A comment to the announcement below:

"Fostering cost-effective alternative means of publishing, especially
those that take advantage of electronic information technologies..."
This certainly is a laudable initiative. I just wonder whether
accessibility for everyone is part of the picture. 

Is anyone on this list involved in this or similar initiatives (such as
SPARC)? Is access for all being considered? If not, any ideas of how we
can get our voices heard in these groups? 

Axel 


-----Original Message-----
From: Alison Buckholtz [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 10:26 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: ACRL's new scholarly communication initiative

NEWS
For Immediate Release
Contact:  Mary Ellen K. Davis
April 9, 2002                                                      
                    312-280-3248
                                                                  
                    [log in to unmask]

ACRL begins scholarly communication initiative

Prioritizes plans for education, advocacy, coalition-building, research

(CHICAGO) - The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 
announced today that it will embark on a three-year scholarly 
communications initiative as one of its highest strategic priorities. 
Addressing issues critical to the future of all academic libraries, 
the association will work to reshape the current system of scholarly 
communications, focusing in the areas of education, advocacy, 
coalition building and research.  Broad goals of the initiative 
include creating increased access to scholarly information; fostering 
cost-effective alternative means of publishing, especially those that 
take advantage of electronic information technologies; and 
encouraging scholars to assert greater control over scholarly 
communications.

"The librarian-faculty relationship is the cornerstone of the 
academic library system," said ACRL President Mary Reichel.  "When 
librarians and faculty work together to improve the scholarly 
communication system, everyone benefits.  ACRL's leadership role in 
the academic library community means that it has a unique role to 
play in improving access to scholarly information, and this new 
initiative provides a framework for our ongoing efforts."

Beginning with the American Library Association (ALA) Annual 
Conference in June 2002, ACRL will establish a standing committee on 
scholarly communications.  The committee will be responsible for 
coordinating the association's scholarly communications activities, 
under the general direction of the ACRL board.  ACRL also will create 
a discussion group to encourage member participation on scholarly 
communications issues, and a visiting program officer will be hired 
to work on implementing plans.

  ACRL's board of directors voted in January 2002 to begin the 
scholarly communications initiative, based on the report of a 
scholarly communications task force chaired by Ray English, Director 
of Libraries at Oberlin College.  The task force sought broad input 
from ACRL members regarding their assessment of the importance of 
scholarly communications issues and the role ACRL could play in 
addressing them.

Further information regarding this initiative will be announced in 
the May 2002 issue of College & Research Libraries News.

ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America 
that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique 
needs of academic librarians.  ACRL's 1,000 members are comprised of 
individuals from a wide range of academic institutions, publishers 
and vendors who sell in the academic marketplace.  ACRL enhances the 
effectiveness of academic and research librarians to advance 
learning, teaching and research in higher education.  More 
information about ACRL's programs and services can be located on the 
Web at www.ala.org/acrl.html. ACRL is a division of the ALA.

-30-



-- 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Alison Buckholtz
Associate Enterprise Director
SPARC -- The Scholarly Publishing & Academic Resources Coalition
21 Dupont Circle, Ste. 800, Washington, DC  20036 USA
T: 202 296 2296 x115 * F: 202 872 0884 * E: [log in to unmask]
http://www.arl.org/sparc    http://www.sparceurope.org
http://www.arl.org/sparc/DI
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