<font size="2"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">[Forwarding from Stephanie Wical, via the LibLicense list. --Peter Suber.]</font><br><br></font><div class="gmail_quote"><br>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br>
<br>
Librarians at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire McIntyre<br>
Library have signed an Open Access Declaration, committing to<br>
Open Access to scholarly research. Following the lead of other<br>
academic libraries, including those at Oregon State University<br>
and the University of Calgary, the faculty of the McIntyre<br>
Library have joined in the movement to ensure Open Access to<br>
scholarly research results. McIntyre Library hopes to build<br>
awareness about Open Access publishing and how it can benefit<br>
scholars at UW-Eau Claire, throughout the United States, and the<br>
world.<br>
<br>
According to Jennifer McLennan of the Scholarly Publishing and<br>
Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), "Open Access" means "free,<br>
immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research.<br>
Open Access has the power to transform the way research and<br>
scientific inquiry are conducted. It has direct and widespread<br>
implications for academia, medicine, science, industry, and for<br>
society as a whole." Open Access expands access to scholarly<br>
information from all disciplines by making research available<br>
through repositories like arXiv and PubMed Central, as well as<br>
institutional repositories like Minds@UW, an archival database<br>
for UW System research and scholarship. Open Access repositories<br>
give researchers access to current scholarship; further, Open<br>
Access helps libraries to manage the rising cost of research<br>
resources. Through the Open Access Declaration, McIntyre Library<br>
faculty have committed to make an effort to deposit their<br>
scholarship in Minds@UW or other appropriate repositories.<br>
<br>
John Pollitz, Director of the McIntyre Library applauds the<br>
library faculty's commitment to Open Access because, "Libraries<br>
across the country have seen their budgets squeezed by<br>
unsustainable inflation of journal prices. Resulting journal<br>
cancellations have hampered our ability to provide access to<br>
information that is the lifeblood of higher education. As<br>
librarians, we support the open access movement as a way to<br>
reverse this trend and expand access to scholarship."<br>
<br>
To join the open access movement, scholars should know that many<br>
publishers allow authors to submit a preprint to an institutional<br>
repository or a subject repository like arXiv. Authors can often<br>
negotiate a publishing agreement, also known as a copyright<br>
transfer agreement, in order to make a version of their<br>
publication freely available in institutional repositories like<br>
Minds@UW or on their faculty webpage.<br>
<br>
To build awareness at UW-Eau Claire, McIntyre Library will host a<br>
series of presentations and discussions during Open Access Week,<br>
October 24-28, 2011. Open Access Week will be an opportunity for<br>
UW-Eau Claire faculty and students to learn more about their<br>
rights as authors, tools for Open Access publishing and research,<br>
and the implications of Open Access for scholarship and higher<br>
education.<br>
<br>
The Open Access Declaration is available at:<br>
<a href="http://www.uwec.edu/Library/services/openaccessdeclaration.htm" target="_blank">http://www.uwec.edu/Library/services/openaccessdeclaration.htm</a><br>
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# # #<br>
<br>
For more information about the McIntyre Library, please visit:<br>
<a href="http://www.uwec.edu/library" target="_blank">http://www.uwec.edu/library</a> To schedule an interview with<br>
Library Director John Pollitz, contact <a href="tel:%28715%29%20836-4827" value="+17158364827">(715) 836-4827</a> or email<br>
<a href="mailto:POLLITJH@uwec.edu">POLLITJH@uwec.edu</a>.<br>
<br>
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<font color="#888888">Stephanie H. Wical, Assistant Professor<br>
Periodicals and Electronic Resources Librarian<br>
McIntyre Library, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire<br>
105 Garfield Avenue<br>
Eau Claire, WI 54702<br>
Phone: <a href="tel:715-836-3508" value="+17158363508">715-836-3508</a><br>
Email: <a href="mailto:wicalsh@uwec.edu">wicalsh@uwec.edu</a><br>
<a href="http://www.uwec.edu/Library/" target="_blank">http://www.uwec.edu/Library/</a><br>
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