Subject: Re: Library Link discussion (fwd)
Guedon Jean-Claude (guedon@ERE.UMontreal.CA)
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 11:13:09 -0500 (EST)
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1999 11:13:09 -0500 (EST) From: Guedon Jean-Claude <guedon@ERE.UMontreal.CA> Subject: Re: Library Link discussion (fwd) To: arl-ejournal@arl.org In-Reply-To: <v02110114b2d5adf89e7a@[203.37.43.24]> Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9901281157.A15119-0100000@esi25.ESI.UMontreal.CA>
On Thu, 28 Jan 1999, Tony Barry <tonyb@dynamite.com.au> wrote:
>
> On 26/1/99, Judy Luther <jluther@earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> > As intermediaries, both libraries and publishers are assessing their
> > role in the information chain. It needs to be a continuing dialog
> > with the users involved as they are both the source and consumers
> > of the content.
>
> The libraries and the publishers are the tail not the dog. In the end
> its those who create and consume information who will determine what
> roles there are for intemediaries. We don't ask them. They tell us.
There I disagree with Tony, and I speak as a scholar, a professor, not
a librarian (which I am not in anay case). Scholars are the librarians'
master or, in any case, should not be. The publishers such as Elsevier,
are certainly no tail in that kind of dog. If Elsevier is but a tail,
it is a hell of a huge and prosperous one... :-) Kind of top heavy for
the whole shebang if you ask me...
At present, those who try and assign roles are publishers: just examine
licence agreements... And scholars are reduced to being mere consumers
in the strictest economic sense, tather than participating users.
This is why scholars, librarians and honest learned societies must band
together, along with honest university presses. By honest, I mean
organizations that remain true to the fostering of scholarly
communication rather than foiled by mercantile concerns.
Best,
jc
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Jean-Claude Guedon Tel. 514-343-6208
Departement de litterature comparee Fax. 514-343-2211
Universite de Montreal
CP 6128, Succursale "Centre-ville" Surfaces
Montreal, Qc H3C 3J7
Canada http://www.pum.umontreal.ca/revues/surfaces/
See you at INET'99, San Jose, June 22-25, 1999
http://www.isoc.org/inet99
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