scholarly journals Does open access make cents? Return on investment in the institutional repository

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 281
Author(s):  
Ellen Dubinsky
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Institutional Repository ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Library Service ◽  
Delivery Format ◽  
Online Availability

Access to information resources is a traditional library service. Public libraries were the first to provide unfettered access to print information resources to a general population. It is not a stretch to recognize those institutions as the earliest providers of open access (OA). Now the term open access is generally defined as the free and immediate online availability of research and scholarship, adapting to the widespread change in delivery format from print to digital. OA as a library service—most commonly in support of the scholarly communication process—has become a priority for most academic libraries. Academic libraries and librarians are increasingly engaged in both providing and promoting OA, primarily through institutional repository (IR) services with roles as creators, disseminators, publishers, and preservers of scholarly content.

African academic libraries partnering with Wikimedia projects: Values and benefits

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adaora C. Obuezie ◽  
Millie N. Horsfall
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Public Access ◽  
Reliable Information ◽  
Institutional Repository ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
The World ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
The Rich

Wikimedia as a foundation is the mother of all Wikis. “It supports hundreds of people around the world in creating the largest free knowledge projects in history” (Wikimedia foundation, https://wikimediafoundation.org). Its resources give benefits that can emerge from the collaboration of librarians and Wikimedia. However, despite the rich contents and vast availability of information on Wikimedia, many scholars refute the credibility of Wikimedia contents. This chapter addresses the benefits and values of African academic libraries partnering with Wikimedia projects and gives a brief definition on the concepts of Wikimedia and Wikipedia. How academic libraries directly improve Wikimedia resources for a reliable information; particularly, it highlights the need to rightly posit librarians as custodians of knowledge, relating the campaigns of 1Lib1Ref and other related projects where librarians in Africa through the African Library and Information Associations and Institution (AfLIA) collaborated with Wikipedia to add reliable sources, edit articles, and write stories to promote the quality, authority, and reliability of intellectual contents in Wikipedia. It demonstrates the engagement of academic libraries in the development of information resources to aid access to information for all citizens through linking of institutional repository materials to wiki articles in line with the UNESCO policy of ensuring public access to information (UNESCO, 2017). It also discusses challenges associated with the use of Wikimedia resources in some institutions and draws conclusion that Wikipedia promotes discoverability of library resources, librarians improve the reliability of its contents as an important tool to leverage on, in pursuit of academic endeavors, thus providing an interception between Wikipedia and academic libraries.

Digital preservation of information sources at academic libraries in Jordan: an employee’s perspective

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manal Ahmad Awamleh ◽  
Faten Hamad
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Digital Preservation ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library Staff ◽  
Digital Channels

Purpose Digital preservation requires new skills and collaboration among library staff to maintain long-term access to information resources. Digital content and digital technologies pose a serious challenge to information institutions to continue to select, preserve and access information resources. However, there is an urgent need to increase awareness of the new trends in the partnership between research communities and academic libraries; there is also a need for new digital preservation-related skills among librarians. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the benefits, importance, requirements and challenges of digital preservation in academic libraries in Jordan.Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was disseminated to 150 library staff working at the 10 public universities in Jordan, with 133 questionnaires suitable to analyze with a response rate of (88.6%).Findings The results indicate a moderate perception of the benefits and importance of digital preservation, as well as the requirements and challenges in academic libraries in Jordan to carry out the digital preservation process. This indicated the importance of increasing the academic libraries' – specifically academic libraries in Jordan – awareness of the vast and important benefits of digital preservation to maintain long-term access to information. It was noted that factors such as sex, experience, educational level and specialization did not affect the results.Practical implications The findings will provide insights for other academic libraries on how to plan and develop preservation policies to maintain access to information.Social implications Access to information is a human right that contributes to the advocacy of sustainable development, and hence, digital preservation can facilitate long-term availability and accessibility to information.Originality/value This paper provides insights and practical solutions for academic libraries in response to technological development and the change requirements. It will help academic libraries handle and cope with the challenges of providing distance library services over digital channels.

scholarly journals Academic libraries serving refugees and asylum seekers

2017 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Taylor Bowdoin ◽  
Chris Hagar ◽  
Joyce Monsees ◽  
Trishanjit Kaur ◽  
Trae Middlebrooks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Electronic Resources ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽  
Job Searching

Refugees and asylum seekers are very much in the news today, and libraries work to identify information resources, services, skills, training and/or research in order to support the resettlement and integration of these groups. ALA has passed resolutions and gathered information about how libraries respond to and empower immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Public libraries have often been leaders in these activities providing library cards; computers with Internet access; free wifi; books, movies, and materials in a number of languages; English classes; electronic resources; programs on topics, such as job searching; and library staff to assist with questions.

THE STATE OF OPEN ACCESS ADOPTION IN LEGAL SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATION: AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED OPEN ACCESS RESOURCES

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-100
Author(s):  
Solomon Bopape
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Open Access Publishing ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Legal Information ◽  
Scholarly Literature ◽  
Open Access Resources ◽  
The Right

The study of law focuses, among other aspects, on important issues relating to equality, fairness and justice in as far as free access to information and knowledgeis concerned. The launching of the Open Access to Law Movement in 1992, the promulgation of the Durham Statement on Open Access to Legal Scholarshipin 2009, and the formation of national and regional Legal Information Institutes (LIIs) should serve as an indication of how well the legal world is committed to freely publishing and distributing legal information and knowledge through the Internet to legal practitioners, legal scholars and the public at large aroundthe world. In order to establish the amount of legal scholarly content which is accessible through open access publishing innovations and initiatives, this studyanalysed the contents of websites for selected open access resources on the Internet internationally and in South Africa. The results of the study showed that there has been a steady developing trend towards the adoption of open access for legal scholarly literature internationally, while in South Africa legal scholarly literature is under the control of commercial publishers. This should be an issue for the legal scholarship which, among its focus, is to impart knowledge about the right of access to information and knowledge.

scholarly journals Is Access Enough? Interrogating the Influence of Money and Power in Shaping Information

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-38
Author(s):  
Heather Brodie Perry
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Information Power ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
Community Information ◽  
Truth Claims ◽  
Information Consumers

AbstractAccess to information encourages innovation and leads to participation in society of individuals. The emergence of Open Access supports the inclusion of all, including the voices of the traditionally marginalized, yet access alone is insufficient to enable consumers to effectively use information. Power structures can influence the information available and silence opposing viewpoints. Industry disinformation can influence viewpoints and shape policy in ways that can be detrimental to individuals and the community. Information consumers may not possess the competence required to navigate the complex information ecosystem to find the accurate, high-quality, resources required to meet their need. Libraries have a role in assisting consumers develop the critical evaluation capabilities essential to the exercise of informed skepticism when evaluating truth claims. Access is essential; however, without the knowledge to determine the quality and validity of information, a consumer can be misled in ways that can cause harm to themselves and society.

scholarly journals Consumer health information services in public libraries in Canada and the US

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Murray
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Consumer Health Information ◽  
Information Services ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Consumer Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Us ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Health Information Resources

In response to a growing demand from the public for health information resources, North American public libraries have provided varying levels of consumer health information (CHI) services since the 1970s. Due to the availability of funding in the US, many American public libraries have provided CHI services, although the majority of these have been as partnerships with health sciences libraries or via the “Go Local” programs. In Canada, where no specific funding has been available for CHI services, few public libraries have set up CHI services; health information has generally been provided by augmenting health collections or “virtually,” i.e., by providing links to recommended electronic resources via the library’s Web site.

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