Although this is a private settlement, the result has very real implications for public policy and the way libraries of all types will operate. ...
Issues raised at the meeting that members believe are of key concern to libraries include:
Access. What will the settlement mean for protecting the public’s ability to access and use digital resources from the nation’s libraries? Since the Book Rights Registry established as a condition of the settlement will represent the interests of the authors and publishers, who will represent the interests of libraries and the public? What are the financial implications of participation? Could the settlement create a monopoly that threatens the mission of libraries by raising the prices to an unreasonable level that limits public access?
Privacy. What will reader privacy look like in a Google subscription-based world? ...
Intellectual freedom. Are there academic freedom issues to consider? What are the implications of Google’s ability to remove works at its discretion? Will there be notification of their removal? What are the issues regarding possible access and use restrictions on the Research Corpus?
Equitable treatment. Since not all libraries are addressed in the settlement, what impact will it have on the diverse landscape of libraries? ...
>Terms of use. Under the terms of the agreement, will library users continue to enjoy the same rights to information under copyright and other laws? Will the settlement impact the legal discussions and interpretations of library exceptions that allow for library lending, limited copying and preservation?
Next, the executive boards and other leadership bodies of the library associations will consider a number of options available to them to have their voices heard in this debate. ...
Posted by
Gavin Baker at 2/12/2009 06:25:00 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.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
