Library Associations and Open Access

[Heather Morrison <heatherm@eln.bc.ca>]

Liblicense participants may recall the discussion earlier this year about
whether our library associations should consider making our own work
openly accessible.

This discussion inspired me to write the article, "Professional Library
and Information Associations Should Rise to the Challenge of Promoting
Open Access and Lead by Example", published in Library Hi Tech News
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/lhtn.htm Vol. 21 no. 4 2004, p. 8-10.  A
copy is freely available from the Simon Fraser University Library
Institutional Repository at http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/1892/81

In brief, the article examines the reasons for opening up access to our
work from a librarian's perspective, and looks at some OA role models:  
the Journal of the Medical Library Association, several library
associations in the Pacific Northwest (Oregon Library Association,
Washington Library Association, Pacific Northwest Library Association -
since this article was written, the British Columbia Library Association
has also made the decision to make BCLA Reporter open access, as soon as
an online version is available), and our very own moderator, Ann Okerson,
as a role model for the author self-archiving (own website) approach to
OA.

cheers,

Heather G. Morrison
Project Coordinator
BC Electronic Library Network
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phone: 604-268-7001
Fax: 604-291-3023
Email:  heatherm@eln.bc.ca
Web: http://www.eln.bc.ca