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NEWS FROM THE FIELD
C&RL News, January 2007
Vol. 68, No. 1
by Stephanie Orphan
IAA takes action on proposed Blackwell acquisition
The Information Access Alliance (IAA) wrote to the U.S. Department of Justice on November 29 asking that they review the proposed acquisition of Blackwell Publishing by John Wiley and Sons and act to issue a second request for information from the two companies.
The combined company would control more than 1,200 titles, many of them scholarly journals. The increase in concentration in an already concentrated market is a cause for concern for the library community. IAA is concerned that the transaction will exacerbate market dysfunctions and result in further reduction of access to critical research information.
Both Wiley and Blackwell currently use bundled pricing models; a recent study by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) documented that bundling practices reduce customer choice, hurt small publishers, and create barriers. IAA represents ARL, ALA, ACRL, the American Association of Law Libraries, the Medical Library Association, SPARC, and the Special Library Association. Its letter to the Department of Justice is available at informationaccess.org/wiley.blackwell.pdf.
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Attend the ACRL National Conference in Baltimore—virtually
Panels, papers, posters, exhibitors, and chats with colleagues, all from the comfort of your office. That’s the ACRL Virtual Conference, which is one of the registration options for the upcoming ACRL 13th National Conference in Baltimore, March 29—April 1, 2007.
Individuals who register for the upcoming ACRL 13th National Conference automatically receive access to the virtual conference site as part of their face-to-face conference registration. But for those of you who are not able to make the trip to Baltimore, you have the option of registering and participating in the conference as a virtual-only participant.
What is the virtual conference?
While we think going to Baltimore is the optimum way to attend the conference, for those of you who can’t, the virtual conference includes many familiar elements of the face-to-face conference, and a few that are unique to the online venue. They include:
• Ten live Webcasts, featuring an invited speaker, a hosted tour of the exhibits, and talks by paper presenters and panelists. Live Q & A with presenters will follow each talk
• Text of the contributed and invited papers, available in the virtual conference online community in early March
• Supporting presentation materials, such as slides, bibliographies, speaker biographies, and more
• Narrated exhibitor online poster sessions
• Discussion boards, both general and subject-focused
• Reports from bloggers, some with a specialized focus, such as issues of particular interest to community college librarians or new librarians
The live Webcasts will cover a variety of topics, such as new technology, instruction, scholarly communication, trends in reference, and space design. They will be held during the ACRL National Conference, March 29—April 1, 2007. Visit www.acrl.org/baltimore (click “Virtual Conference” for complete details about the live Webcasts).
Other asynchronous components, such as the discussion boards, blogs, and posters may be accessed at any time. This means attending the conference virtually may be very convenient for those who have time conflicts during the conference.
Learning Times, the company that hosts many other ACRL virtual offerings, will be hosting the virtual conference. Anyone who has participated in an earlier ACRL session will find the software familiar, and those new to this virtual environment should feel at home very quickly.
How to get involved in the Virtual Conference
Papers and other materials will be up on the Virtual Conference site in early March, so you may begin reviewing them and exploring program materials.
How often have you traveled to a distant city for a conference and ended up having dinner with someone from home? Why not call librarians from across campus or across town and have your own private “dinner with colleagues” to discuss topics covered at the virtual conference that day?
Are you a blogger traveling to Baltimore? Consider sharing your conference experience by contributing to one of the Virtual Conference blogs. To volunteer, contact Margot Conahan at msutton@ala.org by February 2, 2007.
Registration
Registration for the Virtual Conference will begin in early February. Visit www.acrl.org/baltimore (click “Registration”) for complete details, registration materials, and more.
Technical requirements
Participants will need a system that allows for e-mail and Web browsing. Visit www.elluminate.com/support/faqs/min_requirements.jsp for requirements.—Julie Kelly, Virtual Conference Planning Committee, jkelly@tc.umn.edu
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Crossref to add journals from low-income countries
CrosRef, the multipublisher linking association, has reached an agreement with three new partners to include journals from developing countries in its linking network. The three organizations are the International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications, which will initially register its Nepal, Bangladesh, and Vietnam Journals Online content with CrossRef; the National Inquiry Services Center, a South African publisher of eight current journals, as well as several bibliographic databases and books; and African Journals Online, a not-for-profit aggregation of more than 250 varied African journals. “We believe offering CrossRef’s services on an affordable basis to qualified publishers in these regions and interlinking them with the global research literature will help raise the visibility of these journals and contribute to their success,” said Ed Pentz, executive director of CrossRef. CrossRef’s mission is to improve access to published scholarship through collaborative technologies.
SOLINET awards funds to academic libraries in the Gulf Coast region
SOLINET (Southeastern Library Network, Inc.) has awarded grants totaling $365,000 to 19 academic libraries in the Gulf Coast region affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The money for the grants originated with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which awarded a $896,000 grant to SOLINET to assist academic libraries in the Gulf Coast region with their recovery efforts. The libraries will use the grant money to fund activities such as the replacement of computers and equipment. the replacement of lost or damaged collections, providing staff, and addressing damage caused by mold.
University of Pittsburgh to digitize Darlington library
The University of Pittsburgh Library System (ULS) has started a project to digitize and make freely available the holdings of the Darlington Memorial Library. The library contains one of the finest private libraries amassed west of the Allgheny Mountains during the 19th century. The collection focuses primarily on early American history, especially as it pertains to Western Pennsylvania and the Ohio valley. For example, the Darlington collection holds 11 of the 13 Indian treaties printed by Benjamin Franklin at his shop in Philadelphia between 1736 and 1762.
To complete the project, ULS created an advanced scanning center within its Digital Research Library. ULS is a member of the Open Content Alliance, so, as contents of the Darlington Library become digitzed, ULS will contribute the resources to the Internet archive as well as deliver them through it own Web portal.
IMLS extends leadership grant deadline to March 1
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has moved the deadline for grant applications for its 2007 National Leadership Grant Program to March 1, 2007. The previous deadline was February 1. These grants will provide an opportunity to explore important research questions, develop and test new models of library and museum service, and help build digital resources. This year, the three funding categories are building digital resources, library and museum community collaboration, and research and demonstration. Library applicants may request between $25,000 and $1 million. In addition, collaborative planning grants of $30,000 are being offered for the first time to enable project teams from more than one institution to work together.
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I can’t live without . . .
CSPAN-2’s Book TV Web site is indispensable. It complements the nonfiction book-related programming aired each weekend on Brian Lamb’s nonprofit cable channel. Coverage runs the gamut, spanning book festivals, authors’ bookstore readings, panel discussions hosted by think tanks, and university guest lectures. Some of the content then becomes available for viewing on the Web site. Here is a representative snippet of the superlative programming: you might choose to view a broadcast of the National Book Awards ceremony, witness discussions at the Harlem Book Fair, and then watch a panel of experts (including Sidney Verba, director of the University Library at Harvard) discuss “The Google Print Project and the Future of the Written Word.” The site is particularly relevant for bibliographers collecting in the areas of history, political science, and public affairs.—Wendy Highby, University of Northern Colorado
. . . BookTV
www.booktv.org
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Call for Papers: STS Forum at ALA Annual Conference
ACRL’s Science and Technology Section’s (STS) Research Committee invites submission of abstracts of research papers to be given at the STS Forum for Science and Technology Library Research, Sunday, June 24, 2007, from 4:00–5:30 p.m. at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington D.C. The Research Forum provides an opportunity to share research in the field of science and technology librarianship through the presentation of 30-minute papers.
Two proposals will be selected through a blind review process on the basis of timeliness, evidence of scholarship, and relevance to sciences and technology librarianship. The abstract should not exceed 250 words and should convey the title and purpose of the project, its scope, methodology, conclusions, and relevance to science and technology librarianship. The deadline for submissions is January 19, 2007.
Submit proposals via e-mail to William Simpson at wsimpson@udel.edu, cochair of the STS Research Committee. Please include name, institution, phone, fax, and e-mail address. Questions may be submitted to Simpson or to Sarah Hone-Ji Jeong at jeongsh@wfu.edu.
125 years of Los Angeles Times commemorated
A new exhibit, “First Freedoms: The Los Angeles Times and the Right to a Free Press 1881–2006,” honors the history of the paper and its role in defending free speech. Opening February 10 through June 3, 2007, at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, the exhibit will showcase materials dealing with freedom of the press. These include items from the 1972 arrest of reporter Bill Farr, who was jailed for refusing to reveal sources in the case against mass murderer Charles Manson. Other notable items include the LA Times’ 1942 Pulitzer won for defending for all U.S. newspapers the right of a free press and editorial cartoons by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Paul Conrad. An exhibition highlight is the only known existing first issue of the paper.
New publishing partnership on sacred landmarks established
Kent State University Press and the Center for Sacred Landmarks at Cleveland State University’s Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs have formed a new publishing partnership to copublish a series of books on sacred landmarks.
The Sacred Landmarks Series will include works of both scholarship and general interest that preserve the history and increase understanding of religious sites, structures, and organizations in Northeast Ohio, the United States, and the world. The first volume in the series will be published in 2008.
Michael J. Tevesz, director of the Center for Sacred Landmarks, will edit the series, acquiring new manuscripts and acting as developmental editor in concert with other scholars. The Kent State University Press will publish the books.
The Center for Sacred Landmarks is a research and public service center that provides information about Cleveland’s and Northeast Ohio’s religious structures and organizations and their past and present roles. The center’s Web site is at urban.csuohio.edu/sacredlandmarks/.
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Become an ACRL legislative advocate
Are you interested in federal legislation and policy affecting libraries? Are you connected in your campus community? Are you willing to work with your members of Congress for change?
ACRL needs you!
Become an ACRL legislative advocate. To supplement the existing ACRL Legislative Network, ACRL is creating the new position of legislative advocate. Recognizing that not all ACRL members are active in their local chapters, we are directly recruiting legislative advocates in an effort to complement the good work the chapter networks and the chapter legislative coordinators are doing. Legislative advocates may work on other library legislative efforts in the state or region.
Selection as a legislative advocate is not automatic: those qualified will be selected to serve their profession with a two-year term, which may be renewed upon review by the Government Relations Committee. Legislative advocates will be recognized and honored on the ACRL Web site, annually in C&RL News, and during ALA Legislative Day activities.
Qualifications and responsibilities
• Become familiar with major legislative issues of importance to ACRL, as outlined in the ACRL legislative agenda, which is updated annually.
• Establish relationships with the staff of the two senators from his or her state, as well as the staff of his or her local U.S. representative.
• Visit the in-state offices and, as possible, the Washington offices of his or her senators and legislator.
• Communicate by e-mail, phone, or written communication to the senators and the local representative on selected issues of importance, three or four per year, that are identified by the ACRL government relations specialist.
• Develop relationships with president, provost, members of the faculty, and other members of the academy who may be advocates for library issues.
• As needed, attend an advocacy training workshop, one time (either virtual or face-to-face) at the ALA Midwinter Meeting or ALA Annual Conference.
• Attend an annual briefing on legislative issues that will be held in conjunction with either the ALA Midwinter Meeting or ALA Annual Conference or provided virtually.
• Be available for consultation with the ACRL office and/or the ALA Washington Office on issues important to higher education and academic libraries.
• Work with the chapter legislative coordinator for the local ACRL chapter on advocacy issues.
• Complete semi-annual and annual reports to ACRL on advocacy activities.
• Maintain membership in ALA and ACRL.
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