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Archive for the ‘Communications’ Category

On Camera: Ellensburg Public Library Holds First-Ever Retreat

Friday, January 13th, 2012
Ellensburg Public Library Board members met Tuesday Jan. 10 for their first-ever retreat. From left: David Kaufman, Diane Huckabay, Jeanette Williams (chair), Jane Nurick, Bob Ota, Linda Diebert, and Nancy Wieking.

Ellensburg Public Library Board members met Tuesday Jan. 10 for their first-ever retreat. From left: David Kaufman, Diane Huckabay, Jeanette Williams (Chair), Jane Nurick, Bob Ota, Linda Diebert, and Nancy Wieking.

2011 Wrap-up, Plus Two Great CE Resources for the New Year

Friday, January 13th, 2012

Kelli Bragg, Metadata Librarian

I can’t believe it’s been a year since joining the WLA’s Marketing & Communication Committee and writing about Continuing Education opportunities for Washington State library staff. First, you’ll notice that “MLIS Student” has been replaced with “Metadata Librarian” :-) . Second, while the past year has seen me provide you with information and links about various educational resources, I would love to hear from readers to find out if they have any suggestions for the CE portion of the newsletter as we head into 2012.

Since we’re beginning a new year, it’s quite fitting to revisit all the opportunities presented in the newsletter over the past issues in one fell swoop as a year-end wrap-up. I’ll then talk about two fantastic Web sites that list educational webinars, upcoming and archived, provided by different CE providers…“CE Clearinghouses,” if you will.

Highlights from 2011:

(Clicking on the title will take you to the article):

Why You MUST Visit WebJunction

Special Notice of WESTPAS Offering: Protecting Cultural Collections

Copyright Law Best Practices: What You Can and Can’t Do with Library Property

Infopeople: A Continuing Education Wonderland!

Library Journal Webcasts: Continually Delivering Excellent Information

What IS a Print Disability? An Answer and Resources

Virtual University: Convenient, Affordable Education!

 

Two New Continuing Education Resources

Okay, now that last year has been wrapped up in a tidy little package, let’s move on to two great sites that really embody the beginning-of-the-year idea of “A New Year, A New You.”

NORTHWEST CENTRAL

The first resource, Northwest Central, is a Web site for which I’ve just started volunteering, so I’m still finding my way around, but, WOW, is it incredibly, wonderfully comprehensive!  As the name implies, Northwest Central is a free, community-driven CE project intended for PNW library. And it’s free to join! Events are listed chronologically with Title, Event Type, and Target Library listed for each offering (academic, public, medical, etc.). At NW Central, which can truthfully be described as a “one-stop education shop” (http://nwcentral.org/) you can:

The comprehensive calendar is here: http://nwcentral.org/calendar, and did I mention it’s free to join? Just click this link: create user account. If you join, you can add your own events, resources, and speakers to the Web site. To learn more about Northwest Central:  http://nwcentral.org/about.

NEFLIN’S LIBRARY WEBINARS

The second resource, “Library Webinars” is a great clearinghouse provided by NEFLIN (Northwest Florida Library Information Network). You can see by the name that this resource is focused on Florida library staff. However, most offerings are available online and thus available for staff around the country. Just remember to account for the time difference.

The Web site gives nice explanations of each course/webinar; they keep the site incredibly up-to-date; most postings provide a sign-up link (no traveling to another site to have to locate it – yay!); and they provide a beautiful list of hyperlinked Webinar Providers on the left-hand side of the page.

If you scan the page, in addition to having singular CE notices, you should find a great compendium of Live Webinars for the entire upcoming month, sorted by providers. For example, here are the Live Webinars for January 2012.

You can sign up for their RSS Feed to get notified ASAP – great for those last-minute entries: http://feeds.feedburner.com/LibraryWebinars.

All in all, a great site and, hopefully like many that are passionate about finding CE opportunities, finding this resource made me a very happy camper.

I want to make sure I give you the biggest bang for your buck…or, in this case, the biggest bang for the time you spend reading this column that you could have spent otherwise. If you have any ideas for changing, or adding to, CE content, or if you have a resource you’d like me to cover, please email me at kellibragg@hotmail.com.

WLA Member Profile: Will Stuivenga

Friday, January 13th, 2012
Will Stuivenga

Will Stuivenga

“WLA has assisted my professional growth in so many ways: providing continuing education, opportunities for assuming leadership roles, developing professional friendships with colleagues, and so much more.”

Will Stuivenga acts as editor for the WLA Connect Member Profile articles, and this month he’s profiling himself, since no one else has volunteered. If you’d be willing to submit your profile for a future newsletter, you’ll find instructions here. Meet Will:

Q. How do you like your job as Cooperative Projects Manager at the Washington State Library?

A. It’s deeply rewarding to be able to assist libraries statewide in providing various types of eResources to their patrons at a reasonable cost.

Q. How long have you been a member of WLA?

A. Almost 8 years.

Q. How have you been personally involved in WLA?

A. I’ve been newsletter editor for two Interest Groups, the now defunct Grassroots IG, and currently for WLFFTA, which absorbed Grassroots, and now stands for Washington Library Friends, Foundations, Trustees, and Advocates.

In addition, I’m a member of both the WLA Membership Services Committee (former chair), and the WLA Marketing & Communications Committee, which produces this WLA Connect eNewsletter.

In this last role, I serve as editor of these member profiles, and I felt that it wasn’t fair to ask others to be profiled, if I weren’t willing to do it myself! I’m also a semi-active member of the WLA SRRT and TRIP IGs.

Q. How have you benefited from being a member of WLA?

A. WLA has assisted my professional growth in so many ways: providing continuing education, opportunities for assuming leadership roles, developing professional friendships with colleagues, and so much more.

Q. What is your favorite thing about libraries?

A. The free books, of course!

Q. What are you reading right now?

A. An inveterate bookworm, I’m always reading several books at any one time. Right now I’ve finally gotten around to reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (I’m almost to the end, and it’s everything it’s cracked up to be!), Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (a marvelous book!), and John le Carré’s Single & Single.

For nonfiction, I’m reading the Best Music Writing 2011 compilation, and Simon Garfield’s Just My Type: A Book about Fonts (which looks to be absolutely fascinating and revealing).

All but two are checked out from my local library; one is borrowed from a colleague, and the le Carré I picked up at Goodwill for a dollar or so. Reading is definitely a low-cost form of entertainment! You can follow my reading on Goodreads if you’re so inclined.

Q. What area of the library stacks do you like to browse in for your own enjoyment?

A. Science Fiction and/or Fantasy are my favorite escapist genres, except that you’re actually more likely to find me browsing the new arrivals shelves, both fiction and nonfiction. There’s rarely anything on the Sci-Fi shelf of any interest that I haven’t already read.

Q. Where did you go to library school?

A. The University of North Texas, in Denton. It’s the only city in the U.S. with TWO library schools! My wife got her MLS first at Texas Woman’s University, also in Denton, and then I got mine at UNT.

Q. Do you have any children? Any pets?

A. None of either.

Q. What is your favorite spectator sport?

A. Golf, because I can read the newspaper at the same time I’m watching (on TV).

Q. What is your favorite travel destination?

A. Probably the Oregon coast, although there are lots of other places I’d LIKE to go!

Q. What are your favorite foods?

A. I’m vegetarian. When I go out to eat, I like ethnic foods: Indian, Thai, Middle Eastern, etc. Italian and Mexican cuisines provide great comfort foods.

Q. What is your favorite leisure-time activity, or what do you do to relax?

A. Read, naturally! I also enjoy walking with my wife on weekends or summer evenings, and with co-workers on break at work (rain or shine). My wife and I enjoy playing board games, especially Upwords and Qwirkle.

Q. What is your favorite music?

A. Classical, especially chamber music, Renaissance & Baroque music, organ music. Next comes jazz. I moonlight as a church musician, playing organ & piano, singing in (and sometimes directing) choirs. My undergraduate degree and first master’s degree are both in music.

Q. What are some words to live by?

A. My favorite quotation is “Woe be to him that reads but one book.” George Herbert, English clergyman & metaphysical poet (1593-1633).

I also like this Alexander Pope couplet from his “Essay on Criticism,” “Some to church repair, Not for the doctrine, but the music there.”

WLA Member Profile: Kelli Bragg

Monday, November 7th, 2011
Kelli

Kelli Bragg

“Don’t be afraid to be yourself … you were made to be exactly who you are, so revel in everything that makes you, you!

… it wasn’t until I started working as a PSA that I realized librarianship was my true calling. Connecting people with the information they’re seeking, whether it’s for research or entertainment, is incredibly satisfying.”

WLA Connect is delighted to present this WLA member profile featuring Kelli Bragg. Meet Kelli:

Q. About work: How do you like your job as Public Service Assistant at Sno-Isle Libraries?

A. Although I earned a BS degree from the UW’s College of Forestry, it wasn’t until I started working as a PSA that I realized librarianship was my true calling. Connecting people with the information they’re seeking, whether it’s for research or entertainment, is incredibly satisfying.

Q. How long have you been a member of WLA?

A. I’ve been a member of WLA since 2009.

Q. How have you been personally involved in WLA?

A. I’m a member of the Marketing & Communications Committee and I am a regular contributor for WLA’s Connect eNewsletter, discussing a topic that’s near and dear to my heart: Continuing Education.

Q. What does WLA mean to you?

A. WLA to me is a central location where all library staff from all levels can go to learn what’s going on with respect to libraries in Washington State. I especially appreciate the links to online learning opportunities: an invaluable asset, because knowledge is power.

Q. What is your favorite thing about libraries?

A. That libraries strive to provide unfettered access to information to all people and to be centers for lifelong learning. The fact that libraries have programs ranging from “Baby Storytime” to “Internet Use for Seniors,” and that they take the library to the community via outreach services is amazing.

Q. What is the last book you read? Or what are you reading right now?

A. I’m currently reading Christopher Buehlman’s debut southern gothic horror, Those Across the River, and just finished Sue Shephard’s Pickled, Potted, and Canned: How the Art and Science of Food Preserving Changed the World (highly recommended for any foodie).

Q. What area of the library stacks do you like to browse in for your own enjoyment?

A. I love browsing cookbooks – I could spend hours just sitting on the floor in the library perusing any cookbook on the shelves.

Q. Where did you go to library school?

A. I’m currently in my last semester in the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Studies MLIS program.

Q. Do you have any children? Any pets?

A. No children; 3 cats.

Q. What is your favorite spectator sport?

A. Pro football – the finesse of the players makes it look so easy!

Q. What is your favorite travel destination?

A. Winthrop/Methow Valley

Q. What are your favorite foods?

A. Since I’ve always loved trying new foods, I can’t think of one favorite … I love all kinds. For comfort eating, however, I turn to food from my youth: Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.

Q. What is your favorite leisure-time activity, or what do you do to relax?

A. I read, do crossword puzzles, dream about making jewelry and go birdwatching.

Q. What is your favorite music?

A. I was exposed to music early in life, so my musical tastes are just like my food preferences, I have no favorites. If you said I was going to be sent to a deserted island and could take only two artists, I would have to choose Mozart (Die Zauberflute is a must have) and the Stanley Brothers (great bluegrass).

Q. What are some words to live by?

A. Don’t be afraid to be yourself … you were made to be exactly who you are, so revel in everything that makes you, you!

 Interested in Being Profiled?

If you are interested in being featured in Connect, please write down your responses to the interview questions, and send them to WLA Marketing and Communications Committee member Will Stuivenga, who is acting as editor for the Connect Member Profile feature. You don’t have to answer all of the questions, just those that you are comfortable with, although we encourage you to answer as many as you can, in order to generate a substantive profile. If you can send a recent digital photo, high resolution preferred, that will enhance your profile significantly.

WLA’s Annual Conference Update

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Dan Savage, Nancy Pearl, a Performer Showcase, collaborative art project and more! The 2012 WLA Annual Conference scheduled April 18-20 at the Tulalip Resort is shaping up to be a very exciting conference. By Friday’s program proposal deadline, we received over 60 submissions – the highest in recent years! While the selection process does not begin until next month, I can tell you that this guarantees a stellar line-up to come. While our conference committee has some innovative ideas, I’d love to hear from all of you as well, so don’t hesitate to contact me. Kristin Piepho, kpiepho@sno-isle.org or 360-651-7017.

Library Journal Webcasts: Continually Delivering Excellent Information

Monday, September 19th, 2011

By Kelli Bragg, MLIS Student

Library Journal, now in its 133rd year of publication, is the oldest and most respected publication covering the library field and is an incredible Continuing Education resource. But LJ’s rich bounty of information isn’t found only between the covers of its print edition. Their Web site provides a veritable cornucopia of freely available Web casts (plus news and newsletters).

You can register for upcoming Webcasts or view archived Webcasts for up to one year after the broadcast. To see the list of Webcasts at the LJ site, click here.

Or, if you’re visiting their site just to look around, click on the “Tools” tab, then click on “Webcasts.” And please do go look around, because LJ provides amazing newsletters: academic libraries, news for children and teen librarians, prepub alerts, etc. – truly something for everyone! Additionally, there are great blogs, books reviews for genres of all stripes, and, under the “Libraries & Librarians” tab, some usually-less-covered-but-still-important subjects like Buildings & Facilities discussions, Library Culture and ALA Conference News, etc…plus most have associated RSS feeds so that you’re always learning about the latest information!

To showcase the variety of Webcast topics recently offered, check the brief list below – it’s by no means comprehensive, but is meant to merely show thematic breadth. The titles are links that take you directly to an event registration page; all descriptions were taken directly from the LJ Web site.

Libraries are Essential: Building an Ongoing Connection : “We all know that in these tough economic times, libraries have a great value proposition for their communities… Join NoveList and Library Journal to hear just how libraries are building these ongoing connections …”

Mystery Fall Announcements : “…as mystery reviewer Teresa Jacobsen noted in a recent column, many librarians are facing budgetary issues and will be looking for titles that work for a variety of readers, especially those with crossover appeal… Our five featured publishers will be presenting their new and forthcoming mystery titles…”

World Bank Data and Research: Opening the Vault : “The World Bank was the first international, inter-governmental organization to make its databases free and open to the public… Please join Library Journal’s Cheryl LaGuardia and World Bank staff members as they discuss the wealth of resources and research tools available from the Bank….”

Life of A Book: From Idea to Distribution-Collect, Discover, Assess : “Have you ever wondered how a book becomes discoverable?”

21st Century Digital Knowledge Management: The Changing Role of the Media Specialist With Classroom Technology : “There are new expectations for media specialists doing collection development and management in the information age… How can libraries support the creation, access, storage and delivery of digital visual content for and by our students…”

Note about Webcasts:

  • If the Webcast will be held in the future, register now.
  • If the Webcast has already occurred and its archive is available (it will be noted underneath the title), you will still need to fill in your registration description unless you’ve already registered for the event. After you complete the form, you’ll be taken directly to a page for immediate viewing – just click “Launch Presentation.”

Whether you’re member of a public, academic, or special library, the Library Journal Web site has newsletters and Webcasts to keep you informed about trends, emerging technology, hot titles, databases, etc.

For the calendar of CE offered by the WA State Library for September and October, click these links:

Is there a specific CE training provider you would like to see discussed or do you have a comment? Please contact me at dipper@startouch.net.

What IS a Print Disability? An Answer and Resources

Monday, September 19th, 2011

By Kelli Bragg, MLIS Student

Libraries are commonly understood to be the repositories of the human experience, storehouses which take that human experience and from it, create opportunities for library consumers to “learn, grow, and know”  (quoted phrase attributed to Jim Rettig in his November 2008 President’s Message,  American Libraries).

During my time in the UA’s SLIS program, I’ve realized that there are certain directions where I’d like to see my career head. One main area of interests, thanks to excellent instructors for my Information Technology and Metadata classes,  is the universal accessibility described in the ALA’s Bill of Rights: “A person’s right to use the library should not be denied or abridged because of disabilities.”

We can achieve that unabridged library use for all consumers, but first word needs to get out as widely as possible about what exactly print disabilities are, and then how to use our talents to create an equal library experience.

I’ve no doubt that combining Web technology with the power of metadata will allow us to provide all customers equal access to items that let them “learn, grow, and know.” Why do I have no doubt? Because, as librarians, once we know a situation needs attention, we roll up our sleeves and get to work – it’s in our genes.

Therefore, I would like to occasionally contribute posts to help get the word out about print disabilities; I hope you find them informative. __________________________________________________________

As of today, according to http://www.ifla.org/en/lpd, it’s stated that only 5% of the world’s published information is fully accessible to persons with a print disability; it’s my career goal to help increase that percentage as much as I can.

Some people reading this blog may be wondering exactly what constitutes a “print disability.” A print disability is quite simply any aspect that hinders a person’s ability to access print in the “standard” way, whether it’s because of a visual impairment, learning disability or physical disability.

Resources:

Library Services to Older Adults: Best Practices

Monday, September 19th, 2011

By Kerry Maher, Baby Boomer Librarian, King County Library System

Who do we define as “older adults”? The first of America’s 77 million Baby Boomers turned 65 this year, and most of them have no intention of being considered a senior citizen for quite a while. They are redefining what getting old and retiring means today, so libraries need to redefine their services to “older adults.”

Some libraries use 50+ as their name for this target group, but isn’t there really more than one target group in the 50+ segment? “The typical Boomer believes that old age doesn’t begin until age 72.”  The Pew Internet & American Life Project defines the generations as Younger Boomers (Ages 46-55), Older Boomers (Ages 56-64), the Silent Generation (Ages 65-73), and the GI generation (Age 74+).  That’s four different target groups in the 50+ segment.

Transforming Life After 50: A Resource for Librariesemphasizes that increased longevity gives Baby Boomers options for new transitions. “Baby Boomers prefer intergenerational environments; are the wealthiest group in history, but also face financial insecurity; have benefited from medical advances and stay active longer; have a thirst for lifelong learning; participate as a volunteer on a regular basis; and sometimes work past “retirement” age or find part-time jobs after retirement. They also are big fans of social networking.

What is the best way to market services to these “older adults”?  Libraries can help older adults navigate these new transitions with which they are faced. I discovered two libraries offering interesting services beyond the usual 50+ topical guides/programs. What I mean by that is, libraries often assume that the 50+ crowd all need Large Print; for example (maybe they do, but Boomers probably won’t check it out…they are downloading books!).

New Haven (CT) Free Public Library has a 50+ Transition Center. They offer classes in Investing, Managing Your Money, Ask about Social Security, Get Your Passport, One-on-One Computer Instruction and Yoga.  

New York Public Library has a 50+ library blog called the Next Chapter.  Staff and others blog about events that matter to Boomers: Women Making History in the Second Half of Life, Financial Literacy, Celebrate the Earth and Us, and Aging Creatively.

I may have missed several libraries that are offering innovative services for older adults. However, I was shocked at how difficult it was to find many.  Public libraries…you have yet to figure out the best practices for serving “older adults.”

Hurricanes, Tornados and Flooding: The Spanish Inquisition for Libraries

Monday, September 19th, 2011

By Erin Mettling, University of Washington iSchool Student

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!  Even when one does, it is difficult to protect against it fully.  There is no offensive when it comes to the Spanish Inquisition; one can only be on the defensive.  What am I on about?  In this instance, the Spanish Inquisition is a natural disaster, and libraries need a preparedness plan for when one strikes. These plans range from basic fire procedures to what is to be done with the collection in the event of flooding, building damage and bug infestation. 

There is no way to prevent a storm.  They happen despite our wishes.  Under some preparedness plans, the rarest or most valuable items in a library’s collection are saved.  They are removed at the time of a drill, or they are kept in water- or fire-proof vaults.  Not everything can be saved in the event of disaster striking, so plans for repairs in the aftermath of destruction must be made.

I started thinking about all of this about a week ago.  I was has having a conversation with my new landlord about books. It moved from what we’ve read recently to what is done in libraries that have been hit by a storm of any kind. He wanted to know what happens when the damage is on a scale as large as Katrina or Irene. What if the library doesn’t have the money needed to save the water-damaged books? What happens when the mold sets in and the infrastructure needs repair or rebuilding? He suggested a library emergency response unit that would have portable book dryers. They would be the first on the scene of a disaster, save what books they can, and write up the initial report for the insurance claim.

In theory, this would be amazing and work wonders.  It would give librarians peace of mind to have a quick response team waiting in the wings after a hurricane like Katrina or Irene, or like the tornadoes that tear through the Mid-West. We would be able to save more books before flooding washes them away, and that, in the long run, would save libraries some money, which could then be used for rebuilding and restocking the shelves. The downside is that the machines needed to dry water-damaged books are not portable. They are large enough to take up factory floors. They press water from the pagers, or they spin them dry. Disaster plans are necessary. It is important to know what steps will be taken should the worst happen. The American Library Association’s website is a good resource for creating plans. They provide a step-by-step guide for building a plan that best suits any particular library’s needs. After having a plan, the question of how to pay for everything arises.

A library can be prepared to handle the aftermath of the likes of Katrina or Irene, but if there’s no money, repairs to the building and the repair or replacement of books are next to impossible.  Many libraries do not have the funding to implement even the best laid plans. They are, arguably, the heart of communities, especially in times of crises. They provide the resources that people need to move forward, but after a disaster they might not be able to reopen their doors because they did not have the money to repair damages.

There is a silver lining.  According to Librarian.net, it is now possible for libraries to apply for grants through FEMA after disaster strikes. They are able to get money they need to get back on their feet, but it is not always enough. There are instances, such as after Katrina, where libraries were closed permanently. The buildings were no longer safe, and they could not find a way to replace every volume they once held.  While damaged libraries do need replacement books, what they need most is funding. 

There is a list here of New York State libraries that need help since Irene swept across the east coast. There is a way to make donations to these libraries online, should you feel the urge to give. Librarything also has a list.  Theirs is more extensive as it covers more than New York.

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!  Even when one does, the best offense is a good aftermath defense. Money is needed as much as a good disaster plan, though the latter is easier to make than the former.

The Open Access Movement: Where We Are and Where We Are Headed

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

By Karl Eckler, University of Washington iSchool Student

“There are current instances in which publishers are attempting to control the use of their publications [...] in ways that would hinder the operations of libraries.

“The alternatives among which libraries fear that they may have to choose in response to such limitations are either (a) to abandon completely the affected services; (b) to dispense with the use of modern technology and to revert to archaic and inefficient methods for providing such services; or (c) to pay in burdensome and discriminatory fees and red tape in order to be permitted to use the more effective methods.” [1]

–Verner W. Clapp, via JSTOR.

It would be understandable to interpret the above quotation as referencing the current issues surrounding digital delivery of journal articles. That Clapp was writing in 1968 about the right of libraries to use photocopiers on patrons’ behalf is of only minimal impact to his argument. In arguing that copyright exists not as an intrinsic right of the author or publisher, but instead as a requirement intended to expand the public good, he takes a radical position for the purposes of justifying a moderate one.

The same case could be made for Aaron Swartz, the Harvard ethics fellow, former Reddit employee and open access activist who, according to a grand jury indictment, “between September 24, 2010, and January 6, 2011 contrived to [...] download a major portion of JSTOR’s (an online system for archiving academic journals) archive onto his computers and computer hard drives” [2]. In fact, that case iscurrently being made by Demand Progress, the activist group Swartz founded for the purpose of “fighting back” against fee based delivery methods for journal articles [3].

The executive director of Demand Progress “compared the indictment to, ‘trying to put someone in jail for allegedly checking too many books out of the library’” [3]. Given that Mr. Swartz’s actions deprived MIT’s students, faculty and guests of access to JSTOR for several days, a better analogy might be that of putting someone in jail for breaking into the library at night, stealing all the books, stuffing chewing gum into the door locks, copying all the books and then bringing back the originals a week later.

I say this with the very highest admiration, sympathy and support for the open access movement. I feel it must be said that illegal action is not the way to accomplish the long term goal of open access: providing a sustainable system of publishing and accessing scholarly education and research. Swartz’s–alleged–actions directly damaged an organization that has made great strides toward this goal.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization whose access fees for its entire database are about that of a particularly high-priced single journal title from another source. Many smaller colleges and libraries find that JSTOR is, if not all they need, certainly all they can afford in the way of research databases. Unaffiliated scholars benefit from JSTOR as well, because “All JSTOR license agreements allow for walk-in use of the resources” [4].  In fact, it was this privilege that allowed Swartz to access JSTOR through MIT, without being a student or faculty there. An abuse that may lead to less, not more, access to JSTOR materials by the general public.

What Does This Mean To Librarians?

Mr. Swartz proved what anyone knowledgeable in Information Assurance or Cyber-security already knew: Unauthorized replication of an entire research database is not only possible, but also inevitable. Much like music, photographs, movies, books and computer programs, scholarly intellectual property can be and will be illegally shared on the Internet. Libraries will then have to make the same type of tough choices about how and to what extent they will block this content from their web-using patrons.

Also of concern will be rising costs from publishers and database providers worried about the delivery systems libraries provide to their users. Expect increased security requirements, a cost related to, but not budgeted with, electronic serials acquisitions. We can also expect a greater restriction of rights granted to libraries and end users in the contracts we sign and the EULAs (End User License Agreements) we click through.

These and other methods of control, “that would hinder the operations of libraries” [1] are the reasons that librarians must increase our control over–and bargaining power for–scholarly publication by supporting legal, equitable and comparatively inexpensive open access projects.  By this course of action, we can strike a balance between public and private good, while providing our patrons with the research materials they require.

#

[1] Clapp, V. W. (October 01, 1968). The Copyright Dilemma: A Librarian’s View. The Library Quarterly, 38, 4, 352-387 

[2] US District Court Massachusetts. (July 14, 2001). Grand Jury Indictment.

<http://web.mit.edu/bitbucket/Swartz,%20Aaron%20Indictment.pdf>. accessed 20 July 2011.

[3] Schwartz, John. (July 19, 2011) Open-Access Advocate Is Arrested for Huge Download. The New York Times. Accessed 20 July 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/us/20compute.html>

[4] JSTOR. (10 June  2011).  JSTOR At A Glance. <http://about.jstor.org/sites/default/files/jstor-factsheet-20110610.pdf> Accessed 20 July 2011.