CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
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News from CILIP
Tuesday 16 November 2004
For immediate release (Please copy to online discussion lists)
CILIP "disappointed" with government response on scientific publications
Government sidesteps too many issues, says leading membership body for library and information professionals
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals has expressed its disappointment at the way the Government has sidestepped so many issues on the crucial question of public access to scientific publications. "Access to scientific research is vital in order to foster innovation and enable Britain to compete successfully in the knowledge economy," comments CILIP's Chief Executive Bob McKee. "That is why the report of the Science and Technology Committee Scientific publications: free for all? is so relevant to all library and information professionals - and why CILIP is disappointed with the government response to it."
The government's response to the report fails to address satisfactorily two key recommendations made by the Committee and supported by the library and information community, CILIP suggests. In their evidence to the Committee, CILIP and other expert bodies recommended the development of the open-access publication model so that scientific research might be made more widely available and achieve greater impact. In addition CILIP endorsed the recommendation made jointly by the Society of College, National & University Libraries (SCONUL) and the Consortium of University Research Libraries (CURL) that local development of institutional repositories needs to take place within a coherent national strategy.
"We are disappointed that the government appears to have decided not to take responsibility for implementing a co-ordinated approach to the development of institutional repositories, and not to investigate further the feasibility of the open-access model of scientific publication," CILIP says.
In addition, pressure exerted by a Whitehall department may have caused JISC - the Joint Information Systems Committee of the Higher Education Funding Council, a government-appointed advisory body - to modify its views on the issue, the Committee has suggested. Expressing its deep concern at this, CILIP says: "If so, this strikes at the heart of the scrutiny role of the Select Committee system, and calls into question the independence of government-appointed advisory bodies."
Sidestepped
CILIP is encouraged that government recognises the crucial role of libraries and good information management in supporting scientific research and innovation. "The government response refers to important developments such as the implementation of the People's Network project in public libraries, the development of the National Electronic Library for Health, the roll-out of the INSPIRE initiative to develop joint access agreements between libraries, the launch of the Research Libraries Network, and the successful modernisation of the British Library's document supply service," CILIP says. "Government recognition of this track-record of innovation across the library and information community is welcome".
However, also sidestepped by the Government is the issue that increasing digitisation of scientific publications has the effect of restricting public access. "The existence of the JISC Model Licence, and the statement that JISC 'urges' publishers to comply with the Athens standard, does not change the reality: that there is an imbalance of power between publishers and libraries, and that existing licences are restrictive," CILIP points out.
Finally, CILIP expresses disappointment that the government response avoids the issue of the development of a strategic and joined up approach to the funding of higher education libraries in England, via the Higher Education Funding Council.
"CILIP will continue to work with colleagues across the library and information community to press for improved access to scientific research, and urges government to reconsider its response to the recommendations made by the Science and Technology Committee," the Institute concludes.
Contact: Tim Buckley Owen, Head of Membership, Marketing & Media.
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Notes to Editors
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers, with around 23,000 members working in all sectors, including business and industry, science and technology, further and higher education, schools, local and central government, the health service, the voluntary sector, national and public libraries. For more information about CILIP, please go to www.cilip.org.uk.
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