Geoscience Information Society's Digital Database Forum: Issues Concerning Electronic Journals and Books: Viewpoints from the Researcher, Publisher and Librarian
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications, UNL Libraries Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln 10-1999 Geoscience Information Society's Digital Database Forum: Issues Concerning Electronic Journals and Books: Viewpoints from the Researcher, Publisher and Librarian Adonna Fleming University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libraryscience Fleming, Adonna, "Geoscience Information Society's Digital Database Forum: Issues Concerning Electronic Journals and Books: Viewpoints from the Researcher, Publisher and Librarian" (1999). Faculty Publications, UNL Libraries. 306. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libraryscience/306 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications, UNL Libraries by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Digital Database Forum October 27,1999 Adonna Fleming, Presiding Issues Concerning Electronic Journals and Books: Viewpoints from the Researcher, Publisher and Librarian Introduction at the same time we need to protect The Geoscience Information Society's copyright for our authors and continue to be Digital Database Forum provides a venue a viable operating business. It is much easier for geologists and information specialists to to get information from one point to another discuss issues concerning electronic in an electronic environment, so fair use has resources and view the latest in electronic become an issue. Also, we understand that data. The 1999 Forum was a panel the cost of interlibrary loan is very costly for discussion of issues concerning electronic libraries. We are hoping that a system journals. In addition, Elsevier and Blackwell where the user purchases each article publishers demonstrated their on-line, full individually alleviates the situation. text journal databases, and netLibrary demonstrated their electronic, full text . Jim O'Donnell, Earth Science Library, books. Cal Tech- The panelists included: Dr. Bernard I think that for electronic journals, Aleva, Publishing Director of the Earth and copyright is virtually irrelevant. We are Biological Sciences Division of Elsevier bound by licensing agreements that are Science; Joy Moore, Journals Manager at drawing up the rules we need to follow. I Blackwell Science Publishers, Brad Norris, don't think that is necessarily bad, but in Director of Library Programs for netLibrary fact, for electronic journals, the topical electronic books, Dr. Brian Penn, Pan copyright is superseded by the licensing American Center for Earth & Environmental agreement we have to sign. With the Studies (PACES), University of Texas, EI Internet, libraries are licensing data and Paso; and Jim O'Donnell, Geology and access; this lessens the pressure on the Science Librarian, California Institute of copyright law. Technology. The following contains excerpts from Dr. Bernard Aleva, Elsevier- the panel discussion as well as a short From the owner's point of view, the summary of the databases demonstrated. transfer of copyright to the publisher is still a very important issue. The Intellectual "Do existing copyright laws and guidelines Property Treaty of 1996 and 1998 states that apply effectively to electronic information, all copyright rules that apply to written or are changes needed? From an information apply exactly the same to information producer's point ofview? From electronic information. The reason that a consumer's point ofview? publishers support copyright laws is to protect the users as well as the authors. Joy Moore, Blackwell Science- Users want to know that a published article Changes are needed. A paradox has has been submitted by the author and has occurred with the onset of the Internet. The been edited, peer reviewed, and verified by Web was designed as a tool for free the publisher. Commercially, the electronic exchange of information. As publishers, we distributors have taken enormous financial , want to work within that environment while risks to distribute journal articles GIS Proceedings 1999 169 electronically, and the licensing agreements intermediary to help with the purchase. protect their rights to recoup their expenses In many cases, decisions are based on and make profits. numbers. 3. Agent or proxy - This type of consortia Dr. Brian Penn, PACES, University of negotiates with a vendor, and then Texas, EI Paso- advertises the agreement with its We are witnessing a true paradigm members. The more members who go shift. We are going from something tangible along with the agreement, the better the such as paper, to something that moves price. Member participation is after the along in terms of electrons. Economics will decision is made. drive the new paradigm. How do you make 4. Provider - They pass on information to electronic publishing economically feasible? individual institutions, and have no That is the bottom line and that will drive authority to purchase collectively. the copyright issue. "How do you see electronic publishing Brad Norris, netLibrary- affecting your businesslprofession over the Right now the Internet is causing a lot next 5 to 10 years?" of challenges in copyright law, but most of that will be settled in case-by-case instances. Dr. Brian Penn, PACES, University of At its very core, the copyright law is sound. Texas, EI Paso- What will change are the economic laws The fastest way to disseminate driven by the new technology. Again, being information is on the Web, but the science able to transfer rights and being able to bind profession only recognizes research together and protect the authors rights as published in peer reviewed journals. The well as the publishers and libraries will be Web adds another dimension but doesn't worked out with creative business laws. diminish the print journal. When I publish There won't be a big shock to the core of the my research, I add additional information copyright laws. that doesn't appear in my article to my Web page, such as unpublished statistics, or "How do consortiums make their decisions? additional graphics. However, the meat and Does each member have equal say? Or does potatoes are in the journal article. size and collection drive the process? What are the advantages for small libraries with Dr. Bernard Aleva, Elsevier- speCialized clientele?" Electronic publishing has a very bright future for all parties. Science Direct, Brad Norris, netLibrary- Elsevier's on-line journal database, offers There are four types of consortia: additional services for authors as well as 1. The cooperative delegate - This is a libraries. User statistics allow libraries to central bodied group, which makes measure how much an article or journal is decisions collectively, with input from read, and thus help in the budget process. In members, and in most cases the the future, scientists will be able to submit members influence the decision. This manuscripts electronically and track where type of consortia tends to have state they are in the production process. funding, with few fitting into this category. Dr. Brian Penn, PACES, University of 2. Cooperative facilitator - This type Texas, EI Paso- surveys their members and determines Keeping track of which journals and who w~ts to participate in an endeavor, papers are being used is the "Home Depot" whether it is subscriptions, or to approach to publishing; i.e. publish only collectively purchase electronic books. what has a high demand. There has to be a The facilitator plays a role in being an niche for information that is not reviewed or 170 GIS Proceedings 1999 deemed publishable by a prestigious journal. Internet, the vast majority of the world is 20 The Web could provide access to this type";' to 40 years behind and they will still read on of information. ' ,. paper. Look at newspapers, when the majority begins to access them on the Web Jim O'Donnell, Earth Science Library, instead of buying it on the comer, then the Cal Tech- paradigm will have shifted. The electronic age has given us the opportunity not to subscribe to a whole lot Joy Moore, Blackwell Science- of journals. Now publishers can make I don't think the print journal will die money by the sale of the individual article. anytime soon. However, we will start to see Libraries subscribe to indexing services, that it is not going to be able to stand-alone. which allow the patron to access full text Already there are journals that are canceling articles from a variety of journals. Libraries the print-only option, because the on-line are getting to the point in which they version enhances it, by making available subscribe to journals only when they have additional artwork, data, and links to other good cost benefit information. For example, resources. Soon we will think it is not fair to Cal Tech only subscribes to a journal when offer only the print version, but it will still the subscription cost is cheaper than the cost be there. of accessing the journal on an article by article basis. Dr. Bernard Aleva, Elsevier- Most of our electronic subscriptions "What is the effect of the Internet on include paper. I think we will see this for journals that are not published by for-profit quite some time because of the archiving publishers? Is it an opportunity for learned issue. societies to take back some of the publishing? The cost of electronic Jim O'Donnell, Earth Science Library, publishing is less than print. " Cal Tech- Print journals will be around as long as Joy Moore, Blackwell Science-- academia does not recognize on-line We publish on behalf of the learned publications in the tenure review process. societies. They hold their own copyright and handle peer review, and we handle the The following is a summary of the business aspects for them. The society on-line databases demonstrated at the journals make up a huge reason why people Digital Forum.