Re: News Release: IDEAL Charter Brings Digital Information to Sen=

[Carole Richter <Carole.J.Richter.8@nd.edu>]

David,

I wondered about the 'real' cost also. My extremely limited knowledge of
Internet access in Ghana would lead me to wave banners and cheer wildly if
producers are willing to provide basically break-even access to developing
courntries for the near term future. Educated Ghanaians whom I met (during
a brief visit) were extremely excited about digital information
access...it truly is completely impractical for them to manage print
journal collections...think of shipping alone! Not to mention binding,
storage, preservation conditions...digital access is truly the *only*
practical access. On the other hand, Internet access is terribly limited
at this point in time. Hugely appreciated, but terribly limited. Even if
one is fortunate enough to be in a situation where access is possible, the
time to sit at a screen to read an article is probably as unavailable as
the printer to print it out! Charging almost 'any' amount of money at this
point seems like the wrong approach.

EBSCO has a program for access to their full text databases for developing
countries that is extremely low. Probably it is fair to say it is at near
cost-recovery level (eg @ $6,000 for the whole country of Ghana). I can't
help but wonder if there is any interest in the library world in some kind
of 'adopt-a-country' concept, where a number of libraries might subsidize
that kind of cost for a minimum of say 2-3 years. Possibly one piece of
the cost could include sending a librarian to the country for a month of
training at various educational and communication centers.

While I've heard the suggestion that developing countries need basic
health support more than computer-related gadgets, I'd have to counter
that the intense interest is in fact present. Access to information IS a
critical piece of making responsible decisions (think of AIDS if nothing
else). If we have any desire to play even a small role in closing the very
real information gap, this might be a project that could really make at
least a small difference. I believe there are already a few libraries in
the US (and other countries) making such efforts on an individual basis,
but possibly shared support for such small initiatives country by country
might hold some appeal?

University of Notre Dame was privileged to hear Kofi Annan, eminent
Ghanaian and Secretary-General of the UN, speak at commencement last year.
About infrastructure cost, he said that "information technology is cheap,
compared to other forms of capital. It depends less on hardware...and more
and more on human brainpower -- the one form of capital which, thank God,
is fairly distributed among the world's people.' An investment in
education and computer availability can enable many poor countries to
leapfrog some of the long and painful stages of development that others
have had to go through.' Perhaps this is sheer idealism, but I believe
there is enough truth in this to command our attention.

I'm not at all sure this kind of message is appropriate to send to
license-l...I have no wish to clog up a working listserv with strings of
off-topic messages, however well intended. I feel reluctant to send this
message for this reason. On the other hand, license-l DOES seem like the
listserv that represents librarians and publishers alike who have spent
much of their work lives thinking about electronic information access.  
I'm genuinely very curious as to whether something like this could garner
anything beyond good wishes. Perhaps I'll suggest that if there IS
interest in any kind of collaborative support for access, reply directly
to me and I'll be happy to send one long summary message to the list.

Carole Richter
Electronic Resources Coordinator
University of Notre Dame Libraries
(219)631-8405
richter.8@nd.edu

_____


At 08:44 AM 6/30/2001 -0400, David Goodman wrote:
>Reply-To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
>Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 08:42:56 EDT
>Sender: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
>
>This is an excellent arrangement, if Academic Press is making the material
>available at locally affordable prices. I think many of us would like to
>have some idea of the approximate range of the price scale that is
>involved.
>
>For example, if they are charging 50% of the usual price, it's not much of
>a benefit; if they are charging $500/yr, then it is a very generous and
>noble gesture, though not quite as noble and generous as if they were to
>make it available there without charge at all.
>
>
>> Of possible interest.
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2001 18:06:31 -0700
>> From: ddecooman@acad.com
>> Subject: News Release:  IDEAL Charter Brings Digital Information to Senegal
>>
>> Please freely distribute the following. Apologies for any cross-posting.
>>
>> IDEAL CHARTER FOR LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES BRINGS DIGITAL INFORMATION TO
>> SENEGAL
>>
>> San Diego, June 28, 2001 - The Universite Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar in
>> the West African nation of Senegal has signed the first licensing
>> agreement delivered through the IDEAL Charter for Low-Income Countries,
>> Harcourt's philanthropic initiative making electronic journals
>> affordable to very poor nations.

[SNIP]

>> Contact: Daria DeCooman
>> Academic Press
>> (619) 699-6283
>> ddecooman@acad.com