we had the request button - requests for papers would mainly come to our eprints mail list; we would then forward the request to the author who would then send the paper directly. We would also ask them to upload a copy if possible.
>> Best wishes
>> Simon
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Repositories discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Katie Evans
>> Sent: 03 August 2011 10:33
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: request a copy again
>> Hello Ricky,
>> I think you have some choice about how the 'request a copy' button works. Here at Uni of Bath ours is set up to send a message to repository staff and we then send it on to the relevant academic. It gives us a chance to weed out e.g. requests from student who actually have access to the publication from their own library. And it's also another chance for us to ask academics for copies of publications that we don't have full text for.
>> We did find the volume of requests difficult to keep up with, so we've recently changed the wording on the button to 'contact author', this seems to be putting off the more casual requesters.
>> Best wishes,
>> Katie.
>> de Montfalcon S.P. wrote:
>>> Please see my comments below Ricky.
>>>
>>>
>>> Best wishes
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Simon de Montfalcon
>>>
>>> Institutional Repository
>>>
>>> University of Southampton
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* Repositories discussion list
>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Richard Rankin
>>> *Sent:* 02 August 2011 19:04
>>> *To:* [log in to unmask]
>>> *Subject:* request a copy again
>>>
>>>
>>> When implementing the Request a Copy button I believe this sends an email to the academic that another researcher has requested a copy of their paper
>>>
>>>
>>> Yes, that's correct.
>>>
>>>
>>> Does the academic email a publishers copy or post a paper copy?
>>>
>>>
>>> I suppose it's up to them but here they mostly send an electronic copy as far as I'm aware, which is obviously far more convenient for both parties. The academic should, theoretically, check publisher policies before doing this.
>>>
>>>
>>> The Request a Copy button is a useful tool in encouraging authors to upload a full text (open access) to their eprints as we inform them that this will remove the request button and negate the need for them to continually respond to requests. Here, the request form asks the author to upload a full text if available + copyright permitting. I can give you an example of our form if you're interested.
>>>
>>>
>>> Ricky
>>>
>>>
>>> Tel: o289o976266
>>>
>>> Information Services
>>>
>>> The McClay Library
>>>
>>> Queen's University Belfast
>>>
>>> Belfast BT7 1LP
>>>
>>>
>> --
>> Katie Evans
>> Repository Support Librarian
>> Library, University of Bath,
>> Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
>> Tel: 01225 385114
>> Email: [log in to unmask]
>> Working pattern: Mon - Wed
>
>
> --
> Katie Evans
> Repository Support Librarian
> Library, University of Bath,
> Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
> Tel: 01225 385114
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> Working pattern: Mon - Wed
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