An Introduction to I Thaka

A BIMONTHLY REPORT ON RESEARCH LIBRARY ISSUES AND ACTIONS FROM ARL, CNI, AND SPARC AN INTRODUCTION TO I THAKA by Kevin Guthrie, President, Ithaka 1 Editor's note: Ithaka is a recently launched not-for-profit documents, massive digitization of core literature, new organization supported by the Mellon, Hewlett, and business models for information dissemination, and Niarchos Foundations, which aims to accelerate the methods for handling intellectual property that are development of sustainable initiatives that use new both responsible and efficient. In some respects, the technologies to benefit higher education. higher education sector has changed dramatically in a n an amazingly short period of time, electronic very brief period; in others, it has changed very little. and networking technologies have had a dramatic This is not at all surprising, since the transformative I impact on the academy, scholarly communication, changes associated with information technologies have and the manner in which knowledge is disseminated. occurred over the course of less than a decade, while Even if we were to discount technological the internal processes in place at colleges, universities, innovations such as e-journals, e-books, "knowledge and other educational institutions have been in the environments," or e-print servers, more pedestrian making for more than a century. technologies like e-mail have fundamentally altered We are at a point when progress on the more the ability of students and scholars to collaborate profound developments outlined above is essential across time and distance. E-mail, electronic and perhaps even urgent. The actions and behaviors discussion lists, Web sites, and other communications of scholars and students are in many cases evolving at platforms have offered opportunities for new and rates faster than important components of the joint efforts of many different kinds to achieve results institutional culture and processes of their host not even imaginable just a few years ago. institutions. Infrastructure needs to be developed or · Yet even as these changes have had a substantial there could be undesirable results. One practical impact on many of the primary activities of scholars example is the challenge of electronic archiving. and students, the challenges of implementing the Scholars and students are increasingly relying on the more profound changes in the system are far mcire electronic versions of journals and documents, and yet significant and difficult to overcome. To illustrate, there is no systematic and reliable infrastructure in it is one thing to be able to search a database and place to insure that today's electronic documents will find a useful article; it is quite another to create a be preserved and accessible in the future.2 knowledge environment that is a fundamental While many of the changes wrought by new component of a scholar's or student's overall technologies are being handled internally within research, discovery, and teaching process. Such colleges and universities, technology sometimes "second order" enhancements collide with inertial allows, and in other cases forces, us to seek broader forces associated with more deeply ingrained solutions. In the earliest days of JSTOR, for example, institutional and individual processes, and require consideration was given to whether it made sense for a the development of new infrastructure. For example, given college to digitize journals for its own local use.3 in the area of scholarly communication, certain Instead, the development of the World Wide Web changes will be slow to move forward without made a system-wide solution far more efficient than a progress on preservation solutions for electronic series of locally developed initiatives. Moreover, a CuRR-E:NT IsstJts------ Continued ------------ ------ -- centralized approach provided a mechanism for a longer term, and that they welcome the experience and broad range of institutions to contribute to and resources that Ithaka can provide. support a new solution. For example, numerous Ithaka has established for itself three primary areas smaller and less well-endowed institutions have of activity: strategic support, research, and shared participated in JSTOR, gaining access to a valuable services. In building these organizational groups we resource while also helping support the long-term and have focused exclusively thus far on developing the ongoing maintenance of the digital archive. There are services for a set of closely affiliated and incubated many potential applications for technology to higher organizations. In addition to JSTOR and ARTstor, education that will require, or benefit from, new which are independent, affiliated organizations, Ithaka approaches and creative new forms of collaboration. is presently working with three newer organizations, In the commercial sector, when new forces such as E-Archive, Aluka, and the National Institute for these are introduced, change most often occurs through Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE).4 Although the actions of new entrants we have not yet that take advantage of the Ithaka has established for itself three primary leveraged our experience combination of new areas of activity: strategic support, with these organizations opportunities and an to those outside of this evolving environment to research, and shared services. "family" of enterprises, establish and grow we are confident that companies that utilize new ways of doing business. many of these services will have appeal and that we New entrants are supported by an industry of venture will be able to deliver some of them successfully to capital firms and investment banks motivated by the other organizations. opportunity to generate profits. These institutions Strategic Support provide more than money. Motivated by a desire to Providing assistance in strategic areas that support the maximize financial return for their portfolios, venture affiliated organizations is at the very heart of Ithaka's capitalists share their knowledge, skills, and resources mission. The objective of this function is to help with portfolio companies, replace management if incubated entities and affiliates develop and execute necessary, make important connections between sustainable business plans by drawing on the organizations with complementary activities, and collective expertise of internal staff and of our generally provide strategic advice and even oversight extended network. For example, Ithaka's president, when that is necessary. In the not-for-profit sector, and general counsel, vice president for finance, and other in higher education more specifically, there is a lack of staff meet regularly with the incubated organizations comparable depth of human and financial resources to discuss both strategic and operational issues, and focused on starting up and supporting sustainable, often they can share valuable previous experience or innovative, not-for-profit enterprises. help to make useful connections between the We believe there is a place for an organization with incubated entities and other relevant projects or the operational experience, relationships, and resources organizations. The finance and strategic planning staff that can partner with foundations to accelerate the within Ithaka support this effort by providing advice development of promising not-for-profit projects and in developing sustainable business models and help them achieve long-term sustainability. In Ithaka, financial plans. In addition, Ithaka helps the incubated we are creating such an organization. Although a organizations tap into a network of experienced specific framework for selecting projects has not been leaders from the higher education, philanthropic, established, Ithaka will pursue opportunities where technology, and business sectors, who can provide there is a particular need for support that a foundation invaluable introductions and guidance, sometimes at would not be well-positioned to provide. In some the board level. cases, support might be provided in the form of physical and technological infrastructure, in others, it Research might be provided through a combination of business Ithaka's research group aims to address specific needs discipline, experience, and contacts, while in others it for information and analysis for Ithaka, its incubating may just be provided in the form of a not-for-profit entities and affiliates, and others to whom Ithaka may organizational home during a start-up period. The provide strategic support. Since the unit's inception, it common theme will be that the project delivers content has worked on a number of projects in cooperation or infrastructure that is important to scholarship and with specific affiliates and outside collaborators. learning in the digital age, that there is reason to hope Many research projects may also have relevance to that the projects are of broad enough potential value to other efforts in the higher education and scholarly attract sufficient resources to be sustainable for the communication communities, and findings are ARL 236 • OCTOBER 2004 therefore shared as broadly as possible. In some cases, more major projects. In conjunction withE-Archive and it may make sense to partner with outside parties to an outside consultant, we have already begun to study pursue specific research projects, and we look forward the changes that are affecting the economics of scholarly to working with others as opportunities arise. Two journal publishers and publishing due

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