Federal depository libraries are full of documents and empty of patrons as patrons seek and find the same content online. On the one hand, free online access is more democratic, says Yvonne Chen, director of the Redwood City Public Library. And searches can be faster and more precise. But on the other hand, rapid pinpointing of desired information prevents many users from reading contextual clues and outright disclaimers necessary for the proper interpretation of discovered information. Quoting George Carlson, director of government documents at the Santa Clara University library: "If people are helping themselves to this stuff online, I don't know if they are getting what they really are after, or whether they are willing to just take what's there.'' (Thanks to LIS News.)
Posted by
Peter Suber at 12/04/2002 12:25:00 PM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
