I first heard about this initiative from an email list which I subscribe to out of personal rather than professional interest. The post to that list read
"My fellow Britons, rejoice! This is a major victory for those of us who believe that access to knowledge should not be restricted to a small elitist coterie of privileged, largely middle class, academics and students at our universities. Of course, they can get it all direct into their offices and homes whereas us plebs will have to traipse off to the public library. So la lutte continue! But it is a big step forward."
This was from a researcher into traditional song and street literature who is, I believe, a retired academic but no longer enjoys any academic affiliation. Other researchers on the list are members of HE institutions, but many are not, and for them this development is a boon - especially if it were ultimately to lead on to being able to access the resources from home.
Now how many such people there are (in this subject areas and others) is debateable, as is whether it is economically viable for public libraries to pay for them to access research journals.
But let's not assume that everyone who requires access to these materials will be incapable of making use of them.
Andy Turner
VLE Manager
Institute for Teaching, Innovation & Learning
University of West London
[log in to unmask]
Tel. 0208 231 2697
________________________________________
From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and discussion. [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Picken [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 05 February 2014 18:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Public libraries to provide free access to more ejournals than universities-huge learning agenda opportunity?
An unduly narrow view of who reads what and their ability to comprehend
'research' material. The third sentence may well have an element of truth,
but is too jaundiced.
David Picken
-----Original Message-----
From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and
discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Andrew Buxton
Sent: 05 February 2014 17:35
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Public libraries to provide free access to more ejournals than
universities-huge learning agenda opportunity?
Are these research journals that we're talking about? If so, I wonder if
there are many people outside universities and industrial research
departments who would be able to understand them. The function of a
research journal is not to inform the public but for the researcher to gain
his/her reward (funding, promotion, etc.)
-----
Andrew Buxton
Lewes, East Sussex, UK
________________________________
From: Ken Chad <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, 5 February 2014, 13:46
Subject: Re: Public libraries to provide free access to more ejournals than
universities-huge learning agenda opportunity?
There has been significant debate (e.g. on Twitter) around the public
library 'Access to Research' initiative but most of it from colleagues in
HE-and they seem to be mostly dismissive. See for example the comments on
the recent article in THE
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/publishers-launch-free-journal-ac
cess-for-libraries/2010999.article#MsgId_197668
Jonathan Griffin, Deputy CEO and Head of Business Development, Publishers
Licensing Society will be delivering a session at CILIP's Copyright
Executive Briefing in April: "Access to Research: a major new information
service for local libraries - See more at:
http://www.cilip.org.uk/cilip/events/copyright-executive-briefing
So we have the HE and publishing sectors seemingly setting the agenda. Any
public librarians want to enter the fray? Anybody think it's a *good* idea?
Ken
Ken Chad Consulting Ltd,
Tel +44 (0)7788 727 845. Email: [log in to unmask]
www.kenchadconsulting.com <http://www.kenchadconsulting.com/>
Skype: kenchadconsulting Twitter: @KenChad LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kenchad
Local Government Library Technology wiki: http://lglibtech.wikispaces.com/
My presentations on slideshare: <http://www.slideshare.net/kenchad>
http://www.slideshare.net/kenchad
From: Ken Chad [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 03 February 2014 10:58
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: Public libraries to provide free access to more ejournals than
universities-huge learning agenda opportunity?
The 'Access to Research' national launch is tonight.
http://www.pls.org.uk/Pages/AccessToResearch.aspx?PageView=Shared
As I mentioned below the ability for public libraries to provide *free*
access to ejournals combined with the rise of *free* online learning from
major UK and international universities ("MOOCs) seems to be a huge
opportunity for public libraries to re-emphasise their strategic positioning
in terms of the learning agenda. What an opportunity to give new impetus to
the old idea of the public library as 'The People's University'!
Ken
Ken Chad Consulting Ltd
Tel +44 (0)7788 727 845. Email: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
[log in to unmask] <http://www.kenchadconsulting.com/>
www.kenchadconsulting.com
Skype: kenchadconsulting Twitter: @KenChad LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kenchad
Local Government Library Technology wiki: http://lglibtech.wikispaces.com/
My presentations on slideshare: <http://www.slideshare.net/kenchad>
http://www.slideshare.net/kenchad
From: Ken Chad [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 20 November 2013 18:41
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Public libraries to provide free access to more ejournals than
universities-huge learning agenda opportunity?
At the UKSG conference last Thursday on 'Open Access',
(http://www.uksg.org/event/NOVCONF2013) Michael Jubb from RIN gave an update
what is happening after the Finch report on Open Access. While much of his
presentation (http://www.uksg.org/sites/uksg.org/files/PresentationJubb.pdf)
was about scholarly communication and academic libraries he did mention the
initiative to provide free access to electronic journals from public
libraries. (http://www.publishers.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content
<http://www.publishers.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2
596:uk-public-libraries-initiative-launches-technical-pilot&catid=80:general
-news&Itemid=1617>
&view=article&id=2596:uk-public-libraries-initiative-launches-technical-pilo
t&catid=80:general-news&Itemid=1617 ).
Indeed he commented that from 2014 when the scheme gets going: "public
libraries will be able to offer more ejournals than many university
libraries or even the British Library."
There was an interesting discussion following the presentation and it seems
this initiative is not widely known or understood and it is unclear how
public libraries are going to promote it. Taking this in conjunction with
rise of online learning and particularly MOOCs (providing free access to
courses from many universities around the world-- see
http://helibtech.com/MOOCs+and+Libraries ) there appears to be huge
potential here for *public* libraries to up their game in terms of the
learning/lifelong learning agenda.
I'd like to write something for Local Government Library Technology
(LGLibTech) and would be really interested to hear views from public
librarians and especially interested to learn what plans authorities have to
promote and roll out this initiative.
Are public libraries providing any kind of guided access to MOOCs? Are
libraries developing or planning more learning spaces?
Ken
Ken Chad Consulting Ltd,
Tel +44 (0)7788 727 845. Email: [log in to unmask]
www.kenchadconsulting.com <http://www.kenchadconsulting.com/>
Skype: kenchadconsulting Twitter: @KenChad LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kenchad
Local Government Library Technology wiki: http://lglibtech.wikispaces.com/
My presentations on slideshare: <http://www.slideshare.net/kenchad>
http://www.slideshare.net/kenchad--
Scanned by iCritical.
|
