Open access–a new policy cluster at PLN
Here’s this week’s post at PLN Highlights:.
What’s new at the PALINET Leadership Network?
Most library leaders should be aware of open access or OA, a movement that can substantially improve access to scholarly information–and one that’s not without its controversies.
Toward that end, we’ve added a new policy cluster on open access. Five articles are already in place. I’m working on two more, and there may be others down the road.
- Start with Open access basics–a two-minute read to get you going.
- Continue with Open access overview (by Peter Suber), an excellent overview of the field.
- Open access resources offers a brief annotated set of resources–newsletters, blogs, directories, serials–for further exploration.
- Open access myths collects a few of the myths about open access that keep cropping up as arguments against it, even though (with one exception) the myths have been undermined time and time again.
- Thinking about libraries and access is an independent essay (by Walt Crawford, who Peter Suber labels an “open access independent”) offering some reasons why libraries should care about open access. There will probably be related essays by other observers and participants over time.
Some day soon, you’ll see two more articles: Open access issues and Open access controversies.
As always, you’re invited to add your own comments and additional sources–or to submit an entirely different related article, directly to PLN or via email to waltcrawford@gmail.com
As should be obvious from this new cluster (and the open source cluster before it), PLN isn’t just about being a leader–it’s about providing briefings for library leaders in areas they may want to know more about.
I’m excited about this cluster, and we’re always open to suggestions for new topics and areas where we need more content. Building a cluster like this isn’t fast or easy, but I believe it’s worthwhile…
