This post examines the "Enrich Support for Scholarly Communication" section of the document ...
The first goal is "Expand efforts to build and preserve digital collections," and it includes items such as digitizing Special Collections materials, developing a secure institutional repository, participating in digital preservation efforts such as LOCKSS and Portico, and participating in the Texas Digital Library.
It appears that little visible progress has been made in these areas. No new public digital Special Collections exhibits have been made available (back-room digitization efforts likely continued), there is no public institutional repository, and, while the Libraries participate in the Texas Digital Library project, none of their digital materials appear to be available on its Website (there is an empty test repository in TDL Labs). The Libraries do not participate in Portico, but do participate in LOCKSS.
The second goal is "Advocate for open access in order to develop collections in a cost-efficient manner and increase the reach of University-generated scholarship," and it includes items such as selecting open access materials, acting as a faculty/student resource about digital rights, acting as a digital rights advocate with publishers, and providing tools such as digital/institutional repositories and open access journal platforms.
Again, little progress appears to have been made. ...
The third goal is "Collaborate with communities of practice within the University to help scholars make their work accessible and improve the world-wide visibility of the University’s scholarship." Aside from another repository objective (that mentions ETDs) and a self-archiving assistance objective, the objectives in this section don't lend themselves to public assessment. A 2007 Electronic Theses & Dissertations Pilot Project using DigiTool was launched in 2007 with two UH colleges participating, but it is unclear what has happened subsequently. There is no evidence of self-archiving assistance.
Recently, the Libraries have hired a Digital Projects Program Director, and, hopefully, this may move forward some of the objectives in this section of the strategic directions. ...
Posted by
Gavin Baker at 5/21/2009 02:42:00 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.
