c/o Katina Strauch 209 Richardson Avenue MSC 98, The Citadel Charleston, SC 29409 ALA MIDWINTER issue TM
volume 28, number 1 FEBRUARY 2016
ISSN: 1043-2094 “Linking Publishers, Vendors and Librarians” What’s In a Container? The Future of the Scholarly Journal by Andrew Wesolek (Head of Digital Scholarship, Clemson University)
s we concluded work on our book, Mak- publishers, offer insights not only into the fu- rise to article level metrics and show how ing Institutional Repositories Work, it ture of the journal as a container of scholarship, these new measures, or altmetrics, are having Abecame clear that much remained to be but into the future of scholarly communication. an impact on decisions scholars are making in said. In our discussions, we often wondered And yes, the irony inherent in guest editing terms of where they choose to publish. Second, how the rise of institutional reposi- an issue of a journal that questions authors explore the role of author copyrights in tories was impacting and would the future of that medium was not scholarly publishing, and how the traditional continue to impact the role of lost on us. Although it is in approach impacts scholarly communication the traditional journal as a virtually all respects a “tra- and library budgets. container for scholarship. ditional,” subscription-based Delving deeper into the themes identified More broadly, as authors periodical, we think that the by Myers and Wright, Collister and Deliyan- continue to take on some of uniquely diverse audience of nides make the case for the inclusion of Alt- the work of disseminating Against the Grain coupled metrics, as an additional and complementary their individual articles on- with the fact that the magazine component along the continuum of scholarly line, impact metrics become has never shied from honest impact metric components. These new metrics more granular, and open ac- analysis and reflection on the world are especially important in an environment of cess megajournals shift focus from content type of scholarly communication makes it an appro- emerging dissemination models and new ways to sound science, it would appear that we may priate venue for this discussion. to measure promotion, tenure, and impact. be nearing the end of the era of the “traditional” In our first contribution, “Academic Pub- continued on page 10 scholarly journal. lishing Traditions,” Meyers and Wright pro- While we did not have the space or time to vide context for the issue, by focusing on two solicit thoughts on the future of the scholarly challenges facing the traditional journal: new What To Look For In This Issue: journal in our book, we are grateful for the article-level metrics and author copyrights. opportunity to do so here. Taken as a whole, the First, the authors provide a background for What’s On Your Nightstand?...... 48 contributors to this issue, both librarians and the factors and philosophies that have given Can Laches Bar a Copyright Claim?....49 Facing the Ugly Truth: Inventory.....62 Reading the Room...... 63 If Rumors Were Horses Legends, Or What’s An Expanded Universe?...... 72 et more consolidation! YBP has pur- February issue of ATG — one from YBP and Exploring Information of Japanese chased Ambassador Book Services. the other from Ambassador! Americans’ Experiences in Internment YYBP and Ambassador Book Services Have you kept up with all that’s happening Camps during World War II...... 75 are working closely together to transition Am- with the Librarian of Congress (LnOC) Reflections about Consortia-world...78 bassador customers over to YBP’s systems position? James Billington was appointed Interviews and services. To avoid any interruption of by Ronald Reagan in 1987and has retired/ service, YBP representatives will be in touch resigned. David S. Mao became Acting Jason Coleman...... 34 shortly to assist with the transition of Ambas- Librarian of Congress Oct. 1, 2015. Nancy Peter C. Froehlich...... 37 sador accounts to YBP. Herther has written a two-part article on Profiles Encouraged https://www.ebsco.com/promo/ambassa- the ATG NewsChannel about the issues sur- dor-book-services rounding this important appointment including Jason Coleman...... 33 Oh! How great that Billington’s accomplishments, and the need for University of Virginia Press...... 36 we have two ads back vision and oversight of the Library of Con- to back gress position. There are countless questions at the and countless opinions on the next steps and front what should be done. Peter Brantley (Director of this continued on page 6 1043-2094(201602)28:1;1-V 11115Ambassador2015Library_8.5x11_wBleed.indd 1 4/10/15 1:50 PM
Against The Grain Against the Grain (USPS 012-618) (ISSN 1043-2094) is TABLE OF CONTENTS published six times a year in February, April, June, Sep- tember, November, and December/January by Against the v.28 #1 February 2016 © Katina Strauch Grain, LLC, 209 Richardson Ave., MSC 98, The Citadel, Charleston, SC 29409. Subscription price per year is $55 U.S. ($65 Canada, $90 foreign, payable in U.S. dollars). ISSUES, NEWS, & GOINGS ON Periodicals postage paid at Charleston, SC. Postmaster: Send change of address to Against the Grain, LLC, 209 Rich- Rumors...... 1 Letters to the Editor...... 6 ardson Ave., MSC 98, The Citadel, Charleston, SC 29409. From Your Editor...... 6 Deadlines...... 6 Editor: Katina Strauch (College of Charleston) FEATURES Associate Editors: Cris Ferguson (Murray State) What’s In a Container? The Future of the Scholarly Journal Tom Gilson (College of Charleston) Guest Editors, Andrew Wesolek, David Scherer, and Burton Callicott John Riley (Consultant) Research Editors: What’s In a Container? The Future of How and Why Data Repositories are Judy Luther (Informed Strategies) the Scholarly Journal...... 1 Changing Academia...... 22 Assistants to the Editor: by Andrew Wesolek, David Scherer, and by Phill Jones and Mark Hahnel — Here is a Ileana Strauch Burton Callicott — This expands on the case for libraries to take a lead in the curation Toni Nix (Just Right Group, LLC) recently published Charleston Insights mono- and dissemination of data. Editor At Large: graph, Making Institutional Repositories Dennis Brunning (Arizona State University) Everything Evolves, Even Work. Contributing Editors: Publishing...... 25 Rick Anderson (University of Utah) Academic Publishing: Tradition, Sever Bordeianu (U. of New Mexico) by Jason Hoyt and Peter Binfield — Technol- Todd Carpenter (NISO) Change, and Opportunities...... 12 ogy won’t solve everything. Bryan Carson (Western Kentucky University) by Carla Myers and Andrea M. Wright — Adaptations in Publishing — Publishers Eleanor Cook (East Carolina University) Scholarly communication is a fluctuating land- Anne Doherty (Choice) scape with options spanning from centuries-old and Librarians Advancing Research.....28 Anthony Ferguson Ruth Fischer (SCS / OCLC) tradition to radical new opportunities. by Maggie Farrell and Alicia Wise — Can Michelle Flinchbaugh (U. of MD Baltimore County) Altmetrics: Documenting the Story of we fulfill the promise of an open, connected Joyce Dixon-Fyle (DePauw University) world together? Research...... 16 Laura Gasaway (UNC, Chapel Hill) Op Ed – IMHBCO...... 32 Regina Gong (Lansing Community College) by Lauren B. Collister and Timothy S. Chuck Hamaker (UNC, Charlotte) Deliyannides — New metrics are important (In My Humble But Correct Opinion) Give William M. Hannay (Schiff, Hardin & Waite) in an environment of emerging dissemination the People What They Want — or What Mark Herring (Winthrop University) They Need? by Rick Anderson — Read this Bob Holley (Wayne State University) models and new ways to measure promotion, Donna Jacobs (MUSC) tenure, and impact. to find out why Rick is talking about water Lindsay Johnston (IGI Global) and broccoli in his Against the Grain column. Publishers and Institutional Myer Kutz (Myer Kutz Associates, Inc.) Back Talk...... 78 Tom Leonhardt Repositories...... 20 Rick Lugg (SCS / OCLC) Reflections about Consortia-world by Ann Jack Montgomery (Western Kentucky University) Forging a Future that Facilitates Green Okerson — In its nineteenth year, ICOLC is Bob Nardini (Coutts Information Services) Open Access for Researchers, Funders and learning how to exist without Tom Sanville. Ann Okerson (Center for Research Libraries) Institutions by Laura Bowering Mullen and Rita Ricketts (Blackwell’s) David Ross — Tackles the issue of author Peter Shepherd (Project COUNTER) copyrights in the open access landscape. Greg Tananbaum (Consultant) Jared Seay (College of Charleston) Graphics: ATG INTERVIEWS Bowles & Carver, Old English Cuts & Illustrations. Jason Coleman...... 34 Peter C. Froehlich...... 37 Grafton, More Silhouettes. Ehmcke, Graphic Trade Symbols By German Designers. Grafton, Ready-to-Use Marketing Director, University of Virginia Director, Purdue University Press Old-Fashioned Illustrations. The Chap Book Style. Press Production & Ad Sales: Toni Nix, Just Right Group, LLC., P.O. Box 412, PROFILES ENCOURAGED Cottageville, SC 29435, phone: 843-835-8604 fax: 843-835-5892
PUBLISHING Uncommon ... Against the Grain is your key to Bet You Missed It...... 10 The Scholarly Publishing Scene...... 59 the latest news about libraries, by Bruce Strauch — What do manuscripts and Another Year of PROSE by Myer Kutz — publishers, book jobbers, and Brad Pitt have in common? Read about it here! This is a competition for the best publications subscription agents. ATG is a unique collection of reports on the issues, And They Were There...... 51 in disciplines in which PSP member companies publish though it is open to non-PSP houses literature, and people that impact Reports of Meetings — In this issue you’ll as well. the world of books, journals, and find the first batch of reports from the 2015 electronic information. Charleston Conference by Ramune Kubilius Don’s Conference Notes...... 67 and her crack team of reporters. The Impact of Open Access Models: An Unconventional ... Optimizing Library Services...... 56 NFAIS Workshop by Donald T. Hawkins — Don reports on the NFAIS workshop en- ATG is published six times a year, SAGs to the Rescue: Student Advisory titled “The Impact of Open Access Models: in February, April, June, September, Groups in the Library by Beth Daniel Lind- Finding Stable, Sustainable and Scalable November, and December/January. say and Ilka Datig — Is a Student Advisory Solutions” which took place in Philadelphia A six-issue subscription is available Group a way to foster community outreach? in October 2015. for only $55 U.S. ($65 Canada, $90 foreign, payable in U.S. dollars), making it an uncommonly good buy BOOKSELLING AND VENDING for all that it covers. Make checks payable to Against the Grain, LLC Little Red Herrings...... 60 Biz of Acq...... 70 and mail to: Roosting Chickens? by Mark Y. Herring — MD-SOAR, Maryland’s Shared Open Katina Strauch Is there something to be learned from those Access Repository: It’s been a Long, Long 209 Richardson Avenue arguing in favor of political correctness? Haul by Michelle Flinchbaugh — This MSC 98, The Citadel Let’s Get Technical...... 61 article is about the eight-year journey to move from an idea to the implementation of a Charleston, SC 29409 A Technical Services Perspective on Taking consortial repository with ten other university *Wire transfers are available, on a Shared Retention Project, Part 2 by libraries. email
TECHNOLOGY AND STANDARDS @Brunning: People & Technology.... 57 Decoder Ring...... 72 At the Only Edge that Means Anything/How Legends, Or What’s An Expanded Uni- We Understand What We Do by Dennis Brun- verse? by Jerry Spiller — Jerry drills down ning — Dennis talks about his iPhone 6 plus, into the Expanded Universe and The Force reading short stories, and the Google books Awakens. case, warehousing books, etc. Name ______Address ______City State Zip ______Company Phone ______Email ______
Against the Grain / February 2016
2016 is off to a good start. Everybody Jason Hoyt and Peter Binfield (technology Bruce Strauch pulls out his legal glasses seems upbeat, the students and faculty are and publishing), and Maggie Farrell and to talk about laches and copyright while back, grandson George is walking and talking Alicia Wise (advancing research). Lolly Gasaway answers all your questions and even has teeth, and we are Our OpEd by Rick An- out there. Michelle Flinchbaugh tells us making new improvements to the derson is about giving peo- about the eight-year journey of the repository library. ple what they want (or not), ScholarWorks@UMBC, Myer Kutz lets us This issue of ATG is especially Back Talk (Ann Okerson) in on the PROSE awards, Ramune Kubilius full of good vibes! What’s In a is about Consortia, Tom and her group give us meeting reports from Container? The Future of the Sanville and ICOLC. the 2015 Charleston Conference as does Don Scholarly Journal by Andrew Our interviews are with Hawkins from NFAIS. Beth Daniel Lindsay Wesolek, David Scherer, and Jason Coleman (University and Ilke Datig talk about Student Advisory Burton Callicott expands on the of Virginia Press) and Peter Groups, Stacey Marien and Alayne Mundt Charleston Insights monograph Froehlich (Purdue University follow up on the Washington Research Making Institutional Reposito- Press). Collecting to the Core is Libraries Consortium and American Uni- ries Work. Articles are by Carla about Francis Paul Prucha’s The Great versity’s shared retention project and there is Myers (academic publishing), Father and Native American Studies. We much more but I have run out of room! Oops! Lauren Collister and Timothy S. Deliyan- have reference reviews from Tom Gilson and Anyway, gotta go to an oyster roast. It’s nides (Altmetrics), Laura Bowering Mullen other reviews from Regina Gong, also Donna an “r” month so the oysters will be perfect. and David Ross (author copyrights), Phill Jacobs continues on her Nobel Laureates and Enjoy and “good vibes” to all y’all! Love, Jones and Mark Hahne (data repositories), Tom Leonhardt talks about his nightstand. Yr. Ed.
Letters to the Editor Rumors from page 1 Send letters to
6 Against the Grain / February 2016
the same issues in a non-threatening, friendly, and highly informal environment.” (http:// www.charlestonlibraryconference.com/about/) The recipient will be a person who has demon- strated an active interest in the profession, but has not had an opportunity to attend, lack of ke a closer look at.... institutional funding. Ta John Riley (who has his own bookstore Gabriel Books in Northampton, Massachu- setts) sends word that Blue Bicycle Books in Charleston was selected by Southern Living as one of the South’s best bookstores. Blue The CHARLESTON REPORT Bicycle Books is owned by the innovative, Business Insights into the Library Market hard-working team of Jonathan Sanchez and his wife Lauren. Jonathan has an awesome Instagrammed-bike called the Blue Bicycle. A You Need The Charleston Report... little trivia here. Do you remember that there once was a book called La Bicyclette bleue if you are a publisher, vendor, product developer, merchandiser, (The Blue Bicycle) which was a bestseller in consultant or wholesaler who is interested in improving France and caused a major international intel- lectual property court case. In the initial ruling, and/or expanding your position in the U.S. library market. Regine Deforges was found guilty of plagia- rizing Gone With the Wind (later reversed). Subscribe today at our discounted rate of only $75.00 And would you believe that Jonathan Sanchez and our own Leah Hinds’ husband Patrick were roommates in college? Even more. Blue Bicycle Books was once Boomers Books The Charleston Company owned by Jim and Lee Breeden from South- 6180 East Warren Avenue, Denver, CO 80222 ern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Jim and Lee have a place in Charleston and Phone: 303-282-9706 • Fax: 303-282-9743 Jim is a volunteer at the Addlestone Library processing gift books of which we get plenty! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Régine_De- forges http://www.southernliving.com/trav- Just heard from Michael DiSanto of el/2016-souths-best-bookstores/blue-bicy- Rumors Springer/Nature. What wonderful news! cle-books-image from page 6 They want to sponsor a memorial scholar- Speaking of gifts, read Steve Carrico’s ship in honor of Cynthia Hurd, the public Materials Gifts to Libraries in Michael https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/h/ librarian who was shot at Mother Emanuel Arthur’s Being Earnest with Collections search?si=1&so=0&sc=34440&s- AME Church. The Cynthia Graham Hurd column, this issue, p.64. fi=1697570&st=message&id=1781187&x- Memorial Scholarship for Attendance at im=1&action=view the Charleston Conference. The attendance Returning to bookstores, the article “Sell- Was talking to Regina Gong who is doing includes travel, accommodations (hotel and ing Books in a World Without Bookstores” by a great job of book reviewing, isn’t she? She meal stipend) and will be an annual award. Caleb Mason is worth a look. Mason says that wished me happy Chinese New Year since it Cynthia Hurd was a librarian for over 31 years even though bookstore sales have hit a plateau, began the 11th of February! Happy Chinese in Charleston public and academic libraries. we need to prepare for the “post-bookstore New Year! It’s the Year of the Monkey! She worked as the branch manager of the pop- world: bookstores sales were $11.17 billion in 2015, down from more than $17 billion in http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/ ular St. Andrews Regional Library, and as a 2007 (source: Publishers Weekly), now is the asia/china/12148312/chinese-new-year-2016- part-time reference librarian at the College of time to increase the urgency while we can, to year-of-the-monkey-chinese-horoscope-zodi- Charleston. As her brother, Malcolm Gra- establish separate digital divisions, companies, ac-lunar-new-year.html ham remarked in a press release hosted on the Charleston County Public Library site after and R&D units that can operate as if there are Got the January/February Information To- her passing, Ms. Hurd “helped her community no bookstores.” There is disagreement from day with a great write up of the 2015 Charles- discover themselves and learn skills that gave Martin Foner. What do you think? ton Conference by Don Hawkins. Don liked them the ability to live and grow” (http://ccpl. http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/ the new venue in the Gaillard Center but org/content.asp?id=147052&action=detail&- post/selling-books-world-without-book- some of us missed the intimacy of the Francis catID=5367&parentID=5368). On June 17, stores/#utm_source=book-business-in- Marion. This year we will continue to use the 2015, her life ended when a lone gunman sight&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_cam- Gaillard and with some adjustments we will entered the historic Emanuel AME and killed paign=2016-02-16&utm_content=selling+- all be happy! BTW, the 2016 Charleston nine people after attending a prayer meeting. books+in+a+world+without+bookstores-1 Conference will be November 2-5. We are Despite that tragic loss, Hurd is remembered thrilled that we will be a week before Daylight Speaking of keeping print books, I found as a “tireless servant of the community who Savings Time so it will be sunnier outside, fin- Mike Garabedian’s “Shared Print and the spent her life helping residents, making sure gers crossed. Leah will have the Conference Book as Artifact” worth considering. Mike they had every opportunity for an education Website updated shortly. asks if in the post-print age we are paying any and personal growth” (http://lj.libraryjournal. www.charlestonlibraryconference.com attention to the artifactual value of the copies com/2015/06/industry-news/cynthia-g-hurd- retained, see this issue p.73. Speaking of Leah, she will be doing a reg- librarian-among-those-killed-in-charleston- ular column in every issue of ATG to keep us shooting/). The Charleston Conference Erin Gallagher’s Hot Topics on the ATG up-to-date with all the new issues and events is designed to be a “collegial gathering of NewsChannel this week (did you realize that we need to keep up with. individuals from different areas who discuss continued on page 30
8 Against the Grain / February 2016
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BOOKSTORE MAGIC THOSE OBSCENELY LUCRATIVE APPS by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) Rick Bass writes a paean to Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi. Iranian immigrant Farhad Mohit (UCLA, MBA Wharton) created Says it has not lost its soul and succumbed to the temptation to become Flipagram, now the No.1 iPhone download in 87 countries. It lets you a bakery, a video rental, or quilting salon. Owners Richard and Lisa make “Flips” — mashups of videos, photos, text, and 30-second cuts Howorth taught him to write by handing him books to read. At the of hit songs. time, Eudora Welty was still alive. Local firefighterLarry Brown was Which is to say, it’s Instagram with music. And I guess their big about to hit it. John Grisham had his first book out. innovation is licensing a searchable catalog of millions of tunes. Now there’s a children’s book store, Square Books, Jr. And another Music stars like Garth Brooks and Britney Spears are posting book store Off Square Books where a weekly variety show Thacker videos on it and getting thousands of likes. And of course you get Mountain Radio is broadcast. teenagers dancing in their rooms and dog and cat films. See — Rick Bass, “Square Roots,” Garden & Gun, June, July, Michael Moritz’ Sequoia Capital has shoved $70 million at him, 2014, p.117. wanting in on the next social media monster. See — Kathleen Chaykowski, “Flipagram’s A Big Deal, How Big? The last startup that had Michael Moritz and John Doerr on the same board was Google,” Forbes, Dec. 14, 2015, p.66. UNROLLING THE SCROLLS by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) In 1752, 800 papyrus scrolls were uncovered from a lava buried villa in Herculaneum. It’s a seriously big ancient library, and the academic FINANCIAL RUIN AS COMEDY world assumed they’d find vanished classics. Only oneSappho poem by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) remains, yet we know there were nine volumes. Thirty-five Livy Finance writer wunderkind Michael Lewis (Liar’s Poker, Flash volumes out of 142. Suetonius’ missing “Lives of Famous Whores.” Boys, Moneyball, The Blind Side) has had The Big Short made into a But every time they’d try to unroll movie. Fifteen neophytes bet against the subprime mortgage market one, it would turn to dust. The applica- and became billionaires. tion of modern chemicals was equally His big challenge for a movie? How do you make a mass audience disastrous. interested in mortgage default swaps? How do you show a Wall Street Now, computer-science whiz Brent where you can’t tell where stupidity ended and corruption began. “Treat Seales of the University of Kentucky your audiences like poets and geniuses and that’s what they’ll become.” is trying to “virtually unwrap” scrolls And the stars have to be in alignment. Lewis realized Moneyball was using molecular-level X-ray technology going to be a movie when his publisher called and said, “You bastard, and spectral imaging techniques. Brad Pitt is on his way to my house. The babysitter showed up wearing See — John Seabrook, “The Invisi- a dress, and my wife is putting on makeup.” ble Library,” The New Yorker, Nov. 16, See — Michael Lewis, “Big Short, Big Screen,” Vanity Fair, Hol- 2015, p.62. iday, 2015-2016, p. 112.
Our final three contributions look slightly unanswered and strategies have yet to be de- What’s In a Container? further afield, with focuses on emerging trends veloped, the authors call for new and diverse from page 1 in scholarly publishing, and the adaptations sets of solutions that won’t be solved merely of established publishers. First, Jones and by advances in technology. In “Publishers and Institutional Reposi- Hahnel make a clear and straightforward case Finally, in “Adaptations of Established tories: Forging a future that facilitates green for libraries to take a lead in the curation and Publishers,” a librarian, Farrell, and a pub- open access for researchers, funders and dissemination of data in “How and Why Data lisher, Wise, come together to discuss new institutions,” Mullen and Ross explore the Repositories are Changing Academia.” Al- collaborative tools designed to help research- issue of author copyrights within a rapidly though there are real and seemingly imposing ers share and publicize their work as well as changing open access landscape, and the issues associated with data such as copyright, discuss ways that these tools can help reframe tensions inherent in the motivations and context, file types, etc., the authors show how and potentially repair what has often become economic realities of university faculty, pub- these perceived obstacles can and should be a contentious relationship between publishers lishers, funding agencies, and librarians. Far overcome. and libraries. Frank and honest financial from confrontational, the authors, a librarian Hoyt and Binfield then describe how the realities are put in the context of repositories, and a publisher, seek common ground while era of the internet has given rise to scholarly embargoes, and efforts to standardize new tools identifying pathways forward for mutually communication assets like OA and mega- for dissemination of scholarship. beneficial success. journals. While many questions are still left
10 Against the Grain / February 2016
Academic Publishing: Tradition, Change, and Opportunities by Carla Myers (Assistant Professor, Director of Access Services and Scholarly Communications, The Kraemer Family Library, The University of Colorado, Colorado Springs)
he publication of the first academic not only helped support the emergence and scholarship. With a DOI in place, the types journal in the mid-1600s introduced a popularization of e-journals, but also gave rise of metrics and sources of those metrics are Tnew way for academics to engage in to an idea that scholarly information should vast (see Table 1). “Views,” “saves,” and scholarly discourse and started a trend that be made free online to all around the globe. “downloads” reveal article impact that may grew exponentially over the years. Michael This idea evolved into the Open Access (OA) not yet have been published or may not be Mabe estimates that “from 1900 to 1940 the movement, which championed literature that appropriate for citation, but that still influ- number of active journal titles grew at an is “digital, online, free of charge, and free of ences other research. Shares or discussions annual rate of 3.23%, a doubling time of 22 most copyright and licensing restrictions.”4 OA highlight the social conversation that has years.”1 Over the next quarter of a century journal publication has seen the same exponen- always existed around research, but had not Mabe estimated the journal growth rate at tial growth over the past decade that traditional previously been discoverable. Altmetrics 4.35%, and for the last quarter of the twentieth journal publishing experienced throughout the also enables academic scholarship and the century he placed the growth rate at 3.26%.2 twentieth century. The Directory of Open discussion around it to be more accessible to Recent research performed by Ware and Mabe Access Journals (DOAJ), a Website that seeks the public. Certain metric sources are highly found that “there were about 28,100 active to “increase the visibility and ease of use of academic, such as Mendeley and FigShare. scholarly peer-reviewed journals in mid-2012, open access scientific and scholarly journals,”5 Other sources, such as Twitter, Facebook, collectively publishing about 1.8-1.9 million was launched in 2003 with 300 OA journals and Wikipedia, are more heavily trafficked by articles a year.”3 on record. Currently it indexes “more than the general public. The scholar/public aspect While this rapid expansion ensured that 10,000 open access journals covering all areas of sources adds more nuance to the data. And of science, technology, medicine, social science there is still value in traditional metrics, such scholars had extensive options for sharing their 6 scholarly works, it also created a problem for and humanities.” as times cited. A major change for this spe- scholars: the overwhelming amount of new This digital revolution in journal publishing cific metric is that this information was once research published in disparate titles meant that also transformed bibliometrics. Just as iTunes only available through expensive subscription staying current became a job in and of itself. unbundled music albums in a digital age, the databases such as Web of Science and Sco- Additionally, for those doing research outside emergence of online publication and digital pus. Now that data is available in publicly of their area of expertise, it could be difficult databases unbundled journals and rendered accessible sources, such as Google Scholar, to determine which articles were the most journal-level metrics meaningless. It was now and the raw counts from Web of Science and informative or influential. In an effort to help possible to easily track discrete articles rather Scopus can be accessed without a subscrip- researchers assess the quality or importance of than focusing on the entire journal. Online tion. Given the wide range of altmetrics and a given article, measurements of the article’s or publishing also made it possible to track pieces data sources, a number of service providers journal’s use — bibliometrics — were utilized of articles, like data sets and software, in a way have developed aggregate metrics associated to convey the value or impact of scholarship. that was impossible with traditional, subscrip- with a particular article or author. Examples For much of the twentieth century, citation tion journals. Article level metrics removed the include ImpactStory, Altmetric, and Plum counts and journal-level analyses of these challenges of journal-level evaluation tools by Analytics. counts were the dominant measures of impact. providing data specific to the work regardless With thousands of digital, online scholarly Perhaps the most well-known and criticized of the container of that work. journals in existence that allow authors to metric is journal impact factors. Developed Perhaps the greatest change digital publica- reach a worldwide audience and altmetrics by Eugene Garfield in the 1960s, the initial tion has brought to bibliometrics is the dramatic providing authors with new and unique ways purpose of impact factors was to identify increase in the types of metrics available. So- in which to gauge the impact of their published important journals regardless of their size and cial media has completely changed the way that works, one would think that the scholars are raw citation counts. The problem with impact we discover, share, and discuss information, living in a publishing utopia, but that is not factors, and the heart of most critiques of the including new research. Conversations that the reality. Scholars, especially those seeking measure, developed when they started to be once happened in a hallway or through email tenure, often have difficulty choosing between used as a proxy to convey the impact, not of are now posted online. Research that we once traditional academic journals and OA journals, a journal brand, but of the specific articles saved in a desk drawer is now saved in the as both models have their advantages and within it. High journal impact factor does not cloud of reference management software. And disadvantages. guarantee high citation counts for each article with the right software and tools most of this Under the centuries-old, traditional publi- within it. Likewise, low (or no) impact factor activity can be tracked. These new metrics are cation model, authors provide their manuscript journal articles may be highly influential, and often referred to as altmetrics, a term fittingly to journal publishers free-of-charge and, except thus highly cited. coined in a tweet by Jason Priem, to emphasize in rare circumstances, receive no remuneration Toward the end of the twentieth century, a the variety of both the types of scholarship from any profits the publisher derives from its major change occurred that greatly impacted produced and the ways in which their impact publication. Publishers place articles behind both the publication of scholarly journals and can be measured. a paywall, requiring individuals wishing to bibliometrics. In the 1990s, journals published Most metrics are tracked via the digital access them to purchase a personal subscrip- in an electronic format began to gain popularity object identifier (DOI). DOIs are a unique tion to the publication, to purchase access to and, as technology improved over the next alphanumeric string assigned to a digital ob- articles on a title-by-title basis, or to belong decade, electronic journals, or e-journals, soon ject that enables consistent reference linking to an academic institution or scholarly orga- became the desired subscription format. The and tracking. Because DOIs can be applied nization that subscribes to the publication on widespread expansion of public access to the to any digital object, the linking and tracking their behalf. This pay-for-access model can Internet at the start of the twenty-first century benefits are available to any type of digital continued on page 14
12 Against the Grain / February 2016
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style.mla.org ● www.mla.org Table 1 Academic Publishing: Tradition ... from page 12 limit the impact of an article as it can only be accessed, downloaded, and cited by those who can afford to pay for it. In addition to obtaining manuscripts free-of-charge, many traditional publishers require authors to assign copyright to them as a condition of publication. It is also not unusual for these publication agreements to prevent the author from reusing text, images, charts and graphs developed for publication. These types of copyright transfers can inhibit a scholar’s ability to reuse text and graphics in subsequent writings on a topic or to publish follow-up studies on their original research. It is also not unusual for publication agreements to prohibit or restrict the author’s ability to provide colleagues or students with copies of A growing body of research continues to show While there is much debate about the future their work, which limits their ability to promote that OA articles are more highly cited than of scholarly journal publishing, one certainty their own scholarship or create interest in their toll-access articles, regardless of academic is that neither the traditional publication model field of study. Journal publishers defend this field, in what has become known as the open nor OA publishing will be eliminated anytime publication model by citing the services they access citation advantage. Recent research soon. Both are too embedded in our scholarly provide to authors, such as administration by Wang, Liu, Mao, and Fang confirmed the culture to be eliminated entirely. Rather, both of the peer-review process, copyediting, for- open access citation advantage and also found models will need to find ways to grow and matting the manuscript for publication, and that the open access advantage extended to evolve to ensure they stay relevant. Perhaps promotion of the work. They also argue that altmetrics.9 OA articles received more shares the biggest challenge facing the traditional publication in prestigious titles affords authors on Facebook and Twitter, more average page journal publication model is the commercial a certain level of esteem that can further their views, and more citations on average than interests of many publishers who have raised career and help them obtain tenure and promo- toll-access articles published in the same subscription rates “at triple the rate of inflation tion. While these are all potential benefits of journal at the same time. Additionally, they for the past three decades.”10 These increases publication, many argue that they are extremely found that OA articles also maintained steady have been levied despite the fact that 80% of limited, especially when compared to those the page view growth over time, compared to their subscription revenue comes from aca- publisher receives. Robert Darnton, Pfor- toll articles which leveled off after an initial demic libraries,11 many of which have stagnant zheimer University Professor and Harvard 30-day spike. This investigation confirms the budgets or are facing budget cuts. While University Librarian, states that the “commer- complementary nature of OA and altmetrics as subscription price reductions are unlikely, cial interests” of these publishers “have taken an agent for change in scholarly publishing. many traditional commercial publishers have over the communication of knowledge, and we responded to the success of the OA movement 7 OA publishing does present a few challeng- academics have to fight back.” es to authors. Despite evidence attesting to the by making journal backfiles free to read after Craig Lambert continues this call by quality and impact of OA publications, many embargo periods and offer OA titles with APC stating that “Open Access is a major weapon”8 scholars are still wary of the movement. Some charges to shift the revenue stream from reader in the fight against the commercialization scholars who are seeking tenure shy away to author. OA publishers continue to promote of scholarly journal publication. Most OA from OA journals out of a fear that publishing the benefits their publication model affords journals use the same peer-review process in newer titles or ones that may not have a authors and users, and their efforts have been that traditional journals use to help ensure sustained reputation will hurt their chances supported by funding agencies. Some gov- the quality of the scholarly articles they for promotion. Another problem can be the ernment agencies and private foundations now publish. Then, in support of the principles Article Processing Charge (APC) that many require that data and publications that derive of OA, these journal publishers make arti- OA journals require. Because OA journals from funded research must be made freely cles freely available online, often under a do not charge subscription fees, they need to available to the public. Creative Commons license. OA journals find alternate ways of covering their operating Some scholars are choosing to forgo the generally allow authors to retain almost all expenses which may include platform hosting formal publishing model entirely, making their of their copyright in the article, which allows fees, DOI fees, and marketing expenses. Some scholarship freely available through blogs or them to freely reuse text, images, charts, and OA publishers acquire grants or receive funds repositories. Others are experimenting with graphs in future works as well as distribute from scholarly societies to cover these expens- new models like Peer J, which offers open peer copies to others who are interested in their es. Others assess authors publishing in their review. As with the rise of the OA movement, work through channels that altmetrics can journal an APC fee to help cover publication these alternate methods of publishing are not track including social media, blogs, an online costs. These fees can range from a few hundred likely to replace traditional journal publica- repository, or a personal Webpage. Supporters dollars to several thousand dollars, depending tions, but rather expand and enhance the ways of the OA movement have been among the on the level of financial support the journal in which scholars communicate. Altmetrics first to implement altmetrics for researchers. receives from the society or organization that can provide guidance to both publishers and au- The Public Library of Science (PLoS) and publishes it. Some authors may be able to pay thors as to the best way for sharing scholarship other OA publishers provide article level APCs through grant funds, but authors with that promotes public discussion and inspires metrics for each article they publish. Institu- limited support may be unable to afford the new research. Scholarly communication is a tional repositories provide data on downloads charges, even if they are on the lower end of fluctuating landscape with options spanning and views for their content, and some have the APC cost spectrum. While most reputable from centuries-old tradition to radical new contracted with aggregators to provide even OA publishers are willing to negotiate or even opportunities. It will take exploration and more altmetric data to their scholars. When waive APC charges for authors who are unable understanding from all stakeholders — pub- OA supporters and publishers provide DOIs to afford them, some authors view APCs dis- lishers, authors, libraries, and readers — to for their publications, they expand the ease of tastefully as a “pay-to-publish” business model find the best ways forward. obtaining altmetric data from their platforms. and choose to forgo OA publishing altogether. endnotes on page 18 14 Against the Grain / February 2016
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A26651 Altmetrics: Documenting the Story of Research by Lauren B. Collister, PhD (Scholarly Communications Librarian, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh)
s the scholarly communication system becomes increasingly stand the relationship of altmetrics and citations, altmetrics remain diverse, new tools arise that allow scholars to tell the story of a powerful tool for assessing impact beyond citation counts and Atheir research and evaluate how their work is being used after its academia. As more journals provide altmetrics data for their articles, publication. The set of tools known as altmetrics have had an impact these tools can provide a more complete picture of the impact of re- on journal article evaluation in particular. search in a variety of different fields and help scholars tell the story Altmetrics, a blend of the words “alternative” and “metrics,” show of their research. the use of an article beyond citation counts, which are a method tradi- There are many providers of altmetrics data, each with different tionally used to evaluate the impact of an article. This usage can include strengths and audiences. Some providers show metrics directly on appearances on Wikipedia, discussion in social media outlets, saves the publication page of a journal article, while others allow authors to in bookmarking programs like Mendeley or Delicious, blog posts and create a profile and input their citations to begin altmetrics tracking. In Websites that reference the article, and many more. While citation counts this short article, we will first share two brief examples of the different have traditionally been viewed as the purest measure of scholarly usage types of altmetrics providers, Altmetric and ImpactStory, followed by of an article, altmetrics present a more comprehensive view of how the an examination of the University of Pittsburgh’s implementation of article is used in less formal ways and in less academic outlets. This PlumX for journal article metrics as well as author profiles. usage tracked by altmetrics tends to happen more quickly than traditional citation counts and some early research shows that certain altmetrics Altmetrics for Publishers and Researchers may actually predict future citation rates. When a new journal issue In this section, we will share two examples of altmetrics providers, is published online, altmetrics can track the number of times an article one that is aimed primarily at publishers and universities (Altmetric), is downloaded immediately, within days of publication. If a new arti- and one that is targeted to individual researchers (ImpactStory). cle is widely downloaded Following this section, we will detail a case study of the use of a third and read, then it seems provider, Plum Analytics, by the University Library System at the possible that the article University of Pittsburgh. will eventually receive One major player in the field is Altmetric (altmetric.com), whose citations from those peo- data can be seen on journal articles from a number of major publishers. ple who have downloaded The data from Altmetric are shown as a “doughnut” with a numerical and read it. Research by score for an article; this information appears on articles in major journals Ehsan Mohammadi and such as Nature Publishing and BioMed Central journals. Institutions colleagues (2015) indicates can also have an institutional account at Altmetric, which allows that Mendeley usage by tracking of altmetrics from researchers, research groups, and depart- users who are graduate stu- ments from an institution. There is also a bookmark app for individual dents and faculty can be an researchers to find altmetrics data about their papers. See Figure 1. early predictor of citation ImpactStory is another altmetrics provider, although this service is counts. This is not always directed at the authors rather than the journals. Users of ImpactStory the case for all altmetrics, can input their own citations and links to their articles and ImpactStory however, as social media will gather various metrics and generate a report for the user. Impact- altmetrics data is correlat- Story is often used to create an author profile that shows an overview of ed relatively weakly with the impact of an individual scholar’s research work. Each article listed citation counts according to in a profile can be explored for altmetrics from a variety of sources; the research by Costas, Zahe- article and the author can be compared with the rest of the userbase of di, and Wouters (2015a). ImpactStory as a percentile ranking. See Figure 2. Rather than thinking of altmetrics as a simple complement or alternative to tra- ditional metrics, the wide range of avail- able metrics can be viewed as existing along a continu- um from scholarly impact on one end (traditional citations and bookmarks in reference manage- Figure 1: Altmetrics informa- ment databases) to tion from Altmetric for the article popular and societal “Male and Female Brain Evolution impact on the other (tweets and Face- is Subject to Contrasting Selection book mentions). Figure 2: Altmetrics data and ranking for an article in ImpactStory. Pressures in Primates” published While more time (https://impactstory.org/lbcollister/product/6ov0voc8w7lbuiv2tdgx- in BMC Biology, 2007. dx.doi. and research are bx3z/metrics) org/10.1186/1741-7007-5-21 needed to under- continued on page 17
16 Against the Grain / February 2016
18 Against the Grain / February 2016
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Powered by photonics Visit www.SDLinfo.org for information on subscribing Publishers and Institutional Repositories: Forging a Future that Facilitates Green Open Access for Researchers, Funders and Institutions by Laura Bowering Mullen (Behavioral Sciences Librarian; Open Access Specialist, Rutgers University Library of Science and Medicine)
n a rapidly evolving scholarly communi- Harvard style OA policies continue to emerge trol of their content. These societies are also cation landscape, some have felt that the in more universities. Authors want to under- part of the OA policy landscape, and all must be Iagendas of institutional repositories and stand their rights, and how to share their work mindful of their interests and concerns. There publishers are on somewhat of a collision legally online. Librarians and publishers alike is no crystal ball in which to view a future course, or at least that they must maintain a need to provide clarity for authors, ensuring world that includes IRs filled with sometimes somewhat uneasy alliance. Each year, there that they are able to succeed in publishing their multiple versions of published articles. In are more institutional repositories (see ROAR, work while complying with all institutional many ways, the system of self-archiving relies http://roar.eprints.org/), and more institutional and funder policies — of which there can be on the health of the subscription journal pub- and funder Open Access (OA) policies (see multiple for a single article. lishing system — it is the journal that filters ROARMAP, http://roarmap.eprints.org/). The implementation of university OA pol- articles and confers authority on the work. Most OA policies target peer-reviewed journal icies has the potential to be a game changer Some have prophesied that the eventual end article-type literature and one of the major roles for IRs, further integrating one of the larger point of a high rate of green OA could be the of the institutional repository (IR) is to gather functions of the library into the mission of the collapse of the subscription publishing system together, disseminate and preserve the schol- university. In general, OA has opened up a and there are many in the scholarly communi- arly work of the institution’s authors. Adding new and exciting focus for cation system that would like to the momentum created by institutional academic libraries and librar- to see the entire system trans- OA policies, there is also an ever increasing ians, and many OA policy- form; whether by “flipping” number of funder mandates, including many making and implementation the system from subscrip- in new disciplinary areas. Compliance for the teams have benefited from tion to gold OA, replacing majority of these OA policies requires author the inclusion of librarians. traditional publishing with self-archiving of Accepted Manuscripts (AM) Librarians are able to bring new paradigms including through an institutional IR. Along with this to the table an extensive library-based publishing, need to comply with OA mandates, it is clear knowledge of scholarly com- or by upending traditional that record numbers of scholars want to harness munication issues, including systems that record impact. the power of the internet to share their work the complexities of green Whatever the long term widely. Repositories hold millions of articles, and gold OA. The number holds, librarians working many in multiple versions. What does a sus- of libraries and librarians with researchers and IRs tainable and successful future look like for both deeply engaged with green today are very well aware traditional publishers and IRs? OA through IR development, of the need for authors to For publishers and libraries, OA is a dis- liaison outreach, and other publish in the journal of their ruptive force. However, now we see that OA scholarly communication-re- choice, while also having can breathe new life into both enterprises, lated initiatives continues to access to the subscriptions and opportunity exists in collaboration while grow as does the list of OA they value. There has been publishers’ business models and IRs evolve. policy institutions — the Coalition of Open some inertia or even resistance from the We need to move forward together in order to Access Policy Institutions (COAPI) now in- research community to the idea of the IR ensure that scholars are well-served. We both cludes a long list of member institutions. The as the locus of deposit for all institutional need to understand needs of the researcher/ task of policy implementation usually falls to scholarship and one thing commonly heard in scholar/author more in order to develop top university libraries, via their IRs and liaison discussions about OA with researchers is that notch publication outlets and user-friendly IR efforts and these are the same institutions, both their interests may be more aligned with the workflows as the focus of the IR is often on public and private, that are also the major cus- disciplinary repositories of their fields (in the the self-archiving of the AM by the authors tomers of commercial and nonprofit publishers case of arXiv, for instance). In addition, the themselves. SAGE Publishing emphasizes (in terms of subscription sales). Moreover, IR may not have developed an approach that that it is essential that the Version of Record the scholars of these institutions form a large resonates with senior scholars as well as early (VoR) remains the final validated and perma- author, editor, and reviewer base for the pub- career researchers. In general, for time pressed nently archived version that the community lications of these same companies, and they authors, OA has been a complex topic with a refers to, but as long as that is the case, having now find themselves needing to comply with very steep learning curve. previous versions available isn’t a problem per institutional and funder OA policies adding, The IR landscape has now matured, with se. It is possible that a little usage of the VoR for many, a new aspect to their publishing IRs now an integral part of university (and may be lost, but the greater goal of making it behavior. It is clear that libraries (and their library) budgets and workflows. Certain as easy as possible for authors to comply with IRs), publishers, and researchers are all part of publishers facilitate the work that the IR must mandates and enabling institutional partners to this rapidly developing OA policy landscape. accomplish, but others create unnecessary promote their output more widely outweighs Questions remain as to the eventual mix of roadblocks. SAGE has been a partner to IRs those concerns. There have been some calls for business models that will exist in the publishing in many ways, facilitating self-archiving in the librarians to “get out of the way” of author ecosystem. Of course, there are many types of practical ways. SAGE believes that the most self-archiving in the IR and leave that practice publishers varying significantly in philosophy important thing is to have clear and consistent to the researchers. Many authors still seem and corporate structure. Larger ones also tend guidelines that are easily accessible to authors to want to make sure that they comply with to publish on behalf of many learned societies and IR managers. Funding agencies are all publisher permissions personally, even as and those societies retain ownership and con- continued on page 21
20 Against the Grain / February 2016
Against the Grain / February 2016
cademic and scholarly communication instance, Rosie Redfield of the University of programs based on machine suggested relation- is unquestionably in the process of British Columbia documented her attempts to ships. Immediately, this provides many more Aundergoing a revolution. It seems, replicate NASA’s claims of discovering arsenic promising avenues to explore across all fields however, that the nature of that revolution is based life on her blog ahead of publishing them of research in a practice that pharmaceutical still a somewhat open question. Libraries in in AAAS Science, which debunked the claim. companies have been exploiting with compu- particular are undergoing not so much a shift However, this sort of blogging/publishing gen- tational chemistry for decades. in focus but a diversification of roles. Where erally acts as a more rapid media for hypothesis the library once consisted primarily of a phys- driven scientific narratives, similar in concept Barriers to Sharing ical building containing curated collections of to traditional articles, rather than a way to make The reasons why many researchers choose books, journals and other resources, it is now data sets available. not to share their data, or share it only upon a diverse set of services ranging from research For many people interested in data pub- request through closed systems like email, is assessment to technology support to the new lishing, what’s required is a new infrastructure less well explored than the benefits mentioned frontier of data curation and dissemination. for communicating data and other research above. Last year, a survey of Wiley authors, outputs that is separate from hypothesis driven which was reported on in the Scholarly Kitchen Why Should Librarians Care by Alice Meadows, found that just less than narratives and judged on its own terms. The 2 about Data Sharing? features of this infrastructure are not entirely half of researchers choose not to share data. The role of the library as manager of col- clear but we do know that it must be able to Wiley produced a survey infographic, which lections of information for the use of patrons cope with large quantities of data. Some data is linked from the Scholarly Kitchen article, is still alive and well. Increasingly, however, will be in well-codified and well-documented which contains a long list of reasons as to libraries have been concerned with recording formats, but much of it won’t be. Data needs why some researchers are reluctant to share. and curating the output of their institutions. to be discoverable and at least somewhat Broadly, there seems to be three overarching This expansion of role has on some level been interpretable, so that it is available for re-use themes. The first issue is a fear that sharing driven by a shift in the way that scholars are and re-analysis when needed. Finally, there’s data would have negative consequences either communicating their work and accounting for a need to protect a researcher’s ability to fully because another researcher appropriates data its value. Arguably, this trend began around 15 analyse their own data first through embargos and scoops the original experimenter, or their years ago with the rise of open access publish- and also to protect commercially or medically work gets picked apart and unfairly discredit- ing, which itself was made possible by the shift sensitive information. ed. The appropriate use of embargoes should to more scalable electronic journals. Many mitigate many of those concerns. The second libraries at the time took an interest in the new Taking all this together, data publishing issue is lack of researcher understanding of publishing model by either setting up central seems to be a fairly complicated issue, but one how to share data. Answers like “My funder/ funds for the payment of article processing that the library is well-placed to tackle. institution does not require data sharing,” or “I charges or supporting and educating scholars Why Researchers Care don’t think it was my responsibility” aren’t evi- in how and why to publish open access. Later, dence of a positive decision not to share, rather institutional repositories provided avenues for There are a number of potential advantages that some researchers are still not yet seriously green open access and library publishing oper- to scholars of sharing their data. Probably considering it. It’s easy to see how librarians the most compelling reason is the apparent ations began to develop during the first decade 1 and information professionals can help with of the 2000s, culminating in the creation of the citation advantage. Other reasons include that one. Finally, many of the responses speak Library Publishing Coalition requirements from funders, jour- to a lack of time and resources. This last issue in 2012. Many library publishing nals and institutions, as well as a is perhaps the toughest to tackle, so let’s look operations, in contrast with tradi- personal desire to make science at it in more depth. more open. tional university presses, aim to Researchers are often juggling many dispa- support niche areas of scholar- Many researchers believe that rate and seemingly unconnected responsibili- ship of interest to their own fac- open data is necessary to make ties, from research to managing their labs and ulty. However, early suggestions scholarship more effective. The getting grants, to teaching, to university admin- that institutional open access academic system does work, but istrative tasks and committees. With such a di- paper repositories may replace it can be an inefficient machine. verse workload, with so many responsibilities the role of traditional publishers The majority of inefficiencies lie to juggle, it can be challenging to incorporate have proven to be a bridge too in the inability for academics to new workflows. For this reason, simplicity and far. One can postulate many directly build on the research that intuitive workflows are increasingly important. reasons for this, but publisher has gone before them — to better You only have to look at the rising pressure that brands and the need to publish in stand on the shoulders of giants. publishers are under to simplify their submis- high impact factor journals seem Increased transparency can also sion systems and eliminate author burden, or at the most likely. This is not the case for the improve academia’s ability to self-correct the success of simplified search likeG oogle to emerging requirements of data dissemination. through openness to scrutiny and challenge. see that researchers often value simplicity and There are as yet no impact factors or prestige Making data sharable and open has the add- intuitiveness over comprehensive functionality. publication outputs. This means that libraries ed benefit of encouraging standards and codifi- Against that background, it’s not surprising may have another opportunity to play a key cation — a vital step to making data machine that many researchers are choosing to share role in communicating the academic content readable. The power of computers means that data using supplementary materials services that comes out of their institutions. data can be interrogated and cross referenced offered by publishers despite the fact that in As the open science movement has grown in order to automatically look for correlations many cases those systems were not designed in momentum over the past decade and a half, between research outputs. Of course, today’s with data sharing in mind.3 If data sharing is to scholars have sought new outlets for new artificial intelligence won’t enable computers become the norm, it will be important to create types of scientific output. The blogosphere to generate and confirm hypotheses the way a systems that are not only robust and scalable, has been used to “publish” work almost in real person can, hence the need for academics with but also very simple and time effective to use. time, resulting in some noteworthy cases. For subject specific knowledge to build research continued on page 24 22 Against the Grain / February 2016
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The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Scholarly Publishers and Data industrial scale efforts to assemble super-data- How and Why Data Repositories ... Over the past decade, some traditional pub- sets like Zooniverse’s Galaxy Zoo (http:// from page 22 lishers have worked with repositories to link data.galaxyzoo.org/) and the NIH’s GenBank. raw digitised objects that underlie research to There are a number of libraries and other Data as a First Class Research Object the hypothesis-driven narrative of the article. groups that maintain lists of these types The idea that datasets should be treated as The goal is to standardize the approach to link- of databases, perhaps most notable are the an equal output to academic articles is a contro- ing research data to publications, irrespective Registry of Research Databases (www. versial one, but one that funders and advisory of the repository, which hosts the data. re3data.org), which was started in 2012 and is committees are beginning to support. Most Early succesful repositories, such as the funded by the German Research Foundation notably, the Royal Society’s “Science as an Protein Databank (http://www.rcsb.org/ (DFG) and Biosharing (www.biosharing. Open Enterprise: Open Data for Open Science” org), which is hosted by Oxford University. 4 pdb/) and Genbank (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih. report in 2012 suggested that: “Assessment of gov/genbank/) archive molecules and genetic Encouraging patron participation in these university research should reward the develop- sequences to help reproduce research in the repositories where appropriate is just one ment of open data on the same scale as journal life sciences. Later, generic repositories came way that librarians can assist the open data articles and other publications.” This has led to to the forefront through projects like Dryad movement. many funders requiring that all data from the 5 (http://datadryad.org/), which helped motivate Institutional Data Repositories research they fund be made openly available. ecologists to make all of their one-moment-in- An obvious corollary being that the rewards for time series data available. Institutional data repositories have been open data would need to be comparable with historically designed with a view to managing those for traditional articles. When funders started requiring that data and curating the output of institutions. In that be made available at the point of article publi- sense, they are intertwined with both research Before we address whether data should have cation, academic publishers took steps to help such a status, there’s a more fundamental but assessment and library publishing efforts; at researchers comply with these requirements. some institutions, library publishing and data less obvious question to answer. Just what ex- Partnerships with repositories such as Figshare actly are data? There are several definitions, but repository services are provided using the same (www.figshare.com) allow journals to preview platform.8 As data dissemination becomes the general theme across disciplines is that data the digital files embedded within the HTML are the digital products of academic research. increasingly important, it makes sense to look version of the article. The long-term preser- at some of the work that pioneering library This can range from digitized field notes in vation of the data is contractually maintained biology to videos of dramatic performances to publishing efforts have made in populating and and each object is individually citable. Later, popularizing their repositories. niche file formats in computational chemistry. some publishers developed data journals, The ubiquity of digital scholarship means that In her 2001 article Institutional Repos- like the Geoscience Data Journal (http:// 9 any platform for disseminating research should onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/ itories: Keys to Success, Joan Giesecke, work across the full range of disciplines, with (ISSN)2049-6060) published by the Royal then Dean of Libraries at the University of filters applied so that content can be grouped Meterolical Society, that allows researchers Nebraska-Lincoln, outlined how they suc- arbitrarily. That is to say, we need persistent file to publish short descriptive articles, that aren’t cessfully transformed their repository from storage, which is discoverable and interpretable hypothesis driven, linked to data archived in what she calls a collection centric viewpoint by machines and humans alike. approved repositories. which assumes faculty participation and fo- cuses on curation, to one of service provision A long-standing problem in academia is that In 2014, Nature Publishing Group technology has traditionally limited us to one which focuses on making the repository an launched Scientific Data, which applies tradi- attractive place to put content. Giesecke notes research output type with limited forms of as- tional peer review to data descriptor articles: sessment, namely peer review and citation met- the danger that institutional repositories can “Acceptance for publication is based on the become overly restrictive, focusing too much rics like Impact factor. We are now at a point technical rigour of the procedures used to where all products of research can be released on the desire to create an orderly collection, generate the data, the reuse value of the data, thereby unintentionally creating barriers to (unless prevented by ethical or commercial and the completeness of the data description.” reasons). The number of evaluation metrics has participation. By adopting the service driven exploded to include altmetrics as supplements There are movements to codify standards approach of a university press, with a focus on to citations, as well as open post publication for data sharing outside of publishers, par- discoverability, dissemination, search engine peer review. However, when we look at data, ticularly in the sciences. A good example of optimization and improved user experience, that is, any digital output of research, we have this is the Open Microscopy Environment University of Nebraska-Lincoln were able to ask if we can apply the same criteria to a project (OME, www.http://www.openmicros- to grow their traffic from zero to 300,000 uses video, as we do to spreadsheet data and how copy.org/). OME develops both standards in per month in under five years. microscopy and open source imaging software. should those criteria differ from the existing Unstructured or General Repositories criteria for paper publications? Most likely, we Organizations like Research Data Alliance, With the growth in popularity of data will need to define both review and assessment CODATA, the Data FAIRport initiative and sharing among academics and the increase in criteria for each type of output. These may FORCE11 are working towards standards for funder mandates, it’s clear that all researchers be difficult to define and challenging to scale. data storage, markup and dissemination. The work being carried out by DataCite and OR- are going to need data sharing solutions. Sub- There have been suggestions that peer re- CID is of particular interest.7 This will enable ject specific and institutional repositories form view is only really of use for data when it is to research repositories to automatically update a an overlapping and occasionally incomplete be reused. There have been examples of serious researcher’s ORCID profile. This collabora- patchwork of coverage for authors looking to problems being discovered when researchers tion extends to CrossRef so that all academics place content, particularly data that doesn’t fit have tried to reanalyse data. For instance, in the should be able to sync their publications as well into the predefined data formats that structured case of LaCour whose fraudulent data was ex- as their data with no extra effort. repositories support. 6 posed in 2015. However, by the time the fraud There has been very little research into came to light, the research had been published in Subject Specific and Structured the volume of data produced by academics. Science and covered by the mainstream media so Repositories The true scale and nature of research data is the critical review arguably happened too late. Certain disciplines lend themselves more unknown as much of it sits on institutional One interesting development in this space easily to data sharing, such as astronomy, and and departmental servers or on the hard has been the idea of machine readable badges the -omics disciplines. Structured repositories drives of computers under researchers’ desks. (http://openresearchbadges.org/). These are require data to comply with format standards Anecdotally, researchers generally have large essentially automated or manual markup of thereby encouraging their adoption. They play personal collections of data in a diverse range content to better describe and accredit re- a key role in data science as community or of formats. search outputs. funder-driven focal points for collaborative and continued on page 25
24 Against the Grain / February 2016
Everything Evolves, Even Publishing by Jason Hoyt, PhD. (CEO and Co-founder, PeerJ)
e sometimes hear that for all the become more widely available? Will tools to should we make open, and how? Is publishing promise of the Internet, it is a shame make publishing faster never be developed? Open Access a bet on the future, or will it Wthat it has yet to impact scholarly Why have “megajournals” appeared in the past negatively affect my students or my career? communication in the same way it has other ten years and not just survived, but become the What the last ten years or so have done is industries. One could argue this point quite ef- future revenue model for new and old publish- to open our minds to questions that many of us fectively: prestige still dominates; the journal ers? Why are scholarly societies struggling never anticipated having to find solutions for. name matters just as much as it always has; the after decades/centuries of thriving? Why are It could be argued that just as the Internet has same legacy publishers still control most of the governments and funders making Open Access made us more globally aware, so academia has literature; Open Access is just a small fraction mandates? These events contradict the notion grown more concerned with its impacts outside of all articles, etc., etc. Meanwhile, in other that the Internet hasn’t changed things in an of the ivory tower. The decentralization that industries it is easy to spot how the old guards “unmovable” 300 year-old industry. Indeed, occurred with the World Wide Web makes it have changed and new names have sprung the evidence actually suggests that we are in the clear how we affect those around us, and this up: Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, Uber and midst of a change so expansive that we don’t has influenced our professional lives in a sim- Facebook to name just a few. quite know how to adapt to it. ilar way. It’s not that scientists are only just On the other hand, does anyone believe We take comfort in the way things worked now waking up to the fact that they can be open, Open Access is going away? Will data not in the past, as they had slowly developed in they just didn’t realize it was possible until manageable timetables over recently. Our policies and infrastructures are the 20th century. There was unprepared for these changes, just as much as certainty in how to commu- our readiness to leave the comfort of the past. nicate science, who to trust, or what to do for academic There Would be no Open or Mega- career progression. We now Journals without the Internet live in an era with an alluring Just as the printed journal was a forgone future, but one that raises new conclusion of the printing press, so too was concerns: Open Access and the megajournal a natural How will we fund schol- by-product of the Internet. Perhaps someone arly output? How much continued on page 26
Against the Grain / February 2016
the research they fund find a home in Open thoroughly. For example, how are Everything Evolves, Even ... Access venues. committees handling these chang- from page 26 And the traditional brand-name journals es — what examples of successful are increasingly failing due to the increasing transitions are there, how were they is re-shaping user expectations, much like what pressure to always publish what is perceived as implemented, or what else can be the iPhone and Google’s “material design” the most novel findings. These policies result learned from them? What are the have done. in more retractions in the “top” journals. impacts of making decisions still With the rise of the megajournal and Open based on the print era information? Statistically, it makes sense that the best Access, however, we’re now recognizing a And how are organizations and in- research and best authors are more and more new issue— journal prestige is a holdover dividuals transitioning to fund Open likely to be found in megajournals and Open from the past… Access? Access venues as they account for more than 10% of the literature. 2. From that research we should be able The Conundrum of the Megajournal, to start developing new policies at Open Access, and Prestige However, hiring, tenure, and grant com- different governance levels to aid It is through the historical artefact of print mittees are struggling with these changes. For in the transition. We need to ensure that we developed the still current mechanisms years they have relied upon just the journal better decisions are being made at of funding, tenure, and other facets of the ac- name and, by extension, the Impact Factor to the author and article levels, and ademic world. In the resource-limited era of make decisions. The problem isn’t so much that Open Access continues to have print, it made some sense to use the journal as a that good research can’t be spotted in Open a sustainable future. proxy for quality of the individual article. This Access journals, but it seems to be the uncom- fortable acknowledgment, due to tradition, that 3. Finally, educational and influencer was further exacerbated by a growing reliance campaigns are a must if we are going on the Impact Factor in the late 1900s. good research isn’t just published in “brand name” high impact journals anymore. to upend perceptions of where the Individuals and organizations could afford best research is located and how to purchase, deliver, and find only a limited This isn’t a problem necessarily solved Open Access can and should affect number of articles in the print and pre-Internet by technology either. Even with the best of career progression and decisions. world. Journal names, and the “filter” they altmetrics, existing or yet to be innovated, we Senior researchers are a powerful in- represented carried a lot of weight. Those will still have this perception problem with fluence, and should be encouraged to limitations do not exist now as search engines, Open Access and megajournals. These types send their best work to Open Access recommender systems, and boundless access of problems require a different set of solutions: journals. research, policy, and education. to Open Access literature means we can virtu- In conclusion, the Internet has had a ally filter every journal. The only limitation Open Access and megajournals have be- profound impact on scholarly publishing. It is whether the article is Open Access and the come a valuable asset and look like the future causes us to question much of how we decide quality of the filtering process. of scholarly communication. However, we what to fund, hire, read, and where to publish. Attitudes are shifting though — the brand recognize that comfortable traditions are being There are many unanswered questions that will name journals are no longer always the first upended with these changes, and so we propose require a concerted strategy to understand and choice for scientists, as Open Access is now three strategies to smooth this transition: implement solutions in the Open Access world frequently more important. Funders, and 1. Top-level research is needed to that we now live in. even entire countries, are also mandating understand these changes more
Adaptations in Publishing — Publishers and Librarians Advancing Research by Maggie Farrell (Dean of Libraries, Clemson University)
Introduction themselves are also involved in creating new research outcomes, and to promote awareness Research is improved when researchers environments, for example by engaging so- of their impact. Well-designed technology un- are able to connect with other individuals to cial media to connect in new ways with new derpins all of these services — and the largest share results, concepts, theories, data, and audiences. These new environments enable publishers utilize high performance computing disagreements. Researchers thrive in an open publishers, librarians, and researchers to work clusters to support robust analytics and big data environment where theories and results are together in new ways to advance research and processing. And publishing at its heart is a very readily available. Researchers are motivated make it more efficient and impactful. Technol- social endeavor, relying as it does on human by scientific discovery, access for their infor- ogy also provides an opportunity for publishers relationships. For example, here at Elsevier we mational needs, and promotion of their own and librarians to create a new relationship in work closely with over 7,000 editors, 70,000 and other’s works. Non-researchers also gain support of mutual goals of expanding research editorial board members, 300,000 reviewers, expertise and knowledge when they have ac- and supporting researchers throughout the and more than 1,000,000 corresponding au- cess to current research and science. research process. thors every year. By working with librarians, more than 12,000,000 researchers at thousands With the advancement of technology, pub- Overview of Ways in which Publishers lishers and librarians have an opportunity to of institutions and companies worldwide have create new environments that facilitate sharing Support the Research Process access to our products. and communication during the research pro- Publishers provide access to, and quality Authors too want to be able to dissemi- cess as well as access to final research results, assurance of, content, data, systems, tools and nate and share their research, and publishers supporting data, reviews, and ongoing work analytics that help universities and research- actively provide tools and services to enable based on the research results. Researchers ers define, manage and achieve their desired continued on page 29
28 Against the Grain / February 2016
We have been getting all sorts of subscrip- Speaking of a lot to read, perhaps storage Rumors tion renewals to ATG this year. Have you won’t be an issue in the future if we live long from page 8 renewed your subscription? Print and online enough? Here Is a link — Eternal 5D data are bundled and are incredibly inexpensive. storage could record the history of human- that she has been writing Hot Topics for two In the U.S. you are talking ten cents a page! kind. “Using nanostructured glass, scientists years?) is about culturally responsive teaching. How about that? from the University [of Southhampton]’s http://www.against-the-grain.com/2016/02/ Mark Herring has a new book just out — Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) atg-hot-topics-21916/ Social Media and the Good Life: Do They have developed the recording and retrieval pro- cesses of five dimensional (5D) digital data by Y’all I know there is a lot to read out there Connect? (McFarland, 2015, $28.95) Con- femtosecond laser writing. The storage allows but I want to point out that Tom Gilson is doing gratulations, Mark! BTW everyone, I know unprecedented properties including 360 TB/disc an unbelievably thorough job of organizing the that many of you have written many books that ATG NewsChannel and keeping us informed. data capacity, thermal stability up to 1,000°C and we might not all know about. That’s why soon virtually unlimited lifetime at room temperature More than one person has told me that they — very soon — I hope we will have a section (13.8 billion years at 190°C) opening a new era can keep up with library news just by reading on the ATG NewsChannel called Books From of eternal data archiving. http://www.eurekart. Tom’s weekly digest. Check it out! Our Crowd! Coming soon to a computer, org/pub_releases/2016-02/uos-e5d021516.php http:www.against-the-grain.com/ laptop, iPhone, iPad, Android, etc. near you! continued on page 33 30 Against the Grain / February 2016
32 Against theGrain /February2016 Op Ed — Opinions and Editorials H University ofUtah;Phone:801-721-1687)
Connecting scholarstoeachother. Personalizing theinformationexperience. the world. Making our faculty’s scholarship freely available to Archiving andcuratingresearchdata. patrons’ behalf. Certifying and selecting high-quality content on our information options. of maze a through way their find patrons Helping dance ofinformation. abun- confusing a of sense make patrons Helping going to needsomething to drink, but he’s also going Imagine that he’s thirsty. Ifhe’s thirsty, he’s notonly ere’s athoughtexperiment:imagineten-yearoldboy. Rick Anderson(AssociateDeanforScholarlyResources&Collections,MarriottLibrary, IMHBCO (InMyHumbleBut data; theydon’t doit. decreasing numbers. We wantthem toarchive their research about OA. We wantthemtocheckoutbooks;theydosoin available onanopenaccessbasis; theymostlydon’t caremuch on theopen Web. We wantthem to make their scholarly work with the library’s website or discovery layer; they want to start monstrably want to do. We want them to start their research as librarians,thinkourpatronsoughttodoandwhattheyde- me is that I think I seeagrowingdistance between what we, both, andwealwayshave.”Fairenough.Butwhatconcerns to choosebetweenservice and education; as librarians we do Rick, you’readvancingafalsedichotomyhere. We don’t have whose supportisessentialforourprofessionalsurvival). peril (since the people we’re trying to change are also people political and difficult) notoriously is people changing (since on usasprofessionals;thesecondisfraughtwithfrustration grates of kind option first The model). education (the need try tochange them so that they will want whatweknowthey or modeloflibrarianship) betheservice would (this they want change whatwe’reoffering themsothatitcorrespondstowhat that doingthosethingswouldrequire? practices and workflows new the adopt to interested ciently suffi- not least at or — data research their archiving securely making their scholarship freely available to the world, or in information experience? What ifthey’renotinterestedin (http://bit.ly/1nKFBPP ucate our patrons — or, in other words, to change their minds. answer shouldbeyes,andifitisn’t yes,thenit’s ourjobtoed- of asking?),andIthinksometimesit’s becausewethinkthe that the answertothem is obviouslyyes(sowhat’s thepoint good ataskingthem.Sometimes this isbecauseweassume These arealsoimportantquestions,butIdon’t thinkwe’revery and if they do care, do they want the library to perform them? do ourstakeholderscarewhetherthoserolesareperformed, Here’s anotherquestion,though,andit’s alsoimportant: At this point, most readers are probably saying “Come on, Clearly, in such caseswehave only two choices: either Those whoreadacolumnIwroteforAcademic Newswire getting a senseofdéjà vu here; I’mbackonthetopic or notasource is trustworthy, ortopersonalize their information world forthem,ortotellthemwhether of confused anddon’t wantusto“make sense” ofthe know when we’re involved in which kind of thinking. kindofthinking. we’reinvolvedinwhich when know I that terms those of definitions provisional the By to bearinmindthedifferences betweenthemand to of thinking are essential, but that it’s important always used in that column, figuring out what our patrons our what out figuring column, that in used patrons wantXor Y?”). to determine how thingsought to be(“Shouldour actually want isamatter of “science” —ofusing “religion” — applying values to aquestion in order ing out what our patronsshouldwant is amatter of of apropositionlike“OurpatronswantX.”Figur empirical evidence to establish the objective truth is versus So whathappensifourpatronsdon’t thinkthey’re In that earlier column I emphasized that both kinds In that earlier column I emphasized that both kinds
Jason Coleman stream for the Press. distance existing between patrons’ desires and library practices, and the nature of the changes goal I hope to achieve five years from now: after selling plenty of other people’s the library wants to see in patron behavior. books, I’d like to publish my own. What does not vary from library to library, how/where do I see the industry in five years: The digital revolution will create I believe, is the radical importance of paying a publishing environment in which nothing goes out of print, where even small publishers attention to these questions and addressing have a far greater awareness of alternative markets, and where new technologies (XML them in a careful, mindful, and strategic man- workflows, data mining) result in increasingly fluid content. I believe, however, that the ner. Our future probably depends on how well book as a physical object will remain the centerpiece of publishing. we do so.
when she spoke about Data Papers in the Services (NFAIS). Her publishing expertise Rumors Networked Era. was gained working for such prominent content from page 30 http://www.slideshare.net/CharlestonCon- providers as Elsevier, Thomson Scientific ference/data-papers-in-the-network-era-by- (now Thomson Reuters), and John Wiley & Talk of Open Access is everywhere! Mi- mackenzie-smith-mit-libraries Sons. Jill continues to write for a diverse set chelle Flinchbaugh’s Biz of Acq about Mary- of publications, including Information Today land’s Shared OA Repository, MD-SOAR is And not to miss, Cabell’s The Source and the Scholarly Kitchen blog. Multibrief on Open Access. about how ten university libraries implemented Henrietta Verma is a librarian who has a consortial repository, this issue, p.70. http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/cb-cabell/ worked in public libraries in New York, first as Moving right along, Don Hawkins’ report cb-cabell021616.php a librarian then as a library director. In 2006, on The Impact of OA Model (p.67) includes The National Information Standards she started her publishing career at School many interesting discussions. I especially Organization (NISO) has announced that Jill Library Journal. Etta continues to review noticed the View of the OA Front from a O’Neill and Henrietta Verma have joined the for LJ and is also working on book about Graduate Student (Kenneth Yancey, Cor- organization as Educational Programs Man- writing and reviewing that will be released nell) and the comments by Mackenzie Smith ager and Editorial and Communications in mid 2016. Congratulations to Etta and (University Librarian, UC Davis) about the Specialist, respectively. Jill O’Neill has been Jill and NISO! increasing disconnect between European and an active member of the information commu- I just ordered the book Your Digital After- American approaches to OA (gold vs. green). nity for 30 years, most recently managing the life by Evan Carroll and John Romano (New You might recall that Mackenzie Smith riveted professional development programs for the Na- Riders, 2010). Did you know that you need a us during the 2011 Charleston Conference tional Federation of Advanced Information digital executor for your estate? How about your Facebook pages? Your emails? I remember an article a while ago Future Dates for Charleston Conferences (several years) about a woman whose sister had died and she wanted access Preconferences and to her deceased sister’s Facebook Vendor Showcase Main Conference account and pictures. Apparently this is not always possible depending on 2016 Conference 2 November 3-5 November the policy of the provider. I had no 2017 Conference 8 November 9-11 November idea. Do you? 2018 Conference 7 November 8-10 November https://www.rocketlawyer.com/article/ 2019 Conference 6 November 7-9 November appoint-digital-executor-estate-plan.rl 2020 Conference 4 November 5-7 November continued on page 55
Against the Grain / February 2016
ATG: Tell us a little bit about yourself. beginning, particularly from the Mellon Foun- What is your role at UVa Press? What is dation. A requirement of our first Mellon grant it about working for a university press that was that we publish only born-digital content. attracts you? This was a very worthwhile goal to pursue, JC: As Marketing Director, I’m respon- but we soon realized that digital editions of the sible for many of the things you might expect Papers of George Washington and the Papers — advertising, our seasonal catalog and other of James Madison, both of which we published direct mail, Web marketing. Our press han- in print, were not only excellent opportunities dles many eBook and print-on-demand issues for us to expand into the digital world but were through its marketing department, so we are also badly needed by the scholarly community. involved in everything from agreements with Our born-digital beginnings helped foster a aggregators to the management of metadata. A creativity, however, that was invaluable when large part of my work centers on our electronic it comes to something like The People of the imprint, Rotunda, for which I handle all mar- Founding Era, a biographical archive covering keting and sales. tens of thousands of individuals that was de- veloped specifically for Rotunda. So I think I originally came to the University of Vir- it was important that we didn’t begin by doing ginia to do an MFA in their Creative Writing straight conversions; it helped to set the bar program, and as a writer I naturally was very pretty high for us. attracted to working in publishing. The uni- continue expanding? Are there plans to add versity-press world allows you to work with new collections? Another learning experience was the crash intelligent, gifted people who are applying their course we had in the library landscape. As JC: We are always adding new titles to long as we produced only print books, our talents in a refreshingly uncynical way. I have Rotunda, but as far as expansion goes, there no wish to sell orthopedic shoes or radial tires, contact with libraries was minimal. The rise are a few things that stand out. I already men- of eBooks has probably forced all publishers although the world needs those things; I like tioned the ever-growing Archipedia. There is selling books. to learn something about how libraries acquire also our recent expansion of the Presidential content and build collections, but venturing ATG: Although UVa Press publishes Recordings Website, which debuted in 2011 into digital publishing with Rotunda already some 50 to 60 new book titles each year, the with several hundred transcriptions and audio a decade ago allowed us to navigate that world Rotunda Digital imprint and its collections files from theLyndon Johnson administration. ahead of the pack. seem to be a growing focus. Can you tell We have just recently expanded this publication us more about Rotunda, its purpose and the to include substantial material from the Kenne- ATG: At that time Mark was also deep subject emphasis of its collections? dy and Nixon administrations, so the user now in a strategic planning process that foresaw JC: We have been releasing electronic gets a very broad, but still intimate, view of a an even greater integration of Rotunda into publications through our Rotunda imprint whole era. And then we have plans to trans- the operations of the Press. Can you point to for a little over a decade now. The content form our very successful American Founding some examples how this has occurred? How reflects the strengths of our print list, and so it Era collection into a broader American History does Rotunda compliment your other efforts? is very strong in history, for one. Our American collection. This is being driven by the addition JC: I’ll begin with the simple fact that Founding Era collection is anchored by some to Rotunda of notable projects lying outside Rotunda did not even reside in the same of the best documentary editions in American the founding era. One is a project we have building as the rest of the Press, so this scholarship, including the papers projects of been planning for awhile, a collaboration with integration began with bringing that staff the first four presidents, and offering digital Mississippi State University on the Papers of physically into the same space. We have used editions of this content in a searchable, in- Ulysses S. Grant. And we have just announced their expertise for a number of things. They ter-operative environment has probably been a partnership with the Princeton University helped us create eBooks that link directly Rotunda’s biggest contribution to scholarly Press and the Woodrow Wilson Presidential to online resources such as our Presidential publishing. We have branched into modern Library to bring out a digital edition of the Recordings audio files, and this is something history with our Presidential Recordings data- Papers of Woodrow Wilson. The transition we will pursue further. We’re currently base, which allows users to read and listen to to a broader history collection will also be an involved in a complete overhaul of the Press thousands of Oval Office tapes. We also offer opportunity to renovate the whole platform and Website, and the ability to do this completely a Literature and Culture collection that has implement some exciting new ideas in design in-house, through the participation of the been a useful laboratory for us as well as a very and navigation. Rotunda staff, is a great luxury. We will be steady seller. Architecture is another strong ATG: When we interviewed Mark Saun- shifting to an XML workflow for our book suit of the UVa Press, and so we developed ders, Director of UVa Press, a couple of years production, and our experience with the SAH Archipedia, an online counterpart to the ago, he said that Rotunda was founded to XML-based Rotunda publications is certainly Buildings of the United States, a state-by-state explore how the traditional strengths of a helping to ease that transition. print series we publish in collaboration with university press could be extended into the ATG: A couple of years ago, working with the Society of Architectural Historians. This digital realm. What key lessons have been the National Archives, UVa Press launched database already has entries for nearly 17,000 learned so far? a free version of some of your Founding structures in nineteen states, but we are going JC: Well, some of the things we learned Fathers papers called the Founders Online. to cover all fifty states eventually. might seem more obvious now than when we Are those resources still available? Have ATG: According to your Website there released our first publication in 2004. Because there been any recent additions to that are currently four Rotunda collections. Can a reliable revenue stream took years to arrive collection? we expect the content of these collections to at, Rotunda depended heavily on grants in the continued on page 36 34 Against the Grain / February 2016
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Investigate the possibilities at www.proquest.com/go/coutts, or contact us at [email protected] Interview — Jason Coleman from page 34 againstpublisher the grain profile JC: Yes, Founders Online is very much a going thing. We just recently added over 3,000 documents from the Washington, Adams, Madison, and Franklin projects. Founders University of Virginia Press Online was the result of a congressional act to ensure that all American citizens have free PO Box 400318, Charlottesville, VA 22904 access to the papers of the founding fathers, Phone: 800-831-3406 • Fax: 877-288-6400 and in working with the National Archives to www.upress.virginia.edu fulfill this mandate we wanted to do something different than what we had done with Rotunda. Although there is some overlap of content, Executive Team: Mark Saunders, Director Founders Online is aimed more at the general Association memberships: Member American Association of University Presses. user — the high school student writing a paper, say, or the person doing genealogical research Key products and services: Books in American history, literature, politics, religious studies, on his family. The Rotunda databases include architecture, and regional titles about Virginia. Rotunda new digital scholarship collections in a far greater range and depth of content, and the American Founding Era, Literature and Culture, the American Century, and SAH Archipedia. the interface is intended more for sustained Core markets/clientele: Scholars, students, general readers, research libraries. scholarly use. The projects are closely tied Number of employees: 23 to their respective letterpress editions, retain- ing the indexes and all introductory essays number of books published annually: 70 and allowing users to navigate by the print total number of books on your backlist: 1,000 editions’ series and volumes. We have con- History and brief description of your company/publishing program: The sistently heard from the scholarly community University of Virginia Press was founded in 1963 to advance the intellectual interests not that this connection to the letterpress editions only of the University of Virginia, but of institutions of higher learning throughout the state. is valuable, and this is reflected in our sales, A member of the Association of American University Presses, UVaP currently publishes which have not been significantly impacted by approximately 70 titles annually, including digital editions. New titles are approved by the Board the introduction of the open-access site. So of Directors after a rigorous process of peer review. The UVaP editorial program focuses primarily Founders Online and Rotunda seem to serve on the humanities and social sciences with special concentrations in American history, literature, two different populations. politics, architecture and books about Virginia. Rotunda, our digital imprint, was created for ATG: What have been the effects on your the publication of original digital scholarship along with newly digitized critical and documentary print imprint as Rotunda and other digital editions in American history, literature, and architecture. Rotunda collections combine the efforts have received more attention and originality, intellectual rigor, and scholarly value of traditional peer-reviewed university press resources? How would you characterize the publishing with thoughtful technological innovation designed for scholars and students. demand for print titles? Is there a place for print in the long term future of UVa Press? JC: The Press has a diverse list that in- cludes scholarly editions, monographs, heavily illustrated books, national trade and regional short runs. In the library market, overall sales dynamic eBooks. Looking a bit farther ahead, I titles. We have decades-long relationships with of monographs seem to be flat, but eBook sales, would personally love to see an expansion and both the Washington and Madison papers with their lower margins, make up a greater acceleration of Rotunda production. We are projects, and as you might guess we were portion of the whole. Despite these shifts, busy thinking of ways, from responsive design concerned about the effect of digital editions we are committed to print books and have no to the creation of apps to greater integration of on the print volumes, which had been a reliable plans to decrease the number of print titles GPS functionality, to encourage broader use of source of income for us as well as a staple of on our list. There are some things that print our Rotunda resources. I look forward to the historical scholarship. The fact that our print books still do much better than any database or day when it’s routine for an Archipedia user to sales have remained stable since the introduc- eBook — I’m thinking, for example, of heavily pull out her smart phone and look up the entry tion of Rotunda strongly suggests that, rather illustrated books that are real showcases for on, say, the Mercer-Williams House in Savan- than one canceling the other out, the print and design — and, if anything, we are ratcheting nah as she’s standing in front of it. She would digital editions complement each other. As up our development of such projects. not only learn the architectural history of the for our print monographs, like all scholarly ATG: Speaking of the future, what do you house without having to open a book; she’d get publishers, we no longer see the robust sales think UVa Press will look like in two years? directions to Flannery O’Connor’s childhood of ten or twenty years ago — largely because Five years? home, which is just around the corner. of libraries’ dwindling budgets and increasing emphasis on digital content — so we are going JC: I mentioned our upcoming shift to an with smaller print runs than in the past, and XML workflow, which should give us a new relying more on print on demand and digital flexibility with our content, including more
36 Against the Grain / February 2016
ATG: Peter you are fairly new to Purdue in a good way. As I said, my early academic questions, really, are endemic to last century University Press. What in your prior expe- training had been in the humanities, so techni- thinking. You have to cling to traumas of past rience prepared you for the responsibility of cal training in hard analytics, current tools, and disruption to see them as challenges rather running a university press? Has being the data-driven decision making brought “balance than opportunities, and to see them as centrally director of a university press always been a to the force,” as it were. I could point to some relevant to questions of what publishing will be career ambition? early leadership opportunities as well, prior to for us in the next century, i.e., you also have to PF: First, yes, over the last few years, it recent adventures, but the above really captures cling to “container thinking” and old models has been an objective of mine to contribute to it. People go about training a lot of ways. This not to see the value to be created in the next change in Higher Education and Communi- worked for me. century, with all we have at our disposal. cations/Media, or what is called Publishing, ATG: What was so compelling about Next questions will turn on trenchancy of at a higher level, and Purdue is great place the opportunity at Purdue UP? What most message-presentation and celerity of under- for it. I have been in and around scholarly attracted you to the position? What do you standing, engagement, and impact; therefore, publishing for the last nine years or so; I have see as the most pressing challenges for the on principles of communications as in mass learned a lot from everyone and wanted to Press going forward? communications. Print/digital and sales/Open give back. I completed undergraduate work PF: Purdue UP has slain dragons. I know, are all old-world plumbing questions, not ar- in the humanities (comparative literature) at because I have their heads on the wall in my chitectural ones. UC Berkeley, so along the way I have been office, staring down at me. Kind of creepy, late ATG: Speaking of digital content, what able to work with seasoned acquisitions editors at night, but inspiring. What was so compelling do you think is the most sustainable approach and scholars and make sense of things, as they about the opportunity at Purdue UP, and what to eBook publishing? Where does the print helped me to develop publishing chops in a is so compelling about the opportunity, are the fit into the overall equation? Does it have a scholarly setting. But, I saw early on that we empty plaques next to them and the support future at Purdue UP? need leaders with new toolboxes and knowl- we have to find new dragons to slay and new PF: “Best” is an interesting question. edge, in addition to these skills. So, what was partners to work with to slay them. I going to do about it? Traditionally, Presses have at least partially What most attracted me to the position was self-funded overhead through revenues from I sought out professional training and men- several-fold: the chance to work with the Pur- sales and licensing of scholarly and other tors, and I “preyed on the strong” around me. I due UP team’s notoriously nimble publishing texts. Our Purdue Model is to treat overhead plagued everyone with questions. I sought out talents; the chance to learn from the Libraries’ and infrastructure as a cost of doing business, leaders in the industry: librarians, consultants, leadership, the rest of the Scholarly Publishing provided by the libraries. We don’t seek profits and even library consultants; I found scores team, and the Libraries’ faculty (all new for to keep the lights on. We use them to bring of publishing pros from across the AAUP and me, up close and personal); and the chance to ideas to greater light. SSP; I found business consultants to publishers work for Jim Mullins. Jim is our Dean and We, in fact, employ a variety of models at across STEM and the humanities, commercials one of the most innovative thinkers and leaders Purdue, currently — always experimenting. and nonprofits; and of course I found myself in our community. at one of the leading humanities presses in the We are proud to have participated in both U.S., Indiana University Press; so, I fought The most “pressing” challenge for the Press rounds of Knowledge Unlatched (KU); we to train under the best editors and leaders we is overhauling our communications and brand- have a diversified publishing program, and had, like Dee Mortensen, Janet Rabinowitch, ing. Our strengths and vision are understated leverage grant funding from a variety of Kate Carass, Bob Sloan, Dave Hulsey, and and obscured among the various fits and starts sources. of messaging that have gathered over the last briefly withGary Dunham. I learned a great One of our titles from the first round in deal from everyone at IUP, colleagues, peers few years on our various sites. We are more than “the sum of our sites,” currently. This Knowledge Unlatched, Understanding the and interns too, and from everyone across the Global Energy Crisis, has led all other titles in AAUP for that matter. happens when you innovate ahead of the curve, e.g., pulling together library publishing, open total downloads — nearly three times as many To get up-to-date skills in other areas; you repository, and the Press (I’m leading all three); as the average title. Titles were competitively know, what else can I do? I went after an MBA sometimes messaging needs to catch up. selected by libraries, so we’re excited to be at the Kelley School of Business (Indiana). participating and that our titles are faring so The next most pressing challenges for us, In 2015, I finished completing three majors, well. As ATG readers likely know, KU has in rough order, are: reviewing technology to beyond the general-management MBA, in En- an exciting model that allows Libraries to prepare us for next-generation fully open dig- trepreneurship, Marketing, and Supply Chain bid on and crowd fund a portion of the pub- ital publishing; continuing to evolve models Management. Interestingly, I believe that the lication costs of monographs. Publishers set and workflows to build out our network of co- last of those, Supply Chain, has yielded the their overhead price, and if it is selected, the ordinated collaborative public publishing units most practical insights, when looking at the libraries all agree to pay to have it “unlatched” and projects; and buying more empty plaques. ecosystem: libraries, public, scholars, presses, for gold OA publication to libraries. Print and and higher ed’s role. That said, studying best ATG: Where do you see university presses PDF or eBook versions are also available for practices and hundreds of case studies across fitting in to the current publishing environ- sale to individuals. a host of industries, and analyzing the trends ment? In this day of decreasing print sales, Interestingly, we have some trade print in those industries, and working with other increasing digital content, and open access titles that generate sufficient revenues for us to students and faculty, (all of whom had years are university presses still viable? begin to consider pushing more of our scholarly of business and consulting experience), while PF: University Presses are a part of a monographs to gold OA as well. It’s better for going through what’s happening in scholarly viable future for university-based public pub- the scholarly market if these are just Open from publishing, post 2011/12, is what brought it all lishing, i.e., there’s less of a chance for one the hop. We’re still reviewing that approach, together: it complicated my understanding, without them. Print/digital questions and sales continued on page 38 Against the Grain / February 2016
38 Against the Grain / February 2016
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T: 650.493.4400/800.523.8635 (us/can) From the Reference Desk by Tom Gilson (Associate Editor, Against the Grain, and Head of Reference Emeritus, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29401)
The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Design And Were the Glory of their Times: Artil- ing collections. In fact, a number of historians, (2015, 978-1472521576, $599) is a new lery (2014, 978-1568374345, $75) is the first both amateur and professional, as well as three-volume set that looks at the world of volume of a projected three-volume series by serious genealogists will want personal copies. design from a broad multidisciplinary per- Herbert O. Chambers, III. Published by (The second volume And Were the Glory spective. As such, it is more than a collection Broadfoot Publishing these reference works of Their Times: Cavalry (ISBN: 978-1-56387- of entries covering key designers and styles. aspire to offer a fully updated and comprehen- 437-6 $75) is also currently available and the As defined for the purposes of this reference, sive list of South Carolina Confederate War third volume, And Were the Glory of Their design is more than “objects and appearances.” dead along with as much individual biograph- Times: Infantry will be published by Novem- It also takes into consideration a variety of ical information as is available. If volume one ber 2016.) other complex issues. is any indication, Mr. Chambers is well on the Given this expanded notion of design, way to accomplishing that goal. editor Clive Edwards places a spotlight on With its focus on the artillery, this volume Defining Documents in American History: the relationship of design to broader cultural, lists a total of 1,312 soldiers with some 622 Postwar 1940s (1945-1950) (2015, 978-1- economical, political, environmental and psy- names being newly discovered of which 562 61925-739-9; e-ISBN: 978-1-61925-740-5, chological concerns. He also includes entries are confirmed to have died in service while $175) is new title in this fairly extensive series covering different movements in design histo- the other 60 are listed as inconclusive. The from Salem Press. As with past volumes, ry, as well as those dealing with various design book is organized by regiment and then di- the intent is to offer students excerpts of key theories and practice. Added to this coverage vided by company with the names then listed historical documents along with context and are additional entries that discuss national and alphabetically. In introducing these regimen- analysis adequately reflecting their importance regional influences as well as relevant cultural, tal and company sections, Mr. Chambers and relevance. educational, and professional institutions. also provides a background discussion of the This volume discusses 40 primary sources Overall, the Encyclopedia consists of near- various campaigns and battles in which they that mirror significant events and prevalent ly 1800 articles written by some 200 scholars. participated. issues that arose during the years directly The primary focus is on developments in de- The entries themselves include the soldier’s following the Second World War. As such, sign over the last 150 years. Except for a few rank, company, date and place of enlistment, documents like the Nuremberg Code, the NATO exceptions like entries on design movements as well as cause, date, and place of death and Treaty, and testimony regarding the Commu- like Bauhaus and those on specific national burial when available. Age and marital status nist investigations are considered along with design, the majority of articles are concise and are also provided when known and as much the Report of the President’s Commission on to the point, offering biographical sketches, additional family information as possible is Civil Rights, Truman’s statement on Immigra- definitions, descriptions, and explanations. included. Naturally, the entries vary in this tion into Palestine, and the Taft-Hartley Act. Each entry has “see also” references and brief regard but a surprising number are very thor- Each entry is structured and written in a way bibliographies, many of which offer just one ough and will be of great help to genealogists that enables students to understand the back- or two citations. In addition, there is a com- and others interested in their personal family ground and grasp the context of the document, prehensive general index and a bibliography of history. Value-added features include an as well as its importance and relevance to the added sources. As you would expect the set impressive bibliography and an alphabetical postwar era. Each offers a document excerpt, is illustrated, primarily with black and white index of names along with the relevant page a summary overview, a defining moment, an photos. While the photos are adequate, given references. author biography, a document analysis, the essential themes and a bibliography of further the subject matter, one wishes that some color And Were the Glory of their Times… is reading. The essays are fact filled and offer plates had been included. a project that is far more than an impressive a clear explanation of the importance of each In spite of these minor reservations, The work of research; it is a labor of love. Mr. document while at the same time providing a Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Design does the Chambers has tried to be as comprehensive solid jumping off point for further exploration. reader a real service. It uses a broad definition and thorough as possible, not only searching of design that allows for an enriched vision of in online sources like Ancestry.com but scru- Defining Documents in American History: design and its various influences. It provides tinizing roll after roll of microfilm to flesh out Postwar 1940s will be welcome by students students, scholars, professionals, and interested the record. He has combed through the official and should find a home in high school, public lay readers a handy ready reference source Compiled Service Records of the war as well as and undergraduate libraries. And like the other that should address the vast majority of their wills, probate records, estate appraisals, deed, books in this series, it may find its most value in questions while expanding their perspectives. equity, and tax records, not to mention marriage circulating collection, especially given Salem’s It should be a welcome addition to a number of and death records, family letters, and of course, offer to provide online access to those libraries academic library collections as well as to larger archive and library collections. purchasing print copies of their references. public libraries where there is strong interest. Once completed, And Were the Glory of their Times…will be a welcome addition to The SAGE Encyclopedia of African the current research about South Carolina’s Cultural Heritage in North America (2015, Confederate War dead. It should complement, 978-1452258218, $340) is concerned with update, and correct the current standard source exploring the cultural links between Africa and Broken Fortunes: South Carolina Soldiers, the Americas with a focus on the retention and Sailors, and Citizens Who Died in the Service continuity of African cultural heritage. Accord- of Their Country and State… by Randolph ing to editors Mwalimu J. Shujaa of Southern W. Kirkland Jr. (reprinted 2012, University University in New Orleans and independent of South Carolina Press, 978-1611171433, scholar, Kenya J. Shijaa, this two-volume $39.95). set is informed by a different perspective than Academic and public libraries as well as traditional Western formulations. The focus archival collections that collect in this area will in this encyclopedia is on “the historical and want to add it to their reference shelves — and cultural significance of Africa as source and where there is heavy interest, to their circulat- continued on page 41 40 Against the Grain / February 2016
Against the Grain / February 2016
Column Editor’s Note: What I like about being a book review a social media calendar. Aside from the traditional marketing strategies, editor is that I get to see new and upcoming titles sent my way as soon she outlines a variety of useful and practical marketing options that go as they come out. In the LIS field, I’m seeing that scholarship is really beyond these models. Marketing should travel farther than the four thriving. It excites me to see all these new books that our librarian walls of the library, and being able to reach your community is a key colleagues have been writing. They not only inform and educate, but part of social media engagement. they inspire us to become better professionals and allow us to rethink It seems every six months something new and exciting comes to the way we do business in libraries. For this issue, we have a vari- the marketplace, or one of the current social media channels makes a ety of titles that I’m sure will be of interest to you all. We have new major change. Keeping track of this can make one’s head spin. Wat- reviewers coming on board (except Corey) so that’s always exciting. son-Lakamp lays out ways to put metrics on a library’s social media and We have two books written by public librarians that are relevant for suggests ways to make the most of a social media outlet. This includes academic librarians as well. One is the book Marketing Moxie for the library’s social media policies and internal social media guidelines. Librarians which gives us new ideas and techniques for promoting Her moxie tips and tricks throughout the book provide valuable insight our collections, services, and brand. The book A Year of Programs for best practices. for Millennials and More, provides us with ideas for programming The book wraps up with ways to go beyond social marketing to that we can adopt to increase student engagement with the library. advertise the library. Advocacy and funding for library programs also Assessment of programs and services including metrics and using data fall under the umbrella of library marketing so the author summarizes to make decisions are the common themes in the books Assessing Ser- ways to take advantage of these for non-profits. Watson-Lakamp vice Quality: Satisfying the Expectations of Library Customers and rounds out the book with different tools to keep in your marketing Library Analytics and Metrics: Using Data to Drive Decisions and toolbox and reminds us that the library should be using marketing and Services. For those of you interested in bibliometrics, take a look at social media to tell a story. Scholarly Metrics Under a Microscope. Finally, if you’re wondering Whether you work in an academic, public, or special library, us- what an indexer does or why we even need them at all, check out The ing marketing tools to reach your community is an important way to Accidental Indexer. spread the word about the mission of the library. Watson-Lakamp Thanks to all our new book reviewers and as always, let me know does a great job of giving practical ways that a library can brand and if you’d like to be one. There’s a free book waiting for you. Happy market itself as a vital part of the community. This book is easy to reading! — RG read, clear, and concise and builds upon basic concepts of marketing that librarians can follow to take their library’s marketing strategy to the next level. Watson-Lakamp, Paula. Marketing Moxie for Librarians: Fresh Ideas, Proven Techniques, and Innovative Approaches. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2015. 9781610698931. Alessio, Amy J., Katie LaMantia, and Emily Vinci. A Year of 120 pages. $50.00. Programs for Millennials and More. Chicago, IL: ALA Edi- tions, 2015. 9780838913321. 216 pages. $49.00. Reviewed by Ashley Fast Bailey (Senior Collection Development Manager, YBP Library Services)
42 Against the Grain / February 2016
Against the Grain / February 2016
Scholarly Metrics Under the Microscope is a compilation of 55 Badgett, Nan. The Accidental Indexer. Medford, NJ: Informa- classic articles that address different aspects of bibliometrics, which have tion Today, Inc., 2015. 9781573875141. 222 pages. $39.50. been commonly utilized in research evaluation and the promotion and tenure process in higher education. Cronin and Sugimoto, both faculty Reviewed by Mary Jo Zeter (Latin American and Caribbean members at Indiana University Bloomington, note in the introduction Studies Bibliographer, Michigan State University Libraries) that this book is meant to raise awareness of the “theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and ethical” concerns about scholarly metrics and “also
44 Against the Grain / February 2016
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Subsequent chapters describe the career paths taken by indexers as Book Reviews well as Badgett’s own story, and discuss different types of indexing, from page 44 including back-of-the-book, periodical, database, and eBook. The author reiterates the difference between an analyzed index and online In her very practical and informative book, Badgett shares insights search tools and between book and periodical or database indexes, gained over many years of experience as a professional indexer. The and discusses the types of books most frequently indexed. She then Accidental Indexer is not about indexing techniques or theory, but offers those considering careers as professional indexers a frank dis- rather provides an overview of the profession. It serves both as an cussion of important considerations, with a measured dose of deadpan introduction to the world of indexing and a complete getting-started humor. For example, one section of chapter 4, “So You Want to Be guide for readers contemplating careers as freelance indexers. Badgett an Indexer,” is entitled “A Lonely and Anonymous Profession.” Yet advises and informs her readers based on her own experiences, but even as she highlights some of the more salient challenges of being throughout the text also presents the findings of an informal survey of an indexer, Badgett offers helpful suggestions and sound advice for indexers and editors which she conducted. Appendices provide sample dealing with deadlines and “other stressors.” A checklist of the quali- business documents and index quality guidelines, while the book’s ties of successful indexers will resonate with many librarians; indeed, companion website (accidentalindexer.com) gathers together links to slightly more than 30 percent of indexers surveyed by Badgett had a the numerous online resources which the author cites or recommends background in information science or librarianship, echoing a 2009 for further reading. American Society for Indexing salary survey which found that 29 Badgett’s first chapter answers the fundamental questions, “What percent of those surveyed held a degree in library science. is an index and what does an indexer do?” and more importantly, The remaining chapters provide nuts-and-bolts advice to the would- “Can’t a computer do that?” She points out that while a computer can be indexer. Badgett covers the gamut of getting-started basics, from generate a concordance and even apply keywords to content, a true training opportunities and setting up an office to marketing and client index requires the application of human intelligence needed to analyze relations. One chapter offers stress management tips and suggestions text for meaning. A well-prepared index, for example, has sub-entries for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, a balancing act that can under main headings, rather than the long lists of unanalyzed page be especially difficult for the self-employed. The final chapter of the references that might be generated by a computer. Sub-entries also book outlines a plan of action with specific goals and the key elements reflect nuances of meaning that cannot be gleaned in an automated of a business plan. The Accidental Indexer is an indispensable guide process. Nor can computers add synonyms, and thus the multiple for aspiring indexers and highly recommended for anyone remotely points of entry, or “see-references,” offered in a quality index. Even curious about this little-known career option. the search function in eBooks does not render obsolete a well-prepared index, and Badgett convincingly recounts the common eBook reader experience of slogging through a large, undifferentiated retrieval set with her own examples.
Against the Grain / February 2016
Column Editor’s Note: The “Collecting of Nebraska Press.1 The Great Father was build the institutions of tribal self-determi- to the Core” column highlights monographic nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in history and nation — were unprecedented. Collier was works that are essential to the academic li- was awarded the Ray Allen Billington Prize relentless, patronizing, and manipulative in his brary within a particular discipline, inspired by the Organization of American Historians effort to see tribes subject to the 1934 Indian by the Resources for College Libraries bib- in 1985. An abridged version, without much Reorganization Act (IRA) write their own liography (online at http://www.rclweb.net). of the earlier edition’s scholarly apparatus, constitutions and create representative govern- In each essay, subject specialists introduce followed in 1986.2 While the abridgement has ments. Yet these same IRA institutions became and explain the classic titles and topics that value as a concise, accessible edition, the full, important instruments by which tribal peoples continue to remain relevant to the undergrad- two-volume edition is the have shaped their communities, and they uate curriculum and library collection. Dis- more complete expression continue to interact with the federal ciplinary trends may shift, but some classics of Prucha’s arguments and government on a nation-to-nation never go out of style. — AD an indispensable reference basis to this day. work. Prucha’s footnotes Prucha argues throughout throughout The Great Father The Great Father that federal n July 30, 2015, Francis Paul Prucha are invaluable, and often as Indian policy was characterized died, aged 94, bringing to a close a life engaging as the narrative by an unwavering paternalism, Oas a historian, educator, and Jesuit. For itself. His thirty-page bib- which sought to end an inevitable many scholars and students of Native American liographical essay, largely clash between Natives and new- studies, Prucha’s works are an integral part concerned with the form and comers through concerted assimila- of intellectual life and resources of frequent nature of relevant sources, tion. Frederick E. Hoxie, currently resort. It is difficult to imagine the contempo- is essential for any seri- Swanlund Professor of American rary study of American Indian history without ous researcher. The Great Indian Studies at the University of his scholarship. Yet Prucha’s place in Native Father is also available as Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in- American studies is not without controversy. an American Council of cisively observed at the time that His work, as he frequently pointed out, was Learned Societies (ACLS) Prucha’s approach afforded little concerned not with the histories of Indigenous Humanities ebook, and in place for more complex and con- peoples but with the formulation of federal pol- digital form it has particular tingent relationships, ones where icy toward them. His arguments, presented in utility for librarians, faculty, and students the objects of federal policy — Indigenous peo- a manner some described as cool or detached, alike in need of ready reference or the power 3 ples — were themselves subjects and agents in exasperated readers, none more so than his of keyword searches. their own history. Prucha’s story of the failure challenging assessment of Andrew Jackson The Great Father’s two volumes present a of assimilation policy would not — and could and the removal of southeastern tribes. Some chronological narrative of U.S. Indian policy not — account for the power of Indigenous scholars regarded Prucha’s dispassion as ex- from its Colonial foundations to 1980. It resistance and perseverance. Thirty years later, emplary; others criticized it as glossing over was intended, Prucha explained, as a com- the durability and dynamism of today’s tribal or evading the depth of cruelty, violence, and prehensive history, and it incorporates, as he peoples make this all the more plain. deprivation visited on Indigenous peoples. acknowledged, material from several of his Prucha is one of the few authors severally earlier books — including American Indian Looking back at The Great Father and represented in the current Resources for Col- Policy in the Formative Years: The Indian assessing its continued relevance is an exercise lege Libraries core collection for Native Amer- Trade and Intercourse Acts, 1790-1834; The in understanding the nature and context of the ican studies. Only the late scholar and activist Sword of the Republic: The United States Army work itself, and the way in which subsequent Vine Deloria, Jr. is more represented. David on the Frontier, 1783-1846; American Indian scholarship altered the field of inquiry. Sub- E. Wilkins, a leading contemporary scholar Policy in Crisis: Christian Reformers and the sequent generations have realized much of of American Indian law and politics, once ad- Indian, 1865-1900; and The Churches and the what critics of The Great Father glimpsed as monished readers in a review of a Prucha work Indian Schools, 1888-1912 — which dealt the future of Native American studies. Those to clear a space on their shelves — but also to with the formulation of policy during the early conversant with the successive literature of save space for a soon-to-follow work by Vine national era and after the Civil War.4-7 Volume Native American studies will read Prucha’s Deloria. Wilkins’ image of Prucha and De- 1 ends with the nominal close of violent conflict work with a running interior dialogue, one loria side-by-side was appropriate at the time. and concerted assimilation efforts in 1880. testament to the vast and rich scholarship of It remains so today: they were contemporaries, Volume 2 continues from the late nineteenth more recent decades and its influence on the a contrast in perspectives, yet both deeply century through much of the twentieth century. scholarly discourse. A critical reading of The learned, prolific scholars with wide-ranging Prucha’s survey of twentieth-century U.S. Great Father also affords instructors the oppor- interests. Their works complement and coun- federal Indian policy was a departure for him, tunity to explore the process, craft, and phil- terpoint each other, representing the founda- and the second volume’s narrative turns on the osophical underpinnings of historical practice tions of Native American studies created by “Indian New Deal” era of Commissioner of with students, especially those undergraduates a generation during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Indian Affairs John Collier (1933-45) and the undertaking their own research. Librarians will Wilkins recommended what is the most dura- retreat from more than one-and-a-half centuries cherish it as a guide to sources. Students at all ble and valuable of Prucha’s more than twenty of Indian assimilation as the avowed object of levels will continue to use it as a resource for works: a two-volume history of U.S. federal policy. Collier’s manner was consistent with the basics of federal policy. Indian policy entitled The Great Father: The the paternalism Prucha discerns throughout No one was more suited to write a com- United States Government and the American the history of federal policy. Nevertheless, prehensive history of federal Indian policy Indians, published in 1984 by the University his objectives — to end assimilation and continued on page 47
46 Against the Grain / February 2016
Against the Grain / February 2016
y favorite section of The New York of essays by a Holocaust survivor and Der You’re hosting a liter- Times Book Review is called “By Geteilte Himmel (The Divided Heaven), by ary dinner party. Which Mthe Book.” The column editor asks Christa Wolf. Wolf is the most popular and three writers are invited? general book-related questions of a writer or important writer to come from the Deutsche James Jones, William celebrity and then throws in a few more ques- Demokratische Republik (East Germany). Styron, and Willie Morris. tions that are based on the person’s genre, or a For quieter, more thoughtful moods I can They might drink more writer, or area of expertise. open A History of Philosophy by Frederick than they would eat but it would be an unfor- Being neither famous nor accomplished, I Copleston, S.J. I am now on Volume II: Medi- gettable meal. All three are gone now but for am never going to be interviewed by The New aeval Philosophy: Augustine to Scotus. Sound a feel of what the evening might be like, read York Times but I enjoy matching the celebrity boring or intimidating? It is quite interesting, James Jones: a Friendship wherein you will choices with my own. Why not interview actually, especially compared to volume one find all three men. I would hold the dinner myself? featuring Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. I had party in Jones’s Paris apartment and would The first question in the column never to learn the Greek alphabet to make the book try to simply listen and enjoy and not try to varies: “What books are currently on your more interesting. keep up with them. night stand?” For lighter fare, I am reading The Lonely Who’s your favorite fictional character? Skier by Hammond Innes. I am almost through J. D. Salinger’s Nine Horatio Hornblower. He might be the only Stories. I re-read them every so often and even How do you decide what to read next? fictional character with his own biography thus though I know some parts almost by heart, I Sometimes I will read a review (New York proving to some people that he was not fictional never cease to be amazed at Salinger’s use of Times, New Yorker, New York Review of Books at all but a real person. Else, where did all those everyday details to make the most mundane — what would we do without New York?) that details come from that C. Northcote Parkin- event seem special. I never tire of “For Esme grabs my interest, almost always a non-fiction son provided? There were even portraits, for — With Love and Squalor” and wish that I work, and I regularly look at the new book goodness sake. had met Esme. I am always horrified by the shelves of my public library. Most current I met Hornblower while I was still in high low-keyed, casual way that Salinger develops fiction leaves me cold but there are any number “A Perfect Day for Banana Fish.” school. I admired his pluck and courage when of good non-fiction books being published. I he was a mere midshipman and I envied his There is my 1911 edition (ten years after also have a list of books to read and, of course, skill at whist. Overall, I admire his sensibil- it was first published) of Thomas Mann’s I have hundreds of my own books to choose ities as a human being and that is one reason Buddenbrooks. It was mailed to me by a from and to read or re-read as the mood strikes. that I continue to re-read the series. I do not bookseller, who knows I read German, as a Do you belong to a book club? recommend any film representation, not even gift. The original was published in two vol- No. I want to choose what I read and be- Gregory Peck’s. Once again, Hollywood umes. My copy, bound in an illustrated green doesn’t get it. buckram, contains both volumes and runs to sides, discussing a book in a group is too much almost a thousand pages printed in fraktur. like being in a classroom. I’ve enjoyed reading Do you have a favorite novel of all time? German novels much more after leaving school Buddenbrooks is the story of the decline and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. than I did when the same work was assigned. fall of a prominent German Bürger family in There are many other novels that I am glad to 19th-century northern Germany. The names of If you could meet any writer, dead or have read but having recently re-read Stein- some of the characters and the use of local di- alive, who would it be? What would you like beck’s masterpiece, I’ll put it at the top of alect (low German) is reminiscent of Dickens. to know? the list. It was even better the second time, Then there is David Lodge’s Thinks…, Christopher Morley. I’d want to know but the intervening fifty years or so may have an academic comedy set in Lodge’s native more about some of my favorite books written influenced my greater appreciation. England. Lodge is a darkly humorous nov- by him: Human Being, The Man Who Made What’s the best book you’ve read this elist (See Deaf Sentence) and critic. I began Friends With Himself, and Where the Blue year (2015)? Begins. We’d talk about other things, too, reading Lodge after taking his creative writing Captain Macedoine’s Daughter, by Wil- course at U C Berkeley when he was a visiting including his friendship with William McFee, another of my favorite authors. Maybe he liam McFee. A close second is Edmund professor (see Trading Places for his fiction- Wilson’s Memoirs of Hecate County. I have al account). Although he was listed as the could join us and I could ask about Captain Macedoine’s Daughter. a shelf of Wilson’s diaries and criticism. I had instructor, he never read a word that I wrote. no idea that he wrote fiction, fiction that was Lodge lectured and a TA met with the class and What was the last book that made you cry? banned in not only Boston but New York City, critiqued our stories and poems. Lassie Come Home, by Eric M. Knight. I too. The sex scenes that got it banned could be For variety and quick reads, I have four read it aloud to my wife and daughter, and when shown on television nowadays. And close be- Penguin anthologies: The Penguin New I got to the end of the story, I lost it. Books hind are The Caine Mutiny (the movie based on Writing and Penguin Parade. It is pleasant otherwise don’t make me cry but reading aloud it is actually passable but still no substitute for to hold them, their flexible but sturdy WWII to others can be an emotional experience, so the book) and The Naked and the Dead (skip paper seems perfect for the “new stories, po- who knows what tear-jerkers are out there the movie, read the book) by Norman Mailer. ems, etc. by contemporary writers.” Some of waiting to be read aloud. Other questions appear from week to week those now not-so-contemporary writers include What’s the last book that made you laugh? Katherine Anne Porter, Stephen Spender, but no time or space. If you belong to a book Forrest Gump by Winston Groom, not W. H. Auden, Irwin Shaw, and James Gould club, might I suggest that you jointly read “By to be confused with a film of the same name Cozzens. the Book” (they are available in the online and a prime example of Hollywood’s talent version of The New York Times) and take turns When too tired to read at length, even a for ruining a good story. Groom’s Viet Nam answering different questions each time you short story, I open The Diary of a Country era tale made me laugh out loud several times meet. I suggest that it would lead to bookish Parson, 1758 – 1802, by James Woodforde. and I laughed again at the same places when conversations and insights and you wouldn’t There are two other books in German, I re-read the book years later. The book is a feel as if you are back in school. Not that that Jean Amery’s Jenseits von Schuld und Sühne Viet Nam vet’s (Groom’s) cynical look at the is a bad thing. (Beyond Guilt and Atonement) is a collection society that sent him overseas.
48 Against the Grain / February 2016
Section Editors: Bruce Strauch (The Citadel)
PAULA PETRELLA V. METRO-GOLD- The Chancellor developed rules of fair play The Supreme Court held that laches was WYN-MAYER. SUPREME COURT OF THE which are called equitable defenses. One of a guide when statutes of limitations did not UNITED STATES. 134 S.Ct. 1962; 2014 U.S. those was laches. exist. It cannot be a rule LEXIS 3311. Laches is an unreasonable delay in for interpreting a statute Back before 1978, copyright protected a starting suit that prejudices the defen- like the Copyright Act work for 28 years with a renewal period of up dant’s case through perhaps loss of evi- § 507(b). And it cannot to 67 years. 17 U.S.C. § 304(a). dence. Laches predates statutes of lim- override Congress’ clear intention as to the three- itations which deal with the same issue. You know the theory. Penniless artist with year period of damages that can be claimed. no bargaining power gets an initial pittance, Copyright law had no statute of limitations but the book is a huge hit. Now he can exert until 1957. Federal courts looked to state The Court held that a copyright holder is leverage on the publisher for the renewal. limitations to answer the timeliness of claims not obliged to challenge every infringement. And it’s pretty standard practice for a litigant Well, you also know how that worked out. issue. And laches was sometimes applied and used to overcome a statute of limitations. to not sue if there’s no money in it. See Wu, The publisher made penniless artist sign away Tolerated Use, 31 Colum. J.L. & Arts 617, both to get the initial sale. Congress finally filled the legislative hole with a three-year look-back limitations period. 619-620 (2008). And those are our facts. Frank Petrella When a plaintiff has a complete cause of Under the Ninth Circuit’s interpretation, a wrote a screenplay about boxing champ Jake action, the limitation period begins to run. Bay copyright holder would have to bring immedi- LaMotta which became the famous movie Area Laundry and Dry Cleaning Pension Trust ate suit for innocuous infringements or lose a Raging Bull (starring Robert De Niro, direct- Fund v. Ferbar Corp. of Cal., 522 U.S. 192, 201 right to sue later for a really big one. ed by Martin Scorsese). He copyrighted it in (1997). But should the defendant continue to 1963, then assigned rights and renewal rights On the issue of prejudice, MGM argued violate, the period runs from each violation. See to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1976. that evidence might be lost while a copyright Stone v. Williams, 970 F.2d 1043 (CA2 1992). owner sat around idle. In 1980 MGM registered a copyright, and Ooo-kay. So far, Paula has the copyright. And that’s pretty specious. markets the film to this day. And they con- But MGM is insulated from any liability In fact, Congress just flat gave the copyright verted it into DVD and Blu-ray at what they beyond three years. See 3 M. Nimmer & D. back to the heir. There’s no evidence question claimed was a cost of millions. Nimmer, Copyright § 12.05[B][1][b]. at all. And the registration mechanism — Frank died. An author’s heirs inherit the MGM claimed Paula’s 18-year delay renewal rights. § 304(a)(1). And if he dies “permissive” but required before you can sue was prejudicial. The Ninth Circuit held that – shows the copyright. The evidence is nothing before the renewal period, the heirs get the re- if any part of MGM’s conduct was outside newal right even if he has assigned it. Stewart more than the certificate of registration, the the limitation period then Paula’s claims are original work and the infringing work. v. Abend, 495 U.S. 207 (1990). barred by laches. That’s quite interesting. Gosh darn it, what All of this is not to say that there might not Paula admitted delaying the action because be circumstances where laches would apply. you can’t learn when you read. the film hadn’t made money during the years Frank’s daughter Paula renewed the copy- when she didn’t sue. The Ninth Circuit held In Chirco v. Crosswinds Cmtys. Inc., 474 right in 1991. Then in 2009 she sued MGM. this created an “expectations-based prejudice” F.3d 227 (CA6 2007), an architect sat around and watched a housing development go up The Copyright Act has a three-year stat- against MGM. The studio had invested in Raging Bull believing it owned it. knowing the contractor was using plans that ute of limitations. §507(b). So Paula only violated his copyright. Then he sued and asked claimed damages from 2006. MGM moved I presume this changed when it was put into for an injunction to have the houses torn down. for summary judgment invoking the equitable the miracle new formats for home entertainment. The suit was filed within § 507(b)’s three- defense of laches. Hence it felt Paula shouldn’t be entitled year statute of limitations, but laches prevented to just sit back and watch MGM invest in What the Heck are Laches? that kind of remedy. Money damages would promoting the movie and see how it turned out be more equitable. First of all, what the heck is an equitable before she sued. defense? Back in Merry Old England, courts of And why would an architect ask for such a law had only one remedy — money damages. At the Supreme Court crazy remedy except as a way of rattling the If you wanted something else, you went to the The Ninth Circuit usually knows its copy- property developer and forcing him to settle. King’s Chancellor and begged a boon. The right law, but they blew this one. In New Era Publications Int’l v. Henry Chancellor’s doings morphed into a Court of Law and equity were merged in 1938. Holt & Co., 873 F2d 576 (CA2 1989), a Equity with the remedy of injunction. MGM argued that laches is listed in the Federal copyright owner knew for two years of an If your cattle invade my pasture, I don’t Rules of Civil Procedure 8(c) as an affirmative infringement by a publisher, but sat around have to keep suing you for lost grass each time. defense apart from a statute of limitations watching Henry Holt print, pack, and ship a I can get an order enjoining you to keep the claim. Thus it should be included in every book before asking for an injunction. cows out and have you fined if you disobey it. federal statute of limitations claim. continued on page 50 Against the Grain / February 2016
QUESTION: An academic librarian ANSWER: A postcard published between right is retained by the authors of items in these inquires about a collaborative effort between 1923 and 1978 was protected by copyright if papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by his institution and another to share holdings it was published with a notice of copyright: United States copyright law.” Other archival information on a Website that is password the copyright symbol or the word “copyright” collections indicate that if someone wants to protected. Holdings data are annotated to or the abbreviation “copr.” To constitute a reproduce one of these articles from the Web, include a brief abstract which staff members valid notice, this is should be permission should be obtained produced if an abstract was not provided accompanied with the name of from the copyright owner. by the publisher. The data is arranged by the copyright owner and the year As more newspapers make subject on the Website and it has been very of publication. their back files available elec- popular with students and faculty at the two Even though the exact publi- tronically, it may be possible to institutions. If one of the institutions decides cation date was not included, it link to those articles rather than to open the Website to the public, what is may be possible to approximate reproduce them. the recourse? Which institution is liable if the date based on clothing of copyright is infringed? QUESTION: A public librar- those depicted, automobiles, storefronts, ian asks about archiving electronic copies of ANSWER: It is not clear that there are etc. Postcards published between 1923 and specific journal articles when the library has copyrights in the holdings data, but there may 1978 without a copyright notice are now in be. The two institutions would jointly own the a subscription to the electronic journal. The the public domain; however, one of the three reason for the archiving is to provide easy database they have created as a compilation, required elements of notice is present on the but the individual bibliographic entries are not access because the staff knows that copies of card. Some courts have been pretty liberal in the article will be requested repeatedly. copyrightable as they consist of factual data holding that defective notices did not invalidate only. The published abstracts may be copy- ANSWER: While this practice certainly the copyright. There is some possibility that the makes sense to a librarian because it facilitates righted and are owned by the publishers/authors work is under copyright if the copyright was that created them, but it is unlikely that either a patron use of materials to which the library sub- renewed after the first 28 years, but it not very publisher or author would complain about their scribes, the answer is controlled by the license likely. Even with this, however, it is unlikely inclusion on the Website. The abstracts written agreement for the particular journal. If the that the publisher would come forward and by staff members are owned by their respective license is silent as to whether archiving journal institutions as they are works for hire, typically complain about use of the postcard in a book. articles is permitted, librarians should ask the written as a part of the staff members’ duties. Sometimes authors who want to use a work in publisher for such permission and make sure their books just go ahead and assume the risk that this is covered when the license agreement If the two institutions signed a contract to if their publisher agrees. make the holdings data available on a password for that journal is renewed. protected Website, the institution that makes QUESTION: An elementary school teach- QUESTION: In his book “Lies Across the Website available to the public has breached er asks how to use PowerPoint slides in the America,” author James Loewen used case the contract. Whether it is practical for one classroom without being penalized. studies of museum text and interpretation institution to sue the other for enforcement of ANSWER: Under section 110(1) of that he felt were inaccurate. Did he seek the contract is an issue that legal counsel at the Copyright Act, graphic works may be approval before reproducing this text in his the respective institutions should determine. displayed in a classroom of a nonprofit ed- book from the curator or institution? Does a QUESTION: An author reported that ucational institution. The issue under this museum have ownership to the text, exhibit she found a copy of my chart “When Works section of the Act is performance and display, catalogs, etc.? Pass into the Public Domain” at http://www. not reproduction. Most argue that creating ANSWER: Loewen was especially crit- unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm. She asks PowerPoint slides that reproduce copyrighted ical of how highway markers and descriptive about using a postcard published between works in order to display them in a nonprofit plaques on monuments across America were 1923 and 1978 in a storybook she is writing. classroom in the course of instruction is not inaccurate, often describing events that never There is no copyright notice on the card and actionable reproduction. So, displaying the occurred and omitting any mention of minority she wants to know whether it is in the public slide to a class is no problem. group participation. He quoted the language of domain based on the chart. The postcard Further, permitting students to make their the marker, plaques, etc., to point out the inac- does include the name of the publisher and own copies of the slides used in class for pri- curacies. Most of these were short statements the photographer, but she has been unable to vate study may well be fair use. that were unlikely to qualify for copyright locate any information about either of them QUESTION: A university archivist indi- protection. Assuming that he quoted longer in order to seek permission to use the card. cates that her institution has a collection of descriptions from museum catalogs, there is the personal papers of a former U.S. Senator no way to know whether he had permission. Cases of Note which includes extensive scrapbooks of news- It may have been unnecessary for him to get paper and magazine articles that he collected. permission, however. The fair use provision of from page 49 The archivist wishes to scan these and make the Copyright Act of 1976 specifically lists ex- them available on the Web. What are the ceptions from the Act’s prohibition on copying. Just as in the housing development, relief copyright problems with doing this? So, portions may be reproduced, i.e., quoted, would be money damages. ANSWER: The copyright in these articles for the purpose of criticism. The author’s book But Paula was not asking for the destruc- typically is held by the publisher of the maga- certainly qualifies as criticism. tion of the film. She merely wanted money zine or newspaper. It may be infringement to Museums do own the copyright in exhibit damages. If MGM lost, it would be entitled post these as such posting is a reproduction of catalogs that they prepare, both the text and to subtract from damages paid any expense in the original copyrighted work. Many libraries the compilation of images (not necessarily marketing the movie plus profit attributable to and archives have gone ahead and scanned this the individual images). Such ownership does its own enterprise. material and made it available but with some not exempt the catalog from being quoted for And there’s an area for some creative Hol- restrictions on use. For example, the following criticism. lywood accounting. statement appears in one such archive: “Copy-
50 Against the Grain / February 2016
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And They Were There Reports of Meetings — 35th Annual Charleston Conference Issues in Book and Serial Acquisition, “Where Do We Go From Here?” — Charleston Gaillard Center, Francis Marion Hotel, Embassy Suites Historic Downtown, and Courtyard Marriott Historic District — Charleston, SC, November 4-7, 2015 Charleston Conference Reports compiled by: Ramune K. Kubilius (Northwestern University, Galter Health Sciences Library)
Column Editor’s Note: Thank you to all of the Charleston Con- ference attendees who agreed to write short reports that highlight WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015 sessions they attended at the 2015 Charleston Conference. All at- AFTERNOON PRECONFERENCE SESSION tempts were made to provide a broad coverage of sessions, and notes are included in the reports to reflect known changes in the session titles or presenters, highlighting those that were not printed in the Negotiating with Vendors — Presented by Bernard “Buzzy” conference’s final program (though some may have been reflected in the Basch (Basch Associates); Ward Shaw (Independent Investor); online program). Please visit the Conference Website at www.charles- Bruce Strauch (Professor of Business Law, The Citadel); tonlibraryconference.come, and https://2015charlestonconference. Dan Tonkery (Content Strategy); Michael Gruenberg sched.org/, for the online conference schedule from which there are (Gruenberg Consulting LLC) links to many presentations’ PowerPoint slides and handouts, plenary session videos, and conference reports by the 2015 Charleston Con- NOTE: Adam Chesler (AIP Publishing) and Jay Ven Eman ference blogger, Don Hawkins. The conference blog is available at: (Access Innovations, Inc.) were added as speakers in this session. http://www.against-the-grain.com/category/chsconfblog/. The 2015 Charleston Conference Proceedings will be published in partnership Reported by: Crystal Hampson (University of Saskatchewan) with Purdue University Press in 2016.
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Outsourced and Overwhelmed: Gaining a Grasp on Managing Cooper began the panel presentation with a look at the many chal- Electronic Resources — Presented by Matthew Harrington lenges related to collections decisions, including purchasing models, (North Carolina State University) formats, and licensing. A major issue is communicating institutional needs to publishers and vendors, and that became the overarching Reported by: Cheryl Aine Morrison (University of theme of the discussion. Representing a large private interdisciplinary Washington)
NOTE: Marija Markovic did not participate in this presentation. As always seems to be the case with a “What Next?” session, it started with history, the sordid, yet long and glorious, history of selling Reported by: Marty Coleman (Mississippi State University) and buying books. Lugg served as MC and leading historian for the
54 Against the Grain / February 2016
With chairs drawn in a circle and led by the session facilitators Wise and Farrell, participants, librarians, and publishers shared experiences That’s all the reports we have room for in this issue. Watch for and insights. It is relatively obvious that there are different sharing more reports from the 2015 Charleston Conference in upcoming needs at different points in the research cycle, both during and post issues of Against the Grain. Presentation material (PowerPoint research and publication. In sharing, the goals are to support research slides, handouts) and taped session links from many of the 2014 and to provide access to research output. But what are researchers’ sessions are available online. Visit the Conference Website at www. practices? Are they sharing links to their full-text or actually sharing charlestonlibraryconference.com. — KS articles? (Mention was made of another conference session, “The
the other hand will not read books on devices To learn more, look at our Penthouse Rumors and I am not going to say how much older Suite Interviews for the 2015 Charleston from page 33 than he is I am. Anyway, Jim O’Donnell (the Conference. We have interviews with Erin director of the ASU Libraries and the keynote Gallagher, Jim O’Donnell, Gary Price, The eBook. What are we going to do about speaker at the 2015 Charleston Conference) Mark Sandler, Carol Tenopir, Alicia Wise it? The divide between those who like e and recently visited our library. The library staff and Courtney Young. They have been those who like p is almost as bad as the pres- had a special hour plus interview with him to edited into small 10-14 minute snippets idential elections (okay, I am exaggerating). discuss interlibrary loan operations, renovating which makes them very watchable. Check But it seems that I have talked to more and a library, engaging patrons, and eBooks. Jim them out! more people who prefer the print book rather is vocal about all the issues with eBooks — http://www.charlestonlibraryconference.com/ than the eBook. Hmmm… me … I like them how they are all on different platforms, have video/atg-penthouse-interviews/ both. Just finished readingVanity Fair (Thac- different usage configurations, can print only keray’s not the magazine) and I have to admit a certain number of pages, etc., etc. You’ve That’s it for now! I enjoyed reading it on my iPad. My son on heard it all.
Against the Grain / February 2016
n today’s increasingly mobile and digital feel ownership of the institution and make the local community. Overall, forming a SAG world, academic libraries face a lot of decisions that best suit themselves, their peers, is a great outreach opportunity because it shows Icompetition. To meet that challenge, many and the library as a whole.” And involvement that the library cares about its users: “A library libraries are working harder to reach out to in on-campus groups helps with student re- that has a student advisory board is a library their communities, rather than depending upon tention as well. As Deuink that is thinking of its future” their communities to come to them. Student and Seiler (2009) argue, (Deuink and Seiler, 2009). Advisory Groups (SAGs) have the potential to “When students are involved Although it may seem be an important component of any academic on campus, they develop like a lot of work, once library’s outreach efforts. relationships with faculty, a SAG has been formed For many years, “friends” groups have staff and fellow students that it should run relatively played a vital role in public libraries, and ac- improve their experience at smoothly. The real work ademic libraries have begun to see the value the institution.” comes when it is time to of collecting a group of individuals who can On the librarian side, implement new proposals, serve as external advisors. A SAG can be involvement in a SAG offers but this is something that defined as a group of students who meet with the possibility of forming rich and long-lasting librarians already do on a regular basis. With library staff on a regular basis to discuss and relationships with students. Many academic the support of a SAG behind their ideas, librari- provide advice on library policies, resources, libraries struggle to connect with their students ans can be more assured that their new projects and strategies. Other terms commonly used and their needs — SAGs provide an easy way have a good chance of being effective. Having to describe SAGs include Student Advisory of both getting concrete data about student a SAG should not keep librarians from speak- Boards, Student Advisory Committees, and opinions regarding the library and a solid group ing to other stakeholders, including faculty Student Library Advisory Councils. SAGs can of library advocates who will spread informa- and alumni. As all librarians know, students also serve as focus groups for informal projects, tion about the library to other members of the are just one of the voices that need to be heard. such as usability testing. university community. Most libraries want to At the New York University Abu Dhabi Many options exist for the creation of be known as “student-friendly.” As Benefiel, Library, we have experienced firsthand how SAGs, defining and developing their role at Arant, and Gass (1999) write, “A library the SAG has been valuable in a number of the library, and measuring their success. SAGs which works with student government to ad- ways. Librarians have been able to connect are flexible, in that they can be designed to suit dress student concerns will present itself as a with students in a more meaningful way by small liberal arts institutions as well as large campus entity which listens to, and cares about, hearing their opinions and voices on a regu- research universities. In implementing SAGs its student users, and, in turn, has the support of lar basis. They have given the library ideas at the New York University Abu Dhabi Li- students as users, advocates, and financial sup- and support for a number of projects. As a brary, we got to witness firsthand the benefits porters.” As librarians work with students, it is relatively new institution, with no “set” way of these important organizations. important that they not underestimate the value of doing things, this help has been extremely The benefits of forming a SAG go far of peer influence. Hearing their fellows advo- valuable. The NYUAD Library has become beyond increasing library gate counts or cating for the library can have a huge effect on a more student-centered library because of the circulation statistics. SAGs improve student students. At any academic library, students input received from the SAG. Meetings with and librarian experience by creating a new will appreciate the fact that the librarians care the SAG are a constant reminder that librarians level of interaction and involvement for both about their ideas, hopefully encouraging the should not be making assumptions about what parties. SAGs have the potential to enrich any students to rise to the challenge of leadership students want and expect from the library. The academic library’s community-building efforts in sharing their ideas, opinions, and concerns. best way of finding out what students want is, by creating a group of library advocates and This, in turn, will help students feel a strong of course, to ask: having a SAG formalizes giving students a vested interest in the library. sense of connection to “their” library. this line of communication and makes library SAGs give students a real voice in the li- There are challenges, however. A constant- staff’s job that much easier. The SAG has brary’s collections, policies, and programming, ly-changing student body, competition from helped the library understand and reach its making these advocates most effective, because the Internet and bookstores, and the continuing community of users much more effectively, they appreciate that their voices are being prevalence of librarian stereotypes are just which has in turn improved community rela- heard. As Dorney (2013) writes, “Students are some of the issues librarians face. But although tions. As an example, the library has recently the primary clientele of most academic librar- the student body may change, an established moved to a new location on the university’s ies. By giving them an opportunity to partici- SAG will stay in place as an institution, with permanent campus. One of the new features is pate in the decision-making process, libraries the added benefit of flexibility as new members a Silent Study area. Whenever librarians give can ensure that the collections, services, and with new ideas come in. SAGs put a human library tours, they mention that the policies programming they offer are truly student-cen- face on the library, offering students the poten- governing this area, including no food or cell tered.” Students feel a greater connection to tial to help personalize the library according phones, came directly from the SAG. the library if they are allowed to be part of the to their needs. All of these factors help make There are endless opportunities for future institution. According to Browndorf (2014), SAGs a truly effective community-building research and development regarding SAGs. “The more students make decisions about the tool. A SAG can also create benefits for other One possible avenue for research could involve library, the more they will value the library, library stakeholders, such as faculty, staff and continued on page 57
56 Against the Grain / February 2016
@Brunning: People & Technology At the Only Edge that Means Anything / How We Understand What We Do by Dennis Brunning (Director, The Design School Library, Arizona State University)
Annals of Conspicuous Consumption: someone else, yes? But how about the product My iPhone 6S Plus of the month, the Dr. Dre mono-stereo globe? Fits in your hand, cranks out pure 100 watts of “Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz, delicious Beyoncé or for you, from the looks of my friends all drive Porsches, I must make you, some sweet Leonard Cohen, am I right? amends.” — Janis Joplin Yes, right, throw it in. Don’t drool on my iPhone 6S Plus. Do not swipe, tap, or jiggle. And don’t roll your eyes, And your wife, Mr. Brunning, the lovely snub your nose, turn away. If you do — and Mrs. Brunning, that Wi-Fi only iPad Mini you will — it means you probably own an with so many months left on its contract. I’ll android phone or worse still, for you, another bet she’d like better, easier, more convenient iPhone, say, an iPhone 6. You are out of cycle connectivity, correcto? and you know it. Step aside. How did he know this? Why yes, the iP- 30 References hone as Wi-Fi hot spot is as convenient as the My time for renewal had arrived, wouldn’t monthly magazine arriving days late, news old, Over 450 Case Studies you know it, just when S models came out. with long articles so long to read. Yes, yes, Really, it’s as exciting as driving a Tesla S yes, at any moment around Apple products Preceptor Central silently by your neighbors. The Tesla is simply we become Molly Bloom aroused into ecstatic an iPhone with wheels. regions, powered by the élan vital which is NAPLEX It’s fate, I’m sure of it, how Apple rolls nowadays iPhone releases. these shiny gadgets out, with enfant terrible Eduardo, the rep, showed genuine envy as assurance they will prevail. he prepped the new phone, cradling it in one My Verizon Wireless customer rep handled hand as he tapped tapped tapped on the iPad For more information the swap as smoothly as a high-end drug pusher Air 2 in the other. Like a jeweler he squared contact us at or jewel thief. Once my cell phone number was up the InstaShield Glass by Zagg, 19.95, and typed into, yes, an iPad Air 2, standard tool now pressed out air bubbles to bond it like invisible [email protected] in these stores, we were off and running to our anti-crack strength to the iPhone Gorilla glass or satisfaction goal. Yes, Mr. Brunning, we can display. And I won’t marvel at how smoothly visit us online at cut data costs remarkably, you don’t watch he slipped my new iPhone 6S Plus into its Netflix do you? Warm smile. Yes, we can save Tech2 case, one we together had selected pharmacylibrary.com you at least $80.00 a month — give that data to continued on page 58 15-302 Part of Our Lives: A People’s History of Warehousing books — Writer and li- @Brunning: People & Technology the American Public Library by Wayne Wie- brarian Barbara Fister advised us in 2004 from page 57 gand (Oxford University Press). Wiegand, a to avoid describing our Internet response historian and library science professor, chron- to warehousing books as warehousing our as slowly and comprehensively as a couple icles the history of American public libraries books. A decade later our books are off-site, picking a home on HGTV’s House Hunters. from the view of its patrons — the kids, warehoused, and it’s been a good business for “I’m crazy jealous, Sir, crazy jealous. My parents, adults, teachers, and those that build them iPhone 6 is showing wear, my Tweets ever so city officials — who’ve and a fait accompli slow…” played an instrumental without much fuss. Now now I cooed. Just think we could be role in creating a chal- Worried Fister, our one of them, as I pointed to a thrifty couple off lenged but enduring warehouses admit to Hawaii for their 50th anniversary and buying American institu- our stock-in-trade, twin Samsung Galaxies. We laughed quietly. tion. Wiegand digs books, are more stor- Samsungs. Hawaii. So droid… deep into memoirs, age than hot business official papers, news- ready for retail. In We are chosen, we the owners of iPhones, papers to bring to light 2004 it was rhetorical, in 2015 chosen. We are members of the Apple Nation, many facts often hidden by our assumptions. phenomenological books in themselves an eco-system based on the highest value and He’s not a fan of city leaders, politicians, li- existing for themselves, existing practically worth of immaculate glass, sheathed in the best brary directors who often have shortchanged speaking as meta-data in our catalogs. This is plastic money can buy, uber designed so that users in the name of efficiency or political retail in reverse, what results in Dollar Stores. thinking is computing is believing. expediency. He finds the average library Dark Internet — Mom refused to let us There are two moments in life now when and librarian colder than they need or should watch Dark Shadows, you know, the spooky transcendent merges with the innate, when life be. This sangfroid, however, is balanced by soap opera of the 60s, which played on the explodes into joy greater than a contact high. genuine love for learning, reading, and doing portable Sylvania TV next to your sister’s So, can we bill your Amex $895.00 Mr. stuff at the public library, enough to preserve Princess phone. Ah, by today’s standards Brunning, yes, just sign with your finger here. a steady if challenged hold in American and its Dark Internet — home of human Yes, awkward. Everyone says that. community life. organ sales, human trafficking, human baby Postscript: The iPhone 6S Plus is an factories — it seems an idyllic time of inno- cent neck puncturing and innocent devilry incredible device, sized nicely to still carry Downloads from the Zeitgeist — around like the slender smartphone yet big in dark rooms, away from Mom and a bright enough to allow a larger screen and other Auld Lang Zine Edition 2015-2016 brilliant afternoon after school. Be aware of onboard hardware that improve already great Drones, Robots, Autonomous Vehicles the dark Internet, its parallel universe where features — better camera, better speaker, — 2015 marks the year Artificial Intelligence the post-Google library may relocate, where better microphone. If foreign students, espe- (AI) went mainstream. A day did not pass unjacked jackets of best sellers await the bit cially Chinese students, who use their phones without a news story on our future of driver- torrent librarian’s cataloging and circulating. almost exclusively as computers, do foretell less cars, drone delivery of goods, thinking “Kids, you aren’t in that dark library are you? the direction of library computing, we’ve services brought to us by IBM Watson, or Mom texts from anywhere.” No, we’re just taken the wrong turn. Given how my Chinese the toil of Robots and their toll on the labor playing Dark Shadows on Netflix… students’ eyes pop at the sight of my iPhone 6S force. Some of us love the thought of a world Snippets — over a decade in becoming Plus — while they research, read, write their where we are served; like Oblomov we like — should we call it law, practice, publishing coursework — what better way to go out of the leisure above all struggle. Others are just concept? — the snippet goes forward from style in style but with Apple’s latest bon mot smitten by the efficiency, the sustainability the Google Book Settlement as a new form in handheld computing… gains, the idea that we’ve mapped the genome of publishing and reading. It’s an automated as applied to everything we think and do. abstract nothing new about that yet its length, Unread books — with the recent appellate easily one or two average chapters minus Let’s Read court decision affirming Google’s right to continuity. Brings a whole new meaning to Public Library and other Stories by Ali scan 20 million library books without payment learning and reading. Yes, he’s smart but what Smith (Hamish Hamilton, 240 pages). There to authors, fair use now extended to snippets he knows seems, well, so chopped up, like he isn’t a short story called Public Library how- revealed at Google’s algorithmic wisdom — just skimmed it all. Google’s all-knowing eye rather than yours ever much we wish — it’s such an elegant Improbable Library — Or improbable — we move closer to understanding Umberto crystalline title. The public library is every- libraries. A photographic essay by a UK Eco’s decades-old idea of the unread book. where yet not there. Stories are about people journalist and son of two librarians denotes Unread books are where the action is, an who grew up with a public library and mourn odd instances in the digital era of place and antilibrary of what you don’t know. It’s out its demise in today’s UK. It’s about the thrill books and connotes astonishing ways librar- there, waiting for you to read if only you of a first library card, an adult ticket for getting ians around the world are reaching readers. books to read. It’s about finding freedom in can find it. For centuries this meant finding the democracy of the library’s spaces, reading the book, on its shelf, in a library. Eco is Martian Librarian — could be played books that inspired, taught, and empowered a demanding reader — knowledge is what by Matt Damon, why not? But now born one with knowledge that was more than one’s remains to be read. Google can add billions of on the red planet, schooled in the planetary self. A major theme throughout is the seren- books but we don’t approach Eco’s goal. It’s decimal system, and newly arrived on earth dipity of discovery in a library’s stacks and asymptotically unreachable under the current pondering all the libraries found in the Mars its adult parent distraction. And throughout understanding. like industrial parks of a print-less planet is the author’s concern with a bureaucracy — Bureaucrats and books — it’s the new Earth. Martian Librarian finds poster board modern officialdom — a faceless system that B&B but don’t order it from your bartender. and fashions signage above a large indus- substitutes automated voices for reference, Books and bureaucrats is the new actionable trialized door of the even larger sheet metal stressing efficiency and cost savings over joy item. It’s an inverse relationship, Readers warehouse. Public Library. and common “human” sense. Ali Smith wrote read, bureaucrats move. You identify each these stories over a twelve-year period that by the simple question, “where are the saw closing over 1,000 UK public libraries. books?” No disrespect meant to either, it’s It documents the toll obliquely and forever in just as the kids say “what it is.” Bartender, smart, concise stories. another B&B!
58 Against the Grain / February 2016
’ve done two stints on the awards and are occasionally reviewed in news- — in my view, an apples and oranges program run by the Professional and papers and general interest magazines. I comparison if there ever was one. In fact, IScholarly Publishing division (PSP) of also weigh in on journals and electronic before these new categories were invented, the Association of American Publishers products in these disciplines. Multi-volume I routinely marked down undergraduate (AAP). The first one was years ago, when science reference books are in a separate textbooks and popular books; the former I was vice-president and general manager category, also assigned to me. can sport higher production values and of scientific and technical publishing at This year I received 70 entries, more the latter can look sexier than high-level Wiley and also chairman of PSP’s executive than my fair share, as I reckon. But who’s monographs, but those characteristics, in council. The second stint, still ongoing, complaining? Not me. I get to review a my opinion, should not move such entries to started in the early 2000s (I can’t remember lot of wonderful stuff is the way I look at the top of the pile. So neither monographs exactly when). the bounty served up to me. nor textbooks nor popular books were get- The awards program, now called the Most of the stuff is in the form of printed ting a fair shake. PROSE Awards, is a competition for the books. The distribution among disciplines This year, I found excessive mislabel- best publications in disciplines in which and types of books varies from one year to ing on these forms with regard to books PSP member companies publish, although the next. Last year, for example, I received that are really undergraduate textbooks or it is open to non-PSP houses, such as twice as many multi-volume scientific and are books for general audiences, but are members of the Association of Americans technical reference sets as I did this year. submitted for professional audiences in University Presses (AAUP) and trade pub- (As I wrote in this column a year ago, the math and scientific disciplines. So I had lishers. During my first stint in the latter boxes that the sets are shipped in remain to redistribute so many books among the 1980s, when I was chairman of the awards in my garage under strict orders from my piles on my study floor that the textbook program, the judges began to see elec- lanky and on occasion imperious wife, and popular-book piles grew much taller tronic products, in addition to the staples who’s willing to put up with the piles of than the five discipline ones, with 12 in the of monographs, single- and multi-volume other books in the study, but that’s as far former pile and 16 in the latter one. In fact, reference books, and journals. Books still as she’ll go.) If memory serves, the sets by the time I was finished with this shifting predominate, but the number of electronic were also larger and heavier last year than around, there were only three books in the entries has grown larger, for obvious rea- this, requiring a lot less heavy lifting; an chemistry/physics pile, five each in the sons. (Most books, available in both print unusually warm December also contributed mathematics and earth science piles, six in and electronic formats, are submitted in to ease of review. the earth science pile and, as noted above, paper form.) Of the remaining 62 entries, there were just two in the astronomy/cosmology pile. There were just five judges during my a couple of electronic collections and four Enough for judging, but just barely in some first stint — one MD (for the medical titles, new journals. Several of the remaining disciplines. Sometimes, I should note, I of course) and four PSP old boys (retirees books belonged in disciplines overseen by don’t recommend an award for a discipline from PSP houses that more other judges (these books dealt with which has very few entries if none of them often than not specialized public policy aspects of such stands out. in scientific and technical issues as sustainability and Publishers in these math and science dis- areas). They dealt with water resources and were ciplines who are reading this column should no more than a couple not written primarily for consider submitting more high-level books of hundred entries, if my scientific and technical au- that have enough originality and meet the memory serves me cor- diences); I shipped those needs of their audiences well enough so rectly. Nowadays, under back to Kate Kolendo for that they were worthy of the time, effort the leadership of PROSE redistribution. and money it takes to publish them in the chairman John Jenkins Except for the astron- first place. And staffers responsible for and with the expert work omy and cosmology dis- submitting entries for PROSE awards need by AAP staffer Kate Ko- cipline, in which there to look more carefully at the nature of the lendo, the number of en- were just two books, the books. Properly identifying whether an tries is well north of 500, remaining 50 or so books entry is a textbook or a book for general and there are 17 judges — started out in six roughly audiences leaves more room for high-level one MD, several librarians equal piles on my study monographs. and academics, and the rest floor among the four dis- The bottom line, for me, is actually publishing professionals in ciplines and the textbook that I wouldn’t mind receiving even more and around the business. All of the judges and popular categories mentioned above. books in the future than were delivered to are well versed in the disciplines assigned Publishers themselves build the piles my house this year. There will be more to them. initially, because in the paperwork accom- stuff of interest to me. Of course, there is Due to my years at Wiley (and partially panying each entry, publishers are the ones the issue of my wife’s reaction to a greater due to my being the editor of numerous who list the discipline or category for which number of deliveries. There may be more technical handbooks), I drew the short straw they are submitting each entry. books this year than ever, I’ll be explaining for professional-level books in mathemat- The textbook and popular book catego- to her, but the number of piles on the study ics and four science areas — chemistry ries have come into being, mainly at my floor is the same. They’re just taller. I’m and physics, environmental science, earth urging, over the past few years, so that sure she’ll understand. Wish me luck. science, and astronomy and cosmology — books of similar audiences could be judged plus science and math textbooks, as well as against one another, rather than, say, having popular science and math books that can a chemistry monograph competing against sometimes be found in general bookstores a basic undergraduate chemistry textbook
Against the Grain / February 2016
bout three decades ago, political unpleasant past moment in life, or it might ered common sense can land you in deep correctness surfaced in a few large remind them of an unpleasant moment that and serious trouble. For example, making Acolleges and universities. Some may happen later. Anything is the operative a case that the best qualified client should attributed it to a form of Marxism, others word. Again, the evolution may have begun get the job, can make you come off sound- brushed it off as a passing fad. Still others from right-thinking motives — no one really ing elitist at a bare minimum. Resorting marked it as a step in the right direction: seeks to hurt another’s feelings, at least not to statistics to prove a point can make you looking out for others who might otherwise intentionally, save for the Schadenfreuder seem arrogant or unfeeling, not accounting be offended by one thing or another. Po- among us. On the other hand, it’s good for those of us who fall outside the Bell litical correctness, PC as it was sometimes mental health to face your fears and your Curve’s upper 2% tail. Saying that people abbreviated, took many forms, from lan- own unpleasantness even if it is the result should be responsible for their own choices guage to cultures, to mores. For example, of another, isn’t it? can give the impression that you do not care some women took offense to having doors From trigger warnings we have now for them, think you’re better than they are, opened for them, literally. Some didn’t like come to a state wherein many college and or are parading your own good fortune over certain words or phrases being used in their university students claim emotional well-be- their own. presence. Still others sought to change lan- ing and so must be protected from words, Can you see where all of this is going? guage from the inside out, doing away with ideas, phrases, concepts and terms in liter- Heaven forbid anyone read Flannery gender specific antecedents, and making ature, social science, and general commerce O’Connor, or William Faulkner, or just speaking and writing more of a challenge they don’t like. As Greg Lukianoff and about any Southern writer. Ditto that for than it already is. Jonathan Haidt put it in a recent Atlantic any Russian, Irish, or Jewish writer. This On the balance, at least early on, it did article, we have entered “the coddling of the approach also eliminates any Black writers, seem that there might well be something American mind.” Is this too harsh or simply and, well, now that we look at it, all that’s to be learned from those arguing in favor the opinion of two unfeeling men? Hardly. left is technical writing that doesn’t rely on of political correctness. Well-meaning Some comedians like Jerry Seinfeld statistics. individuals sought to think more about complain that college students can’t take a In some ways, the chickens are coming others and less about themselves, at least joke so he, and others, such as Chris Rock home to roost, as we sometimes say in the in certain contexts. For example, anti-bias and Tina Fey, no longer run the college South — but no offense intended to chickens curricula sprang up in many K-12 schools, circuit comedy route. Young people, they or those who love them. The children of the with some taking great pains to be sure argue, can no longer take a joke. Profes- generation of PC-eres have grown up, all of even mathematical word problems did not sors are now terrified about holding class whom were part of “every child’s a winner,” lean in a sexist, racist or cultural-preference discussions for fear they will say a word, when trophies were given to all participants, direction. Had political correctness stopped bring up an idea, or enter into a debate that and where wrong answers do not exist even right there, it might not have upset anyone will land them, first in Human Resources, when they clearly do. We are all winners, other than those on the very, very far right. and second, in the unemployment lines. leaders, champions, and supersmart, wheth- Soon, however, the political correctness Students at one college in Pennsylvania er it’s true or not, but again no offense, if began to have fairly pejorative connotations want to change the name of its center, named any is taken. as the movement sought to undo just about after a former president from the Depression I’m not sure where all this will take us everything, from syntax, science, and, be who essentially saved the college from ex- but I fear that it will take us to a very bad honest, sensibility. Newspapers, especially tinction, because his last name has a deadly end. If the university is not the place where the New York Times, began crusading about connotation. It would be like someone you come to grips with what you believe, not using certain kinds of references and all complaining about “Herring” because they and with how to think critically, and with too soon, as is the case with many formida- object to fish. My older daughter’s married exposure to various kinds of thinking alien ble movements, those not using politically name is Slaughter. Oh, dear. to your own, then it becomes nothing more correct terminology had to be sidelined or So-called “safe zones” have become than a very expensive club for lemmings. disenfranchised. Let’s face it, political cor- safe zones from anything and everything I came from a blue/white collar neighbor- rectness never corrected with an even hand. that might cause someone the least bit of hood and college for me began a time of While we were instructed to think of God emotional distress. While much of this is both good and bad, smart and very stupid as a woman, we were never instructed to occurring at mainly large institutions, it experimentation. But after it was over, I think of Satan as anything other than a man. is occurring everywhere, at right-leaning, came out on the other side a better man, or A backlash occurred, of course, and amid left-leaning, Christian, secular, public and so it seemed to me. Sure, my feelings were right-thinking criticism and overreach, po- private institutions. We must all walk on hurt, my provincial attitudes laughed at, and litical correctness seemed to vanish. As it egg shells now because there are those my beliefs, such as they were, challenged. turns out, it merely went into hiding. among us who are on the brink of breaking, The experience made me think, and hard, Today the term is rarely used, but its literally. about the important things in life. effects, especially on colleges and universi- I find all of this not only very puzzling If trigger warnings and PC-redux proves ties, now appear to be the proverbial chick- but also more than a little alarming. Saying true, then libraries are destined to be one of ens coming home to roost. It began about something simple and, at one time, consid- the first zones to be declared unsafe for any a year ago with so-called thinking. “trigger warnings.” Trigger And that will make warnings are anything that them obsolete more might cause someone to quickly than anything have an unpleasant emo- any technology could tional reaction, either be- ever hope to do. cause it reminds them of an
60 Against the Grain / February 2016
n part one of our discussions of a technical A particular area of concern was how to each title. The big question is wheth- services perspective on shared retention handle textbooks. The usual practice at AU is er and how the CCC will review the Iprojects, (ATG, v.27#5, November 2015), to replace older textbooks with newer editions spreadsheet on a regular basis. It is Stacey and I gave an overview of the retention or specific editions requested by the collection conceivable that there will be many project American University and the other managers. We now had textbooks marked as titles each month for the committee institutions in the Washington Research Li- retention copies that we would not normally to review, since all of the WRLC brary Consortium (WRLC) engaged in and keep. Additionally, there are cases where we schools will be using this spread- the processes by which retention decisions and do not want to purchase replacement titles for sheet to track titles that will not be allocations were assigned in our shared cata- books that have replaced. To log. These changes have had implications for been lost, usually date, the CCC our Acquisitions and Cataloging departments, due to a decision has not begun particularly in the workflows for lost and re- on the part of the reviewing this placement books. Additionally, questions have collection manag- spreadsheet, been raised about how much authority staff has er or due to other but we imag- to correct errors in identifying titles that have factors such as ine that the been mistakenly marked for retention. lack of circulation committee will As was discussed in the previous column, or age. In those have input into titles were identified to be retained if they met cases, there has been uncertainty about what how well this certain parameters; that is monographs being to do when titles marked for retention are tracking system will work and how published prior to 2005 for which there are those we do not want to replace. We would often they will realistically review it. more than ten copies in WorldCat held within normally withdraw these titles and remove Due to the work of the task force and what the United States. These titles have been iden- the holdings from the catalog. There is also is outlined in the MOU, we have been able tified by a retention location code within the the question of devoting funds to resources to establish some guidelines that address our shared Voyager catalog, so it is easy for staff we would not normally purchase. We needed specific institutional workflows. This has to identify which titles will need specialized more specific guidelines to follow for when helped staff performing the day-to-day work evaluation and treatment during our lost and we were truly on the hook to purchase re- to have more specific workflow procedures replacement books workflows. placement retention titles in these instances. when working with retention books. Some of In the Memorandum of Understanding One outcome of ongoing questions on the the changes to the workflow for replacements (MOU) entered into by the participating li- part of all participating libraries has been the and damaged books include using the new braries within the WRLC, it was agreed that establishment of a WRLC-wide task force problem spreadsheet, the types of information the library holding a retention title is expected that is charged with creating a clearer defini- to include on that spreadsheet, where to place to protect that title from being discarded. tion for what constitutes a good faith effort in the titles in questions and how to communi- The idea was that if a book that was marked replacing or repairing books. The task force is cate to the collection managers about previous for retention was lost or badly damaged, and also charged with establishing clear reporting editions of textbooks. One question that re- another participating library in the consortium procedures for reassigning retention commit- mains unresolved is how any future problem had a copy, the retention commitment would ments to different copies when needed. This resolution will be handled once this task force be transferred. If there was not another copy task force is primarily comprised of librarians has completed their work and is disbanded. within the consortium, the original library in various technical services departments from Throughout the course of this project, would make a good faith effort to replace or several WRLC member libraries. The group there has been variation in how the different preserve the lost or damaged copy. Any titles has developed two types of spreadsheets for libraries in the consortia are handling errors, that could not be replaced would be sent to a the member libraries to use: reviewing the remediation lists, and reviewing consortia-level coordinated collections com- 1. The WRLC reassignment spread- titles identified for permanent retention. Staff mittee for review to determine further action. sheet. If there is another copy of performing the day-to-day work in these areas It became clear shortly after the retention a title in the consortium, a library at our library was initially very cautious about commitments were assigned that more detailed does not have to replace its retained making even minor corrections, such as when directions and guidelines were necessary for copy. The title and other identifying a book had been mistakenly identified as a title staff performing the day-to-day work on the holdings and item-level information meant for retention due to a cataloging error collection. Specifically, staff needed to know: about the book is put on this spread- or variation in the local bibliographic record. • how to handle lost and damaged sheet and the retention location code Having the consortia-wide task force give books, will eventually be reassigned to general guidelines, as well as having regular another copy within WRLC. internal meetings to identify and discuss • how to report titles that needed 2. The Collaborative Collections Com- issues, from an acquisitions and purchasing, further evaluation and possible re- cataloging, and a circulation perspective has assignment, mittee (CCC) Review Spreadsheet. The CCC is a consortium-wide been beneficial. Learning what other libraries • how to handle decisions about committee that handles collection are doing and getting feedback directly from replacement books that we would development topics. If a library the task force has made staff more comfortable typically replace with a newer or decides not to replace a retained with making changes to correct mistakes when different edition, copy and there is no other copy they encounter them. • what to do when correcting errors within WRLC, the title of the book One of the primary takeaways in the on- when books were mistakenly marked is placed on this spreadsheet. The going resolution of the complexities that have as retention titles due to errors in batch CCC will periodically review this arisen out of the shared retention project is processing or bibliographic data. spreadsheet to decide an action on continued on page 62
Against the Grain / February 2016
ike our children, we prefer to think of was there a weeding project conducted prior software (Circa) and an upgraded system our online catalogs as having only minor to starting the book inventory. (Sierra). Unlike the first time, we sought the Lflaws. The inventory process may bring Aside from missing or miss-shelved books, advice of others who had done inventory with us face to face with an unwelcome reality wrong locations and statuses in the online cat- the same equipment and the same ILS system. check: the catalog is far, far, far from perfect. alog, there were a myriad of other problems. Our preparation was better, because we had The road to as close as we can get to perfec- The worst of these were books with “dummy meetings to decide what would be done, and tion is long, muddy, fraught with potholes and barcodes” that were not in the system and bib- how, and each department was clear on their mostly uphill. Sooner or later we have to face liographic records without attached records. responsibilities. We also made sure we had reality, because inventory’s Day of Reckoning There were also brief records that needed to the laptops and other equipment necessary. cannot be avoided. be overlaid with full cataloging records. A Instead of using library staff, we used students The Circulation Department usually man- little further down the list was dusty shelf assigned to the Circulation area who proved ages the inventory process, and can handle sitters, many in multiple copies leftover from to be remarkably committed to the project and books with wrong statuses or locations, but the 1980s and carried over when we convert- kept it moving at a steady pace. This time the most of the problems end up in Collection ed the collection from Dewey to Library of Circulation Supervisor was ready with lessons Management. When older books are found Congress Classification. The situation was learned and by then we had hired a Systems/ that are not linked, decisions have to be made not helped by the frequent freezes and other Metadata librarian who took charge of the as to whether they should be kept or discarded. software/equipment problems we encountered. implementation and procedures. Worn and damaged books have to be evalu- It spewed volumes of error lists that had to be As soon as the inventory got underway, the ated for repair or replacement. Books with checked and re-checked. Circulation staff started bringing down cart bibliographic records that are missing item Midway through the inventory, the uni- after cart of books that had not been linked. records have to go back to the Cataloging versity announced a buyout program and the Some were old, but others were the products Department. Records with wrong or faded Head of Circulation, a librarian who had held of indifferent and incomplete cataloging. Each labels have to be corrected. the position for many years, of these carts needed to be sorted for replacing, Weary of guessing how many retired and was replaced by repairing or discarding. The problems of the books we actually owned, and not a paraprofessional who was previous inventory visited us again, because trusting the figures that had been willing to work to complete there were still bibliographic records without processed manually, in 2009 our the inventory, but did not item records. However, with the cooperation Library Dean ordered a complete have any experience. of the library’s wifi, the inventory software inventory of the library’s collection. The job of project leader provided more useful reports and the process Nobody could remember hav- then went to the Head of was less frustrating than the first time. ing done an inventory Cataloging, whose atti- We finished the inventory in a year and we since the library was tude was that since the thought the Main Campus holdings were in automated and it had inventory mode was in pretty good shape…..then while I was weed- migrated through three the Circulation module, ing, I came across a book that did not have any ILS systems during that it was their responsi- bib record. No matter how careful you think time. We ordered the bility. The inventory you are being, there are always books that get inventory product for limped to a frustrating overlooked in an inventory. We are currently Millennium and since we end and the best thing inventorying the collection at our downtown did not have a Systems we could say about it campus, which merged two collections and has Librarian, the Head of was that it was done. never done an inventory. They have a huge Circulation was desig- I suspected that the number of books that have not been linked nated the Project Leader. inventory had been woe- and the poor Circulation Librarian has stacks She did not think it was fully inadequate and this of them four feet high in his office. necessary to shelf read was born out in 2013 Aside from providing a realistic assessment the collection before when we decided to give it of the library holdings, there are several bene- initiating the process, nor another try with newer inventory fits for collection management when inventory is conducted on a regular basis. It provides a process for weeding and updating the collec- tion. Each time an inventory is conducted the problems are identified and addressed, which Let’s Get Technical staff have often been unsure of how to pro- enables the integrity of the online catalog to be from page 61 ceed when making decisions about correcting strengthened. This makes it a more effective obvious problems or deciding which editions resource for our users, who should not go up how critical it is to involve the staff members to purchase as replacements, and involving three floors looking for a book that has been who are involved in the day-to-day work in them in the process both makes the ultimate withdrawn from the collection or has been decision making processes. They are the ones work smoother but also makes them feel more missing for years, without notice. Now that who see the different issues that crop up and empowered to make decisions and corrections we have a successful process in place, I am their input is necessary to know the scope that they have sometimes been reluctant to lobbying for more features for our inventory of issues that need tracking and resolution. make. equipment, so that we can do a better job of Additionally, given the scope of this project, correcting errors from the past.
62 Against the Grain / February 2016
here are probably as many theories on “I’m glad you noticed it’s kind of hard to how to achieve successful sales out- ignore.” The manager might say. “But Bob, Tcomes as there are number of salespeople in your initial conversation with Mr. Jones, calling on prospective clients. Salespeople did you bring up anything to do with all that throughout the world are bolstered by reading baseball memorabilia?” sales self-help books, attending workshops and If Bob didn’t, he would have been truly being schooled by their managers on how to missing a great opportunity to not only connect “make the sale” and yet only a handful of those with Mr. Jones, but also be able to build a stron- salespeople ever find lasting success in selling ger relationship with this prospective client. a product or service. After all, people buy from people; they don’t Many of those reps, when calling on a buy from companies. If both parties can find prospective client are so mindful of their pre- some common ground outside of the intended sentations and the intricacies of their product sales meeting topics, then the buying and sell- content that they forget the most obvious of ing process can proceed a bit more efficiently. facts and that is to simply look around the In the case of Mr. Jones, it is clear that he room to see the many clues that determine would be more than willing to talk about his the tell-tale traits about the person with whom beloved Yankees at the drop of a suggestion. they are about to speak with. There is one By getting the customer to speak about their inescapable fact in the buying and selling interests, Bob can learn a wealth of informa- process, and that is that two people will inev- tion about this person even before the sales itably sit across the table from one another in meeting begins in earnest. But more than a room somewhere to negotiate the deal. For looking around, Bob and every serious sales- ? the astute salesperson, the ability to “read the person needs to understand that there are four room” will often help to determine the success emotions that rule a person’s will to make a Try or failure of that encounter. decision. These are: When we are at work, our office, cubicle, 1. Recognition workspace serves as the “home away from home.” For many people, more of their waking 2. Romance hours are spent in a work environment as op- 3. Money posed to spending that same valuable time with 4. Self-Preservation family and friends. To compensate for being If Bob truly understood these emotions and away from home, many people tend to decorate was able to recognize them through conversa- their offices with reminders and remembrances tion or by simply noticing the objects strategi- Your single-source solution of their respective families and/or significant cally placed within the prospects’ workplace, personal interests. his chances of closing an order would be for media acquisitions Pictures of the kids and the spouse, a knick- greatly enhanced. Here’s how it works: knack from that trip to Spain, a signed picture firm orders of a sports celebrity all may adorn the desks, Recognition walls and tables in any number of workspaces. If you enter the workspace environment of a approval plans Those signs are calling out to anyone that is person and notice that there are plaques on the welcomed to that space by saying, “this is who wall regaling that person’s achievements, you shelf-ready I am.” Without a word being initially said by know full well that this person wants everyone to either the salesperson or the potential customer, know that they have been acknowledged for, in a quick glance around the room may make the their opinion, extraordinary accomplishments. small distributors difference between a “sale” and “no sale.” A carefully placed compliment or an inquiry as foreign imports In reviewing the events of a recent sales to how they received such a distinguished award meeting, the astute Sales Manager will ask the would immediately gain their attention. Or if out of print titles salesperson to relate a little bit about the person there are pictures of the person with a famous they just had a meeting with. sports, political or arts celebrity, a remark about streaming video “So, Bob can you tell me about your meet- the celebrity might spur on a spirited conversa- ing with Albert Jones at XYZ Pharmaceutical?” tion as to how the person and that celebrity were asks the Sales Manager. even in the same room together. and get “Mr. Jones is a very nice guy.” Or some- Someone who places pictures, awards, thing like that may be the reps’ initial response. achievement plaques on the wall of their office is telling you how proud they are of themselves “Yes, I’ve known Albert for years and in and, by the way, not acknowledging those fact, he is a very nice guy” replies the Sales achievements might be perceived by some Manager. “But Bob can you tell me more about as an insult. These are people who like to be Albert’s surroundings?” recognized for their achievements. “Well, he had a lot of NY Yankees mem- orabilia in his office. I noticed a picture of Romance Derek Jeter, a baseball signed by Yogi Berra There are people who want to tell you about and even an actual home plate signed by the their families and significant others without www.ActionLibraryMedia.com entire 2011 team.” continued on page 64 800-886-4408 It’s a good guess that this type of person have a “canned” presentation for everyone Both Sides Now ... may be a good negotiator and will probably because every person has different ways of from page 63 be the most difficult in creating “small talk” looking at a situation. An understanding of before the meeting. the surroundings creates an understanding of uttering one word. I cannot tell you how many the person. Self-Preservation times over the years upon entering a customer’s In 1970, The Five Man Electrical Band, office and seeing scotch taped to the wall a Self preservation is the instinct to act in a Canadian rock group from Ottawa, had a watercolor imprint of a child’s hands with the your own best interest to protect yourself and hit record called “Signs.” In the song, they message “I love you mommy.” That same type ensure your survival. A person who practices bemoan the number of signs all around them. of person is apt to have many family pictures, self-preservation will probably work in a min- In sales, the more signs that are noticed by the as well. What that tells you is that this person imalist environment. That means there will salesperson can spell the difference between a can’t wait to tell you about how wonderful their be very few signs around this person’s office successful or non-successful encounter with a kids are. Speaking about your kids and theirs is to indicate anything personal about them. By prospect. always a good way to get to know one another. noticing who they are, the wise salesperson In the absence of pictures of children, many will tailor their presentation to allay the fears people will have photos of recent vacations. of this person and show them how the product Mike is currently the President of “Where was that a picture of you taken?” Re- will ensure their survival. Gruenberg Consulting, LLC, a firm he counting similar vacation experiences is always The bottom line is that lurking behind founded in January 2012 after a successful a good discussion ice breaker. recognition, romance, money and self-pres- career as a senior sales executive in the ervation is fear. Fear of not being recognized; information industry. His firm is devoted to Money fear of not being loved; fear of losing money; provide clients with sales staff analysis, market For some people, a neatly kept office with and fear of not being protected. research, executive coaching, trade show expensive artwork on the walls is the image A good salesperson, upon entering the preparedness, product placement and best they want to convey to every visitor that enters. prospects workplace will immediately read practices advice for improving negotiation Upon entering this domain, you instinctively the room, understand the person with whom skills for librarians and salespeople. His know that this person is serious about making a they are dealing and tailor the presentation to book, “Buying and Selling Information: A deal that will be most advantageous monetarily fit the needs and personality of the person on Guide for Information Professionals and to their organization. the other side of the table. The Salespeople to Build Mutual Success” is Moreover, it is quite conversation in speaking to a available on Amazon, Information Today unlikely that there person that is ruled by ro- in print and eBook, Amazon Kindle, B&N will be extraneous mance for example, is a Nook, Kobo, Apple iBooks, OverDrive, 3M papers scattered whole lot different than Cloud Library, Gale (GVRL), MyiLibrary, about and that their speaking to a person ebrary, EBSCO, Blio, and Chegg. www. desk will most ruled by money. It’s gruenbergconsulting.com probably be neat. not a good idea to
Being Earnest with Collections — Materials Gifts in Libraries: Same Old, Same Old? Maybe Not by Steve Carrico (Acquisitions Librarian & Collections Coordinator, University of Florida Libraries)
Column Editor’s Note: I recall when that if we were going to spend time in review However, there was always a concern I first started as Head of Acquisitions & and processing that we could at least offset about telling potential donors that the library Collection Development at the University of some of the expense. is not interested. So, we continued to accept Central Florida in 2006, one of the first trou- In 2008, I collaborated with Kelli Getz, As- gift materials with the idea that we would do ble areas I had to address was gift receiving sistant Head of Acquisitions at the University so while also being quiet about it. Now that and processing. Since that time my thoughts of Houston, and we looked at various ways I am at the The University of Alabama I find on the importance of gift materials and the to make sense of gift receipt and processing. that the same old issues of concern are once value they can have for academic libraries We gave a presentation at the Acquisitions again coming to the forefront. has moved from one extreme to another and Institute in 2009, where we presented on, During a recent talk with Steve Carrico I settled somewhere in the middle. At first my among other things, ways to increase sales was reminded that the University of Florida thought was to make the review process and and commission from gift materials. It seemed had also experimented with different policies final disposition of gifts as efficient as possi- to be going well for a couple of years and then and procedures related to gifts. Having ble. The focus was on keeping selection well we experienced the fallout from the economic worked many times with Steve over the years focused and only adding gift materials that woes that seemed to reduce gift receipts and I knew that he had put much thought into would have been purchased, while finding that was combined with new directions for how to better manage gift receiving and pro- alternate ways to move unwanted gifts out utilization of space within the library, and cessing. I am delighted that my friend and of the library. We looked at ways to increase staff reductions. It was during this time that colleague agreed to provide a nice overview the amount of money brought in from the sale my philosophy began to change and I became of the recent steps taken at UF to address gift of gift books through library book sales and more focused on finding ways to eliminate or receiving. I am sure ATG readers who are commission from a local dealer. Believing drastically reduce gift receiving. continued on page 65
64 Against the Grain / February 2016
aterial gifts have always been prob- lematical for academic and public Mlibraries. A search of library literature reveals dozens of publications that address the pros and cons of accepting, processing, and selecting in-kind gifts. A highly attended ALCTS E-Forum in 2011 attests that many academic librarians still wrangle with the RESULTS topic of in-kind gifts, notably the relevancy of donations, the disposition of unselected items, Search ENGINE donor relations, and costs associated with pro- cessing gifts.1 It must be made clear, material gifts are not free, as there are costs associated with every aspect of adding gift items to a library collection, including staff and selector time, cataloging, and the overhead associated with stack shelving and maintenance. Clearly, libraries of all types continue to evaluate their in-kind gift policies and workflows and wonder if material gift operations are worth the trouble. Many of the same issues regarding in-kind donations came up in 2013-2014 at the Uni- versity of Florida (UF) when the Smathers Libraries held library-wide forums to craft new vision statements. Included in the strategic • Real Results directions are two sets focusing on content Not available anywhere else acquisitions and collection development.2 The libraries’ official collection policies were last • Real Relevant revised in the 1990s, created in an era of Just Easily explore full text documents, in Case approach to building large print collec- tions in academic libraries, and were deemed NIH grants, patents and more outmoded for a variety of reasons for many • Real Fast subject disciplines. The new vision statements provide a framework to continue to employ the Exactly what you need right away traditional Just in Case philosophy to build on Smathers’ preeminent holdings — such as Latin America and Florida History — while emphasizing the libraries’ commitment to Created by life scientists for life scientists. the Just in Time collection approach through several ongoing use-driven acquisition plans. During these somewhat heated debates to Contact us: [email protected] draft new collection objectives, the libraries’ Check us out: Quetzal-Search.info policies and procedures for material gifts were addressed. Schedule a free trial today. In fact, the entire material gifts program Free training and support. at the Smathers Libraries was put under scru- By tiny and many questions posed. Should the Money back guarantee! Smathers Libraries continue to accept in-kind gifts? Should the libraries accept and add print books and other gifts by targeted area or areas (Special Collections) but not for predomi- to collections. In fiscal year 2012-13, a total istence of the Smathers Libraries Bookstore. nantly online supported disciplines (STEM)? of 3,694 out of 14,967 monographs received This store was located in the heart of campus If a library-wide gifts program is allowed to as gifts at the Smathers Libraries were selected and sold unselected print books and other items continue, should the general acceptance and for collections — approximately 25%. While to the UF community. The store enabled staff selection policies become more restrictive? this percentage of gift monographs cataloged to routinely accept large in-kind donations as The Smathers Libraries (University of for library collections is comparatively high the store was stocked by unselected materials. Florida) have always had a strong gifts pro- for an academic library, this selection does not Staff had trained students to post books for on- gram with a long tradition of donor support. include the thousands of assorted gift items line sale using the vendor Alibris, and between Many of the libraries’ most recognized and received (serials, CD/DVDs, etc.) that rarely the two revenue streams the program’s over- preeminent collections were begun or signifi- go into collections. Overall, to manage a large head was funded in a large part by accepting cantly enhanced by gift materials. Neverthe- gifts workflow requires a significant amount of large materials gifts. Yet, based on the statistics less, unless a library only accepts materials effort by staff and collection managers. and anecdotal evidence, it was clear that far too preselected for collections, the assumption is One reason for a certain laissez-faire often the libraries were accepting donations most material gift donations will not be added attitude to accepting in-kind gifts was the ex- continued on page 66 Against the Grain / February 2016
Charleston Comings and Goings: News and Announcements for the Charleston Library Conference by Leah Hinds (Assistant Conference Director)
ow exciting! Katina asked me to tors/). Thanks to all of you who took the time will meet the goal of making all of our attendees start writing a regular column on the to turn in your comments! Our first conference feel welcome, valued, and comfortable. HCharleston Library Conference as a call has been scheduled to discuss the evalu- A call for preconferences and seminars will way to keep everyone up to date on the latest ations, make recommendations for changes open on the March 4, with a proposal sub- developments, deadlines, and news. Although based on attendee feedback, and brainstorm mission deadline of April 29. These in-depth it feels to me like the 2015 Conference just ideas for plenary speakers, panel topics, and learning sessions range from a half day to two wrapped up, February is when the “core plan- a debate premise for 2016. If you have ideas days in length, and will be held from Monday, ning committee,” Katina, Beth Bernhardt, for topics, suggestions for speakers, or any October 31, through Wednesday, November 2. Tom Gilson, and I, start gearing up our brains comments or feedback that would be helpful We are seeking proposals for hands-on, prac- for the yearly planning process so this is the in our planning, please feel free to contact any tical workshops that will offer a deeper, more perfect time to start the column. of the Conference Directors at the link above, thorough look at topics related to collection The 2015 attendee evaluation results have or email me at
68 Against the Grain / February 2016
DIGITAL LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY
Edited by JEFFREY HENDERSON
Many developing nations have little access to conventionally published journals, so they are information impoverished and professionally isolated. Cultural barriers still exist among early researchers because many new OA journals do not yet have impact factors, and because of their concerns about predatory journals or “paper mills.” Research impact is critical to career progression; fortunately, time may solve this issue as OA journals mature. Yancey’s hope is that financially stable OA models may also help subscription journals extend their access.
Donald T. Hawkins is an information industry freelance writer based in Pennsylvania. In addition to blogging and writing about conferences for Against the Grain, he blogs the Computers in Libraries and Internet Librarian conferences for Information To- day, Inc. (ITI) and maintains the Conference Calendar on the ITI Website (http://www.infotoday.com/calendar.asp). He is the Editor of Personal Archiving (Information Today, 2013) and Co-Editor of polykoekjacklegmealermalassadajewww.loebclassics.com Public Knowledge: Access and Benefits (Information Today, 2016). He holds a Ph.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley and has worked in the online information industry for over 40 years. oatburnermooncalfnocakeicehouse nightjarknefflimangomizzleostkakaALSO AVAILABLE IN A DIGITAL EDITION Charleston Comings and Goings ... from page 66 Dictionary of ence/. All of the plenary sessions, Neapolitan sessions, and the Against lungerintownlobberironsideizzardAmerican Regional English the Grain “Views from the Penthouse Suite” interviews are available open access for your viewing pleasure. Slides and handouts from many Joan Houston Hall, Chief Editor of the presentations are also linked to on the Schedule Website at jackalopelagniappemarblebellyickywww.daredictionary.com https://2015charlestonconference.sched.org/. Reports and pictures of conference sessions from Don Hawkins, the Charleston Conference blogger, are available at http://www.against-the-grain.com/category/ “Academic and large public libraries should chsconfblog/. Images from Greg Gersch, a talented graphic recorder Irisherleatherheadmechameckjimsubscribe to this fantastic resource.” - who drew the take-aways and major points from Thursday’s plenary —Christine Bulson, BOOKLIST sessions, are available at http://www.charlestonlibraryconference.com/ graphic-recorder-images/. The 2015 Conference Proceedings will again be published by berjawnipsymetheglin Purdue University Press. They will be available open access on the Purdue Website at http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/charleston/ this summer, and print copies will be available from http://www.thepress.purdue.edu/ lefsemosheykensingtonlonghair- series/charleston starting in October. Proceedings of the conference published since 2009 are made openly accessible through the support of Purdue University Libraries, the parent organization of Purdue University Press, a unit of the Libraries. madstoneinkslingerkipeFor a special combined offer on these acclaimed Please keep an eye out here for future updates, and as always, please contact me with any questions. I’m already looking forward to Novem- digital resources, contact: [email protected]. ber! But, some warmer weather would be nice in the meantime. Biz of Acq — MD-SOAR, Maryland’s Shared Open Access Repository: It’s been a Long, Long Haul Column Editor: Michelle Flinchbaugh (Acquisitions and Digital Scholarship Services Librarian, Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250; Phone: 410-455-6754; Fax: 410-455-1598)
Column Editor’s Note: In 2011, Stephen Douglas and I published workshop on XSLT which gave me the skills I needed to automate most an article in this column, “Acquisitions and the Digital Repository,” of the remainder of the work. I also worked with our Graduate School, on ways in which we had each taken on repository work in our acqui- which manages the submission process here, to implement a permissions sitions units. In that article, I proposed that “digital transfer services” form to make electronic thesis and dissertations publicly accessible. To would fit well with traditional acquisitions functions, defining it as: date, our ETDs from April 2007- have been loaded into ContentDM, but 1. Acquiring digital content. most have access limited to campus-only, with few publicly accessible. 2. Conducting a quality review of digital content. In May of 2010, our Digital Collections Team’s Institutional Repos- itory SubGroup was made into an independent working group reporting 3. Moving digital content between systems. directly to our Library Executive Council. Our library director told 4. Inventorying, manipulating, and ingesting digital content us to go on a fishing expedition to find faculty on our campus to “sell into a repository. the concept for us.” With budgets very poor, we were repeatedly told While my portion of that article focused primarily on my unit’s that there would be neither new money nor staffing for a repository, work with Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs), I had been but that we should try to be ready when the budget situation improves. working toward implementing an institutional repository at UMBC We developed a survey, both to find information, and to find faculty on since 2009. In 2013, I had Digital Scholarship Service Librarian campus interested in the topic. We developed added to my job title, becoming UMBC’s Acquisitions and Digital a presentation, and I agreed to go out and Scholarship Services Librarian, and this year we are implementing meet with all of the people who said that our repository, ScholarWorks@UMBC, as part of MD-SOAR, Mary- they wanted to talk with us in the survey, land’s Shared Open Access Repository, developed by a group that I and also to attempt to meet with all of our brought together in my quest for money for our repository and have academic centers, and give our presen- led since its inception. This article is about the eight-year journey to tation. In some instances, I gave the move from an idea to the implementation of a consortial repository presentation to entire Center staff at with ten other university libraries. — MF their regular meeting. We began to compile a list of “UMBC Repository Partners,” and put them on a public The Concept facing “UMBC Digital Repository Research” Website along with ad- In 2007 or 2008, at an ACRL virtual event, university faculty were ditional information about what a repository is and does. talking about their need to make accessible and preserve materials that These meetings with faculty took many interesting twists and turns. aren’t traditionally published, like datasets, lab notes, and materials cre- One meeting resulted in me being asked to go talk to the directors of ated in various social media platforms. I was aware of previous efforts our graduate programs at their monthly meeting. Another resulted in to sell the repository concept to faculty here as a means of dealing with me and another librarian, Eric Jeitner, now at Stockton University, serials prices, but they had little interest. Since our library director was joining forces with two faculty members, Craig Saper, Director of the interested in establishing a repository, and this alternative method of Language, Literacy, and Culture Program at UMBC, and Helen Bur- selling the concept for materials that were not traditionally published gess, a faculty member in our English Department, now at NC State, might be successful at my university, I thought we could try again to to also develop and sell a digital publishing initiative on campus. We see if there might be interest. We did have digital collections, on the sold that concept to our library, and even our library director joined ContentDM platform, consisting mostly of digitized special collections, the digital publishing group. Craig, Helen, and Eric and I even did a but which also included our ETDs, but no means of acquiring, storing, digital publishing workshop at the ACM/IEEE Joint Conference on making accessible and preserving our community’s work. Digital Libraries in 2012. I continued to work with this initiative for At the time, I knew little about digital repositories, but all the same, several years, and in 2013, Craig Saper became the UMBC Herbert I sent an email to my interim supervisor and the library director asking Bearman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship, which comes with three if I could work on developing this concept. The answer was that we years of significant funding, to start up the digital publishing initiative. could discuss it after my new supervisor was hired and on the job. After In the end, my library’s Institutional Repository Working Group a significant period of waiting, that happened, and we formed a Digital found enough interest in a repository that we sent a recommendation to Collections Team. This team focused primarily on our digital collections the library director that we implement one. We were told to find grant in ContentDM and had little interest in working on a digital repository, funding, so I began learning about grant proposal writing, including but eventually decided to form an Institutional Repository Subgroup. attending a number of educational opportunities to learn about grant writing. I decided to start small, and in 2012, I, along with colleagues Developing Support for a Digital Repository Gergana Kostova and Tiffany Wilson, were awarded an ACLTS in my Library and at my University Transforming Collections Microgrant, to “transform our collections In August of 2009, the Institutional Repository Subgroup began se- into safe havens for open access materials by bringing into the library riously working. We brainstormed, watched webinars, and researched, digitally published open-access works that are in imminent danger of and I did a great deal of reading and attended conferences to increase being lost by restoring access and by providing for long-term preser- my knowledge on the topic. vation,” which allowed us to obtain 66 faculty works and their rights, In 2009, my supervisor asked me take responsibility for our ETDs and load them into ContentDM, as a collection that would eventually which had been moving rather rapidly from one librarian to another. seed our institutional repository with faculty works. The programming that automated the process no longer worked, so the Meanwhile, in 2011, another librarian forwarded me an email from work was being done manually. I accepted that work, since it fit with the Chair of UMBC’s Humanities Council, which consists of the chairs institutional repositories, and I had some skills for working with data, of all of humanities departments, relating to what the library was doing and partially automated the process, using Excel visual basic macros, in regard to preserving digital work. I attended one of their meetings, and gave the work to one of my staff. Later, I was able to attend a continued on page 71
70 Against the Grain / February 2016
Against the Grain / February 2016
y now your patrons, and probably you would be followed by Dark Empire II and the in the EU and yourself, are going through serious Star popular Tales of the Jedi series. their child in TFA. Does that mean there will be BWars withdrawal. Fans are trying to Then there were the video games and other other similarities? Other children? If you’re work out their best possible theories on who interactive media. With solid gameplay and a hoping that Supreme Leader Snoke turns out Rey’s parents are, how large or small archvil- finale reveal that would makeAgatha Christie to be Darth Plagueis, should you be combing lain Snoke actually is, and how exactly Maz swoon, Knights of the Old Republic won a lot of the 2012 Darth Plagueis novel, despite the 11 Kanata got Luke’s lightsaber. They may be acclaim for LucasArts and BioWare in 2003.6 fact that you know it’s out of continuity? If wondering how to dive into the no-longer-can- Somehow this game achieved a holy grail of bal- you think the identity of Rey’s family line is on yet maybe-not-exactly-not-canon continuity ancing narrative with player-controlled action. important, you could go back to the prequels, of what was once the Star Wars Expanded Clone Wars, and Rebels to find potential grand- By the time of Disney’s purchase of Universe, or “EU.” parents. Should fans go over everything they Lucasfilm and related properties in 2012, can, looking for potential clues to prop up their Before it had a name, the EU began with the EU was littered with stories from prose, One True Theory? all the stories told in the Star Wars universe comics, animated television, radio dramas, beyond the Original Trilogy. It goes all the table-top role-playing games from West End If fandom has taught me anything, it’s that way back to the beginning in the 1970s, when Games and Wizards of the Coast, those Ewok people will anyway. But maybe that’s not such Alan Dean Foster, armed with the first film’s movies, and video games covering thousands a bad thing. With all the feelings I got from The script, ghost wrote Splinter of the Mind’s Eye 7 Force Awakens, December 2017 seems like a of years of galactic history. These included 12 for George Lucas.1 Forty-year spoiler warn- some interesting “multimedia projects” that long way off. We need some Star Wars to ing: like the problematic kiss on Hoth, the attempted to closely coordinate storylines watch, read, play, and talk about until then. flirtation between Luke and Leia in Foster’s across films and other media that were all novel strongly suggests Lucas had not decided being created and released at the same time or the pair were brother and sister yet. in very close proximity to each other. Perhaps Endnotes There was also a classic and wonderfully most notable were the numerous properties that 1. Foster, Alan Dean. Splinter of the Mind’s motley run of Star Wars comics from Marvel covered the events of the Clone Wars between Eye: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker. beginning in 1977.2 The comics began with the second and third prequel films, including New York: Ballantine Books, 1978. work from writer Roy Thomas and artist Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2. Thomas, Roy. Star Wars: The Greatest Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. Space-fantasy Film of all!: An Official Ad- Howard Chaykin, who would move on after aptation of the... Movie. New York: Marvel the first ten issues. They would eventually Clone Wars was originally a limited series but comics group, 1977. eventually became ongoing serial.8 see contributions from such talents as writer 3. Goodwin, Archie. Star Wars Omnibus. Archie Goodwin and a bevy of great artists, Suffice to say that as the law of big numbers Volume One. Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse including Walt Simonson and Klaus Janson.3 suggests, most of the EU materials were not Books, 2010. Bill Sienkiewicz even did covers for Return as well-regarded as Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy, 4. Zahn, Timothy. Heir to the Empire. New of the Jedi era. Dark Empire, or Knights of the Old Republic. York: Bantam Books, 1991. As these works show, the early years were With too much continuity to keep track of, it 5. Veitch, Tom, and Cam Kennedy. Star eclectic and messy in the best way. A lot of probably shouldn’t have surprised anyone in Wars, Dark Empire: The Collection. Mil- particulars of the Star Wars universe were 2014 when Disney announced that the new waukie, Ore: Dark Horse Comics, 1995. not written in stone yet. Things started to get stories would not be beholden to the old EU.9 6. LucasArts (Firm). Knights of the Old more regular in 1991, when Lucasfilm moved The way they did it, however, was interesting. Republic. [San Rafael, CA]: LucasArts, 2003. heavily into licensed novels published through The old EU is acknowledged as “legends” of 7. Sansweet, Steve. “LUCASFILM DISNEY the galaxy, with canon being reset to the official = MORE STAR WARS AND GREAT TIMES Bantam and later Del Rey. These began with FOR FANS.” StarWars.com. October 30, Heir to the Empire, the first of the Thrawn films and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and me- 2012. Accessed January 5, 2016. http://www. trilogy from Hugo winner Timothy Zahn.4 dia produced from that point forward, including starwars.com/news/lucasfilm-disney-more- 10 Set in the years after the original three films, the Star Wars Rebels animated series. star-wars-and-great-times-for-fans these new adventures of Luke, Han, Leia and The inclusion of The Clone Wars in canon 8. Tartakovsky, Genndy, Bryan Andrews, company focused on fighting the remnants of is interesting. Not that it’s not a quality show. Corey Burton, Anthony Daniels, John Di the Empire, as led by the last Grand Admiral, It certainly is. But we’ve seen quality thrown Maggio, John Williams, James L. Venable, Thrawn. The Zahn novels were generally out. For one, I think The Clone Wars and its Paul Dinletir, and George Lucas. Star Wars, well received by hungry fans, who respected Clone Wars. Volume one. Beverly Hills, Calif: descendant, Rebels, are hard to separate. If Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, the author’s treatment of classic characters as one should be in canon, the other should. But 2005. well as his interesting additions and twists like more importantly both of these series are pop- 9. “THE LEGENDARY STAR WARS Luke’s love interest Mara Jade, the Emperor’s ular with younger generations of fans. I think EXPANDED UNIVERSE TURNS A NEW Noghri assassin sect, and Force-canceling that’s the real hook. Fans of a certain age don’t PAGE.” StarWars.com. April 25, 2014. Ac- amphibians called ysalamiri. This is when seem to dismiss the Prequel Trilogy quite as cessed January 7, 2016. http://www.starwars. the term “Expanded Universe” was officially harshly as those who watched the originals in com/news/the-legendary-star-wars-expanded- introduced. the theater. I’d venture that some don’t nec- universe-turns-a-new-page. The growth of the EU, with increased essarily connect with the Original Trilogy as 10. Gray, Taylor, Vanessa Marshall, Tiya strongly, either. Many are too young to have Sircar, Freddie Prinze, and Steve Blum. oversight and coordination from Lucasfilm, Star Wars rebels. Complete season one. 2015. coincided with the move of Star Wars comics played Knights of the Old Republic when it was released, though they might have played the 11. Luceno, James. Star Wars: Darth from Marvel to Dark Horse in 1991. Like the Plagueis. New York: Del Rey/Ballantine explosion of new novels, the comics started iOS rerelease. The Clone Wars may be their Books, 2012. strongest anchor to the franchise. strong with the excellent Dark Empire limited 12. Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Directed series from writer Tom Veitch and illustrator So that’s where we are as of The Force by J.J. Abrams. Los Angeles, CA: Walt Dis- Cam Kennedy.5 These featured stunning cov- Awakens. Fans can’t help but notice some sim- ney Studios Motion Pictures, 2015. ers from artist Dave Dorman. Dark Empire ilarities between one of Han and Leia’s children 72 Against the Grain / February 2016
Editor’s Note: In my November column, Of course, even shared print proponents dust-jacket, the best copy would be copy #3.4 I featured a guest piece by Andrew Stauffer, who agree that a best-case scenario would Artifactually speaking, then, it is important to which took up a thread of concern many bring have consortia identify and retain only the note that not all duplicates are the same. to the discussion of shared print collections, best copies for sharing are quick to point out We librarians who work in general collec- that of the physicality of the volumes being that there are significant obstacles to using tions are not used to thinking about books like shared and the circumstances under which book conditions as a criterion for retention this. Traditionally, the physical or artifactual a given volume can be said to be identical to and deselection.2 Given multiple copies of a value of books is something to which our another. Curating Collective Collections has title in multiple libraries, we can almost never Special Collections colleagues attend. As pursued this thread since my November 2014 determine from catalog records the condition former University of Pennsylvania Curator of column, “What Exactly Are We Retaining duplicate copies are in. In fact, when it comes Research Services Daniel Traister has written, When We Retain That Book,” following up to assessing and noting condition, general “the root of the sense of the difference between that article in February 2015 with “Silvacul- collections librarians have few tools to work general and special collections” has to do with ture in the Stacks; or, Lessons from Another with and a limited, non-standard vocabulary to preservation versus access: Whereas in circu- Conservation Movement” by Jacob Nadal, in describe these attributes. Beyond the simple lating collections access and the intellectual which Jake uses a forest conservation meta- kind of yes/no validation I mentioned above, content of books is emphasized, in special phor to help librarians frame the issues. As developing the tools to assess and record collections preservation and artifactual value promised in November, here is a piece by Mike book conditions (to say nothing of deploying take precedence.5 And indeed, to the extent we Garabedian, a colleague from my Southern such tools) will be, in the minds of many consider condition in general collec- California days, that takes up the argument practitioners, too time-consuming and too tions, it’s not to preserve the objects for considering the physicality of books from costly for most purposes. in which intellectual content is an angle different from Andy’s— that is, the But how time-consuming? And embedded but simply to ensure proximity of the volume to its as-published how costly? In summer 2014, I these objects last longer, even if state and the role that state plays in teaching. sought to answer these and other this means destroying parts of the In this column, Mike makes his case and in a questions by testing the feasibility originals (e.g., rebinding books succeeding column will describe a condition of a condition analysis that would in buckram boards), or using sur- survey he conducted to gather evidence in the identify copies to retain for a rogates (e.g., microfilm or digital stacks about the condition of volumes as he shared print collection.3 I will ad- facsimiles). In the preservation/ defines it here. — BK dress this project and its outcomes access binary practitioners like fully in a future column. For now, Traister have posited, then, we I want to make a case for condition, general collections librarians come The Problem of Condition and consider briefly how our new information down firmly on the side of access: For us a Despite a fair amount of ink spilled and ecology — and specifically shared print — book’s intellectual content (sometimes called pixels illuminated about the virtues of shared might facilitate the selection and preservation intrinsic value) trumps its format or artifactual print networks in our post-print age, writers of the most artifactually significant books in value, which is why there’s such a thing as have paid little attention to the potential our collections. library binding in the first place. artifactual value of the copies retained, or what it might mean to deaccession duplicates Condition Defined Content and Artifact based on criteria other than condition. In- Because it informs my assertion that best This makes sense: For most readers at deed, beyond suggesting that a simple “yes/ copies should be the most artifactually valuable most college and research libraries most of no” condition validation is a desirable step duplicates, I want to be clear about what I mean the time, an approach to the preservation and in inter-collection analysis, no writers have by condition. For the purposes of shared print storage of books that safeguards access to argued that condition should be any kind of agreements, again, it’s probably not their intellectual content, not their artifactual criterion when we consider which copies we controversial to suggest that libraries integrity, is sufficient. But not always. And should retain and which we should deselect identify severely damaged books, excluding in a post-print age that produces increasingly to create shared print collections.1 This from consideration those duplicates whose digital texts at the same time many colleges elision is problematic. It’s probably not con- poor conditions might mean they would have insist their undergraduates conduct original troversial to suggest that, because one of the to be conserved before circulating again. For research with primary documents, perhaps goals of shared print is to allow consortia to this reason, many libraries that participate in increasingly it’s not. Twenty years ago, well deaccession, so the retained copies should be shared print collections have developed before the digital revolution but at a time when in good shape: If coffee stain-free text blocks procedures for rejecting copies in really bad the business of microfilming brittle books was and unhighlighted pages are too much to shape, and indeed, this is what practitioners booming and “the systematic transference of hope for, still most practitioners should agree who work in general collections think of when printed and manuscript texts of all periods that at a minimum books with still-attached they consider condition. But it’s as to electronic form” burgeoning, the Modern bindings and no missing pages ought to be important to ensure the copies we select for Language Association called for prudence and standards to which we aspire. What is per- sharing are the most artifactually valuable provided one rationale as to why it might be haps a less uncontroversial, even novel idea and complete copies we can identify, where worthwhile to expend the resources to identify is asking us to consider a more expansive a “best copy” means a duplicate title whose those book-copies closest to their original state: definition of condition, where retained copies physical form is closest to the book in its MLA believes that it is crucial for the would be the most artifactually valuable and original state. So, for example, given three future of humanistic study to make more therefore most artifactually complete of the copies of a mutually held title where one widely understood the continuing value duplicate copies of titles member libraries copy has been rebound in library buckram, of the artifacts themselves for reading hold in common. one is still in its original publisher’s continued on page 74 binding, and one is still in its original publisher’s binding with its original Against the Grain / February 2016
74 Against the Grain / February 2016
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Wandering the Web — Exploring Information of Japanese Americans’ Experiences in Internment Camps during World War II by Tadayuki Suzuki, Ph.D. (State University of New York (SUNY) College at Cortland)
Column Editor: Jack G. Montgomery (Professor, Coordinator, Collection Services, Western Kentucky University Libraries)
Author’s Note: When you explore the stories of Japanese Amer- hese Websites are especially useful when teachers plan extension icans, you may notice that many stories narrate their experiences in and/or application activities after reading related stories with their internment camps during World War II (WWII). Although America is Tstudents. The following Websites were selected based on the a country that consists of immigrants primarily from Europe, many quality and accuracy of information. Americans are in general not familiar with how Asians, for instance Experiences of Japanese Americans in Internment Japanese, immigrated to the U. S. and how they were historically treated by others in this country. When I pointed out this issue in my graduate Camps during World War II course one day, many students reluctantly agreed with my comments. The Children of the Camps: The Documentary — http://www. pbs.org/childofcamp/ — is owned by the Public Broadcasting System Although many teachers and teacher trainees tend to show a dis- (PBS). The documentary portrays the personal stories of six Japanese comfort with using multicultural stories in their instruction due to their American children during WWII. The documentary was directed by unfamiliarity with the cultural contexts in the stories, their use helps Dr. Satsuki Ina, who was born in the Tule Lake Internment Camp. She stretch their comfort zones and enrich their cultural perspectives as guided former child internees from Japanese ancestry for about ten years. educators. Therefore, teachers and librarians should also be familiar This documentary was broadcasted from April 1999 to April 2000. DVD with multicultural stories with a variety of ethnic groups. Although no and VHS versions are now available for purchase. You will be able to quick solution exists for this agenda, exploring specialized Websites find specific information about the overview of the documentary, the during and after reading a story, and gaining more specific information background information about the participants and filmmakers, and the about a particular topic help readers build more accurate knowledge viewers’ guide and reviews from the audience on the Website. and understanding of the topic. I recently had opportunities to explore Welcome to the Denshō Website — http://www.densho.org — some of the Websites related to Japanese Americans during WWII. Denshō is the term originally derived from a Japanese word, which Below is the list of Websites that I recently explored. — TS means “pass on the truths to the next generation.” This Legacy Project continued on page 76 Against the Grain / February 2016
76 Against the Grain / February 2016
Against the Grain / February 2016
had not been to Oslo for many years and St. Louis in 1997) were particularly exciting ings, supplemented by was delighted by the city I found in October in many ways, and it quickly became obvious group meals in which I 2015. But the biggest surprise came when I that our group needed to continue to meet and the conversations were was leaving. I had a few Norwegian kroner left talk. Casually, we designated ourselves as the as important and rich as in my wallet, perhaps ten dollars’ worth, and I COC (Consortium of Consortia) and took turns in the formal sessions. Sure, we made time handed them to a Norwegian colleague (Kjell hosting conferences at our home institutions around the edges to do a small bit of tourism, Tjensvoll, the meeting organizer): “more use every six months or so. for example, past the spectacular new water- to you than me,” I said. He was plainly em- At those meetings we shared war stories, front opera house and a curious floating island barrassed. “We don’t actually use cash much techniques, challenges, strategies, and plans. of postmodern glass sculpture. But, mainly, here in Norway,” he replied, “but I guess I can Particularly in the early days, negotiating ad- ICOLC meetings are distinctive for the focus figure out something to do with this money.” It vantageous deals with big publishers, new pub- and intensity that all participants seem to bring seems that Norwegians pay for everything with lishers, and publishers with a new story to tell to every session. debit or credit cards: tram fares, cups of coffee, was challenging for all. Rapidly, we realized By now, approximately about 100 (more or you name it. I suggested that next time he is that our meetings were a great opportunity to less) consortial staff and representatives attend in the U.S., he could buy me a glass of wine! invite interesting and challenging information a given meeting. These days, though we invite That transaction was a reminder that new providers to attend “grill sessions” and talk fewer vendors, we still find the ones we do ways of living in a technology-rich world don’t candidly with us — and the vendors realized talk with to be well worth the invitation. One necessarily start in the U.S.: that insight was that we were an influential group of their best reason for the decline in publisher invitations also a good way to close that particular trip to customers, so they were pretty willing to attend is the routinization of business with many of the semi-annual meeting of ICOLC (the In- for their allocated hour-long slot. Within those the largest ones, with whom consortia have ternational Coalition of Library Consortia), off-the-record conversations, all participants built up productive relationships over time; one of today’s most forward-looking library enjoyed information exchange that is unheard another is that there are many emerging needs groups, possibly one of the less well-known. of in standard library conferences. It would be and opportunities to discuss amongst ourselves, An informal, highly collegial, unincorpo- hard to prove absolutely that much short-term not just licensing and dealing. But, for example rated organization, ICOLC brings together pricing advantage came to members from this in Oslo, Derk Haank, the CEO of Springer library consortia from many parts of the world, work, but the creation of an atmosphere of mu- Nature, described to us the aims of the new with the aim to strengthen libraries. Consortia tual respect and trust advanced library goals for organization and discussed the Compact, a support libraries in so many ways, especially by less restrictive contracts, more generous terms type of new publisher consortial agreement leveraging buying power, securing better pric- of use, and a focus on building longer-term that factors in APCs as well as subscription es, streamlining the mechanics of dealing with relationships. payments. And we also reviewed the impact vendors, and providing many other services of Soon enough it became clear that consortia on collecting policy of the increasing pace of high value to their members. Consortia can were forming and operating in many countries movement to Open Access. With whom are be most successful when they group like with and facing similar needs and challenges. After we dealing and what are we getting for our like — geographical neighbors, institutions of an informal first overwater meeting in 1999, money? Are savings really possible? Ralf similar mission, disciplinary emphasis, that sort the Consortium of Consortia participants Schimmer (Max Planck Institute) presented of thing. In a constantly changing world of agreed to become the more broadly based and a paper about the costs and process for flipping technologies and business plans — and the very ambitious International Coalition of Library subscriptions to open access, much as is already identities of many of the entities that we need Consortia, and so began a regular pattern of being done with the SCOAP3 particle physics to deal with — we can always use more help. meeting in spring in the U.S. and in fall in global consortium project. There was much That’s where ICOLC comes in. Launched Europe. The same issues and opportunities more, including plenaries featuring consortial in 1997 through the leadership of Tom Sanville present themselves worldwide, and vendors presentations from developing countries, as (then leading OhioLINK) as an extremely turn out to be very much interested in meeting well as breakout discussion sessions. informal gathering of like-minded individuals, with the international group. Hence the Oslo In the course of ICOLC’s history, there this remarkable organization will soon be cel- meeting last October! have been striking points of intervention, ebrating its 20th anniversary. The early meet- As usual with ICOLC meetings, Oslo had wherein the organization crafts and endorses ings (the very first official meeting was held in two-and-a-half full and busy days of meet- a statement of principles on a burning issue of the day. Serials pricing, the Google books settlement, and the impact of the global eco- nomic crisis of 2008-2009 have been among ADVERTISERS’ INDEX the topics addressed. Several of the Statements have received good play in the media, but it’s 31 accessible Archives 8 the Charleston Report 35 ProQuest equally valuable that the Statements provide 63 action! Library Media Servicel 7 Cold Spring Harbor Lab Press 65 Quertle, LLC summaries of best practices that consortial leaders can take back to their members, and that 79 adam Matthew Digital 11 Copyright Clearance Center 45 rittenhouse Book Distributors library members can use to inform their own 2 ambassador Education Solutions 51 emery-Pratt 19 sPIE Digital Library administrations and funders. The Statements 57 american Pharmacists Association 69 harvard University Press 15 springer Science & Business Media have been remarkable for a lack of partisanship or grandstanding, offering well-informed pro- 39 annual Reviews 9 igi Global 77 turpin Distribution fessional perspectives from a broad and diverse 23 asME 80 Midwest Library Service 3 yBP Library Services group of institutions — all the more valuable 5 atg 13 Modern Language Association for that reason. 75 the Charleston Advisor 27 PeerJ By 2000, the ICOLC Website listed 135 member groups. In 2000, 2/3 of the member For Advertising Information Contact: Toni Nix, Ads Manager, consortia were in the U.S.; that percentage
78 Against the Grain / February 2016
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