On 26-May-04, at 1:56 PM, David Goodman wrote:
> Is it the library that is responsible for the cost of self-archiving?
> Is it the library that runs the server, or pays for the Internet
> connection? Is it the library that does the proofreading, or scans
> the photographs?
Many libraries do have responsibilities for archiving, whether original
or published materials.
For authors who are self-archiving current publications, it makes sense
to ask the publisher for an electronic copy of the completed, post
peer-review work. When self-archiving preprints, the author should be
responsible for proofreading, and articles should be supplied in
electronic form.
For older articles, it may well make sense for libraries to scan,
proofread, etc. Libraries do scan older materials to create digital
libraries, both to preserve the content of fragile materials such as
older paper materials, and to make them more accessible.
The involvement of libraries in preservation of materials is not new;
if I understand my library history correctly, keeping records was one
of the original reasons for the development of libraries.
An institutional repository is merely a new form of collection of
information. Who is better suited to handle the responsibility of
developing and preserving collections, and making them accessible, than
the library?
Aside from the open access benefits of institutional repositories,
there are other benefits for the institution. What better way to
illustrate the research of your university than by pointing with pride
to your organization's collected works?
This is not meant to downplay the importance of open access publishing.
Even when publishing in an open access publication, however, I would
suggest that authors should also self-archive.
a personal view,
Heather G. Morrison
Project Coordinator
BC Electronic Library Network
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phone: 604-268-7001
Fax: 604-291-3023
Email: heatherm_at_eln.bc.ca
Web:
http://www.eln.bc.ca
Received on Thu May 27 2004 - 01:45:13 BST