ALA seeks advice about "library as publisher"

[Nina Mchale]

***Apologies for cross-postings***



Dear Colleagues:



As part of the work of the Digital Content Working Group of ALA (which is
tackling our many ebook-related issues), we are seeking some focused
feedback before ALA next month. If you are experimenting with content
creation (see below), we need to hear from you. Please review, then respond
to dcwg-input at ala.org.



*Background*



At this moment in our profession, an increasing number of libraries are
engaged in the creation, publication, and preservation of digital content.
This may represent an opportunity, or shift in our profession, moving us
from the end of a publishing and distribution chain to somewhere closer to
the source. The issue we're investigating here is not generally library
relations with existing publishers, but activities where the library takes
a lead or key partnership role in getting the content into digital format
and delivering it over the long term. That takes us into archiving and
preservation. In addition to the processes of gathering, preparing, and
posting such content, we are also grappling with the challenges of
copyright, fair use, and licensing in the digital environment.



*What we're trying to find out*



We're NOT looking for a comprehensive list of every digitization effort in
libraries. We ARE looking for experiments that can help ALA recommend
policies, address issues, or promote information exchange about this
emerging area.



*What we want you do do*



BY June 1, 2012, SEND TO dcwg-input at ala.org:



*       A brief description of your institution’s efforts to create digital
content. For instance, this might include Open Access scholarship, the
co-creation of ePub files featuring local authors, or the unique gathering
of local history photographs and/or oral histories.

*       Some key observations of important issues, roadblocks and
discoveries. For instance, what group of authors or publishers have you
worked with directly? Which approaches do you believe to be important to
your institution or our profession? At what point has your project moved
from your own agency to a larger consortial environment, and why?

*       Where do you think ALA could make a difference? Have your issues
been legal (dealing with copyright, for instance), technical (defining file
type standards), policy (guiding documents), political within your
institution or region, and/or financial (you just need more money)? Or have
you found new concerns worth noting?

*       A contact email and phone if we have questions.



Our subgroup will then review the responses, meet to discuss them at the
2012 ALA Annual Conference, then select a few key studies and issues for
further examination. It is our plan to share our findings and
recommendations broadly, concluding our work by mid-winter, 2013.



Thank you for your assistance in this important investigation.



Jamie LaRue, Chair

Digital Content Working Group #2

Director, Douglas County (CO) Libraries

jlarue at jlarue.com





James LaRue, Director

Douglas County Libraries

100 S Wilcox St

Castle Rock CO 80104



Voice: 303-688-7656

============================

To unsubscribe: http://bit.ly/web4lib

Web4Lib Web Site: http://web4lib.org/

2012-05-09
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.nd.edu/pipermail/web4lib/attachments/20120509/c651873a/attachment.htm>