Recognizing the need to rebuild the science and engineering infrastructure in Iraq, a group of fellows from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) launched the IVSL project in 2005.
Together, Cindi Warren Mentz as Director of Nonproliferation Programs at the US Civilian Research and Development Foundation and Dr. Susan Cumberledge an Associate Professor Dept of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Massachusetts in Amerst, are making a major contribution to information access in a critical part of our world.
The Iraqi Virtual Science Library (IVSL) is a digital library that provides Iraqi Universities and Research Institutes with access to an outstanding collection of science, engineering and computer science journals as well as technical information and educational resources. Its goal is to help rebuild the educational infrastructure and economy in Iraq. The IVSL is being implemented in coordination with the Iraqi government, with the ultimate goal of transitioning the pilot program into a long-term project sponsored and supported entirely by Iraq. Associated computer software and IT systems and training.
The US State Department; with the generous donations of publishing companies and professional societies; and partnerships with the US National Academy of Sciences and Sun Microsystems have all contributed [alongside 11 important Iraqi research institutions].
Comment. The IVSL is not OA. It's only accessible to those affiliated with the participating institutions, somewhat like a site-licensed commercial aggregation. On the one hand, I'm glad that the US is helping to restore the academic infrastructure destroyed by the invasion, and I understand that comparatively little of the literature Iraqi researchers need is yet OA. But at the same time, the sponsors could also build OA infrastructure in Iraq, such as OA repositories at the major research institutions, to share new Iraqi research with fellow Iraqis and the rest of the world.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 4/19/2006 09:11:00 AM.
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.
