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Overview
Follow the development of the Research Library Project as it changes the way libraries operate! The 1990s were a decade of increased institutional cooperation among university research libraries, in great part due to spiraling serials costs. Management for Research Libraries Cooperation offers a historical summary of the Research Library Project, the landmark program begun by the American Association of Universities and joined by the Association of Research Libraries. The selection of source documents includes progress reports, conference proceedings, and panel transcripts.
This comprehensive book offers an inside look at the Research Library Project, its task forces, the Global Resources Program, and SPARC. In addition, this useful book delivers sound advice, models, and strategies for increasing sharing between institutions. These suggestions for successful cooperation will allow libraries to maximize the available amount of printed and electronic research material while keeping costs under control.
Management for Research Libraries Cooperation presents ideas and suggestions for some of the toughest challenges to face librarians today, including:
- licensing of copyrighted materials for reproduction and distribution
- funding intellectual property initiatives
- the implications of electronic publishing
- gaining acceptance from research faculty for the new library systems
- fostering the use of technology to improve scholarly communication
- establishing new modes of cooperation between academic and research libraries
- finding successful strategies for handling fast-changing scientific and technical information
The book contains black-and-white illustrations.
Synopsis
Follow the development of the Research Library Project as it changes the way libraries operate! The 1990s were a decade of increased institutional cooperation among university research libraries, in great part due to spiraling serials costs. Management for Research Libraries Cooperation offers a historical summary of the Research Library Project, the landmark program begun by the American Association of Universities and joined by the Association of Research Libraries. The selection of source documents includes progress reports, conference proceedings, and panel transcripts.
This comprehensive book offers an inside look at the Research Library Project, its task forces, the Global Resources Program, and SPARC. In addition, this useful book delivers sound advice, models, and strategies for increasing sharing between institutions. These suggestions for successful cooperation will allow libraries to maximize the available amount of printed and electronic research material while keeping costs under control.
Management for Research Libraries Cooperation presents ideas and suggestions for some of the toughest challenges to face librarians today, including:
- licensing of copyrighted materials for reproduction and distribution
- funding intellectual property initiatives
- the implications of electronic publishing
- gaining acceptance from research faculty for the new library systems
- fostering the use of technology to improve scholarly communication
- establishing new modes of cooperation between academic and research libraries
- finding successful strategies for handling fast-changing scientific and technical information
Doody Review Services
Reviewer:Maureen Pastine, MLS(Temple University)
Description:This book includes papers from the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Program for Electronic Publishing and Shared Global Resources. It provides advice, models, and strategies for increased research university cooperation in maximizing the amount of printed and electronic research material available in consortia type libraries, with a focus on sharing resources, print and electronic. There is a focus on keeping costs under control through such collaboration, while expanding the amount and accessibility of resources to library users. The work of AAU and ARL developed into an action plan, well developed in the series of reports and discussions in this work from leading experts. The editor does an excellent job in setting the stage and covering the field through his introduction and choice of authors, coverage and scope.
Purpose:The purpose is to demonstrate the increased institutional cooperation among university research libraries, with a focus on the AAU and ARL cooperative initiative and involving the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as a key player. There is a secondary focus on two vital areas in the section on intellectual property rights, that of fair use and competitive academic publishing, particularly via electronic dissemination. Another issue addressed is the growing monopoly-like marketplace, driving costs up even higher. The authors attempt to address this issue with the many new AAU/ARL initiatives in scholarly communication and publication, building partnerships with scholarly societies, professional associations, and university presses. They recommend that library services be restructured to rely more heavily on remote access and delivery and digital materials, rather than on maintaining primarily print-based materials.
Audience:This should be a must read for not only librarians, but for university administrators at all levels and especially faculty, including scientists who often do not fully understand the issues facing libraries and the cost constraints of their institutions in meeting radical change and new demands and expectations. In addition, it should also reach library information management schools as a textbook for library administration, computer and information science personnel, and even legal counsel for the university. It is clear that the editor is a well-informed authority on this subject.
Features:Part I is a selection from the proceedings of a panel discussion at the 124th annual meeting of ARL. Included is the AAU/ARL Initiatives in Scholarly Communication: A Brief History and reports of the AAU task forces and their recommendations. Following these recommendations is a transcript from the proceedings of the 12th Annual Meeting in 1995, containing reports by the executive directors of AAU and ARL on the progress of the joint Research Libraries Project. This is followed by another joint report from February 1996. There is also valuable information on fair use and copyright law. Another crucial issue included is information on the establishment of SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) by ARL in 1998. SPARC is discussed at length in Part II as well in its role to build the partnerships necessary to create a future for scholarly communications. The Part II includes discussion on regional projects to concentrate on new methods of document delivery and the growing trend of journals authored and published in electronic form, primarily outside of the sciences. There was some mention of how library facilities might change. I found this discussion somewhat brief and not too well thought out, including inadequate discussion on how cost savings might help seed new demands and expectations. The same was true of the discussion on distance learning, independent education, worldwide education, and industry/education collaboration, areas that really need broad and in-depth discussion today. The last section of Part II is excellent.
Assessment:The quality of this book is excellent. It is comprehensive on the issues that the editor noted would be covered. Although there are a number of books that focus on some of the issues covered, such as intellectual property, access versus ownership, cooperation and resource-sharing in an electronic environment, copyright and fair use, and similar issues, none focus primarily on the roles of key players such as AAU and ARL. It was interesting to read about the funding related to alternative methods of publishing to help reduce library and institutional costs. The book is quite valuable. Because it is published primarily for the library and information science audience, it may well not reach all of the audiences that should read it.
Editorials
From The Critics
Reviewer: Maureen Pastine, MLS(Temple University)Description: This book includes papers from the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) Program for Electronic Publishing and Shared Global Resources. It provides advice, models, and strategies for increased research university cooperation in maximizing the amount of printed and electronic research material available in consortia type libraries, with a focus on sharing resources, print and electronic. There is a focus on keeping costs under control through such collaboration, while expanding the amount and accessibility of resources to library users. The work of AAU and ARL developed into an action plan, well developed in the series of reports and discussions in this work from leading experts. The editor does an excellent job in setting the stage and covering the field through his introduction and choice of authors, coverage and scope.
Purpose: The purpose is to demonstrate the increased institutional cooperation among university research libraries, with a focus on the AAU and ARL cooperative initiative and involving the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as a key player. There is a secondary focus on two vital areas in the section on intellectual property rights, that of fair use and competitive academic publishing, particularly via electronic dissemination. Another issue addressed is the growing monopoly-like marketplace, driving costs up even higher. The authors attempt to address this issue with the many new AAU/ARL initiatives in scholarly communication and publication, building partnerships with scholarly societies, professional associations, and university presses. They recommend that library services be restructured to rely more heavily on remote access and delivery and digital materials, rather than on maintaining primarily print-based materials.
Audience: This should be a must read for not only librarians, but for university administrators at all levels and especially faculty, including scientists who often do not fully understand the issues facing libraries and the cost constraints of their institutions in meeting radical change and new demands and expectations. In addition, it should also reach library information management schools as a textbook for library administration, computer and information science personnel, and even legal counsel for the university. It is clear that the editor is a well-informed authority on this subject.
Features: Part I is a selection from the proceedings of a panel discussion at the 124th annual meeting of ARL. Included is the AAU/ARL Initiatives in Scholarly Communication: A Brief History and reports of the AAU task forces and their recommendations. Following these recommendations is a transcript from the proceedings of the 12th Annual Meeting in 1995, containing reports by the executive directors of AAU and ARL on the progress of the joint Research Libraries Project. This is followed by another joint report from February 1996. There is also valuable information on fair use and copyright law. Another crucial issue included is information on the establishment of SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) by ARL in 1998. SPARC is discussed at length in Part II as well in its role to build the partnerships necessary to create a future for scholarly communications. The Part II includes discussion on regional projects to concentrate on new methods of document delivery and the growing trend of journals authored and published in electronic form, primarily outside of the sciences. There was some mention of how library facilities might change. I found this discussion somewhat brief and not too well thought out, including inadequate discussion on how cost savings might help seed new demands and expectations. The same was true of the discussion on distance learning, independent education, worldwide education, and industry/education collaboration, areas that really need broad and in-depth discussion today. The last section of Part II is excellent.
Assessment: The quality of this book is excellent. It is comprehensive on the issues that the editor noted would be covered. Although there are a number of books that focus on some of the issues covered, such as intellectual property, access versus ownership, cooperation and resource-sharing in an electronic environment, copyright and fair use, and similar issues, none focus primarily on the roles of key players such as AAU and ARL. It was interesting to read about the funding related to alternative methods of publishing to help reduce library and institutional costs. The book is quite valuable. Because it is published primarily for the library and information science audience, it may well not reach all of the audiences that should read it.
Booknews
The Research Libraries Project set out in 1992 to come up with a strategy for the control of intellectual property and electronically shared resources<-->issues that became ever more pressing for libraries in the 1990s as costs went up and up. A joint effort of the Association of American Universities and the Association of Research Libraries, the project was considered a breakthrough because it represented administrators and librarians who agreed on resource- sharing goals that would benefit both universities and research. This collection is a historical summary of the project, including progress reports, conference proceedings, and panel transcripts. It provides advice, models, and strategies to help libraries get more printed and electronic research material while keeping costs under control. Lacks an index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)5 Stars! from Doody