Thank you, Peter. That is really helpful. I will follow it up and make
contact with them
Alan

Best wishes
Alan Pritchard MPhil FCLIP
Tel: +44 (0)1202 417477


On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 12:48 AM, Peter Morgan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Dear Alan,
>
> If you're not already aware of it, you might like to talk to the Research
> Information Network, which is currently running a set of four "Access"
> projects, http://www.rin.ac.uk/barriers-access, looking at issues in
> exactly this area.  RIN's project lead is Aaron Griffiths <
> [log in to unmask]>.
>
> Peter
>
> --
> Peter Morgan
> Head of Medical and Science Libraries
> Medical Library
> Cambridge University Library
> Addenbrooke's Hospital
> Hills Road
> Cambridge
> CB2 0SP
> UK
>
> email: [log in to unmask]
> tel: +44 (0)1223 336757
> fax: +44 (0)1223 331918
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: An informal open list set up by the UK Serials Group on behalf of
> Alan Pritchard
> Sent: Sat 28/03/2009 3:41 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [LIS-E-RESOURCES] Exclusion of independent researchers from
> e-resources
>
> Dear List,
>
> Please bear with me, as this is a rather long post, but I think some
> explanatory background is necessary.
>
> I am going to undertake some research into the exclusion of independent
> researchers from library resources that are held only as e-resources. I
> hope
> that I can use this group to test out some of my assumptions and refine and
> formalise my questions before going to a wider audience. It seems
> especially
> appropriate given the scope of this group.
>
> The background is that I am revising a bibliography that I first compiled
> in
> the late '70s for my FLA thesis. Then I could go to any library and use the
> printed resources that I needed (e.g. Chemical Abstracts, Dissertation
> Abstracts, Aslib Index to Theses, MLA Bibliography, Psychological Abstract,
> Art Index and many others). Now, if I go to a library, the odds are that
> abstracting and indexing services especially, but also primary journals,
> are
> held in electronic form and access to them is denied to independent
> researchers who do not have an affiliation to the particular institution.
>
> This seems counter to several trends and principles. Without going into
> detail (although I could!), I would cite:
> (a) the traditional library principles of freedom of access for all
> research. Think of Ranganathan's Five Laws, or Michael Gorman's
> modification
> of these, especially "Use technology intelligently to enhance service" and
> "Protect free access to knowledge." Library principles are in line with the
> openness of the Internet at large and the accessibility of information to
> all users (including those not able to physically get to a library).
> (b) Open Access publishing. "Many librarians have been vocal and active
> advocates of open access. These librarians believe that open access
> promises
> to remove both the *price barriers* and the *permission barriers* that
> undermine library efforts to provide access to the journal literature" -
> Wikipedia
> (c) Changes in social patterns of working life, with an increasing number
> of
> independent researchers/professionals who will tend not to be associated
> with academic bodies all their lives, but who will provide professional
> services on a self-employed basis. They will still require access to their
> professional literature. Sociologists have recognised this problem with the
> formation of Sociologists Outside Academia group (SOAg) which is part of
> the
> British Sociological Association.
>
> In view of the above, I want to try an get some information on various
> aspects of the problem - at first on a fairly unstructured basis, before
> going more widely to the library community. Some questions, therefore:
>
> 1. Does your organisation provide any access to e-resources to outside
> users
> (i.e. other than current students or staff). I would guess that there might
> be a range here from 'No'  through 'Yes, to ex-members of staff' to 'Yes,
> open to all'.
>
> 2. If not, why not?
>
> 3. Some possible reasons that have been suggested are:
>
> (a) the contract between the library and the data provider. Talking to
> suppliers at one of the shows some while ago, people on the stands denied
> that there were any restrictive clauses, but these were sales people (!).
> It
> would be really helpful to see examples of contracts (or of restrictive
> clauses). Has any institution made any attempts to get contract terms
> altered?
>
> (b) one suggestion made was that there was differential pricing so that
> access to all was more expensive than access restricted to staff &
> students.
> Is this the case? Examples would be helpful.
>
> Replies off-list would be best, I think and I will summarise.
> Please, if any other aspects of this problem occur to you that I have not
> covered, do not hesitate to email me.
>
> I would also be happy to discuss any of these issues over the phone, as
> well.
>
> Best wishes
> Alan Pritchard MPhil FCLIP
> Tel: +44 (0)1202 417477
>
> lis-e-resources is a UKSG list - http://www.uksg.org/serials
> UKSG groups also available on Facebook and LinkedIn
>
>
>
>
> lis-e-resources is a UKSG list - http://www.uksg.org/serials
> UKSG groups also available on Facebook and LinkedIn
>

lis-e-resources is a UKSG list - http://www.uksg.org/serials
UKSG groups also available on Facebook and LinkedIn