Critique of STM Critique of NIH Proposal

[Carol Priestley <cpriestley@inasp.info>]

I regret that I am even later to the debate, and unsighted on the NIH
proposal.  However, INASP experience of donations has been exactly as
Sally describes.

Publishing in emerging economies is fragile at the best of times.  Large
influxes of without cost books not only kill or damage local publishing
but give policy makers the impression that they can cut library budgets to
zero.

So, the challenges can be four-fold:

1) market flooded with non-local publications

2) local publishers devastated

3) library budgets cut

4) information loses a 'value' and an expectation that everything should
be available without cost rises.

It is therefore vital to strengthen local publishing hand in hand with any
opportunity of providing access.  In projects involving text- and/or
reference books enormous strides can be made through co-publishing,
assigning rights etc.  It was exactly with many of these issues in mind
that the African Publishers' Network came to being over a decade ago.

Carol Priestley
Director, International Network for the Availability of Scientific 
Publications (INASP)
E-mail: cpriestley@inasp.info

> -----Original Message-----
>
> To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
> Sent: Mon Dec 06 00:51:05 2004
> Subject: Re: Critique of STM Critique of NIH Proposal
>
> Apologies for coming in late to this thread
>
> One point which I think is frequently overlooked, when considering the
> various schemes for providing free or low-cost Western publications to
> less developed countries, is the impact on local publishers.  I have heard
> from various sources that local publishers are experiencing considerable
> damage - not only is the market swamped with non-local publications, but
> customer expectations are now that all publications should be free.
>
> I think it is important that we remember the importance of strengthening
> local publishing at the same time
>
> Sally Morris, Chief Executive
> Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers
> E-mail:  chief-exec@alpsp.org