[GOAL] Re: Dutch begin their Elsevier boycott

[Christian Gutknecht]

Hi

Indeed it's systemic problem, but libraries ever had the best options to make the transition happen, simply because they have the money. I pointed out that here: http://www.0277.ch/ojs/index.php/cdrs_0277/article/view/48/129 <http://www.0277.ch/ojs/index.php/cdrs_0277/article/view/48/129>

I think with the library budget there comes power and responsibility. However libraries are totally unaware of this power (if coordinated) and often are not willing take responsibility.

Best regards

Christian









> Am 03.07.2015 um 18:06 schrieb Y.Nobis <yn235 at cam.ac.uk>:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I fail to see how this is a 'library made' problem in any sense. The issue 
> is that for many of us, our purchasing decisions are dictated to by our 
> faculty. Interestingly in the physical sciences at least, I am now being 
> asked to review (by academics) whether we should subscribe to journals at 
> all.
> 
> Yvonne
> 
> 
>> Thomas
>> 
>> I don't think it's fair to say this is a problem made by libraries. It is 
>> a systemic problem which calls for systemic solutions. Part of the 
>> solution is to make OA more discoverable and this starts with systems 
>> such as RePEC being more user-friendly and clearly and simply exposing 
>> what is OA, instead of burying it among subscription-only contents.
>> 
>> It's just too easy to single out one source of problem and claim that 
>> "it" only has the solution. We have lost this capacity to feel concerned 
>> individually and while we continue to be divided, large MNC continue to 
>> rule. Kudos to the Dutch's universities for grouping their efforts, I 
>> hope they succeed in getting a better deal.
>> 
>> Éric
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message----- From: goal-bounces at eprints.org 
>> [mailto:goal-bounces at eprints.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Krichel Sent: 
>> July-03-15 8:14 AM To: Global Open Access List (Successor of AmSci) 
>> Subject: [GOAL] Re: Dutch begin their Elsevier boycott
>> 
>> 
>> Danny Kingsley writes
>> 
>>> Dutch universities have begun their boycott of Elsevier due to a 
>>> complete breakdown of negotiations over Open Access.
>> 
>> I guess the Summer silly season is here. 
>> 
>>> As a first step in boycotting the publisher, the Association of 
>>> Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU) has asked all scientists that 
>>> are editor in chief of a journal published by Elsevier to give up 
>>> their post.
>> 
>> It would be very foolish indeed for any academic to give up such a
>> prestigious post forever, presumably, to come in aid of a temporary,
>> presumably, boycott, with no compensation from the boycotters.
>> 
>>> If this way of putting pressure on the publishers does not work, the 
>>> next step would be to ask reviewers to stop working for Elsevier.
>> 
>> This may have a small effect since reviewing for journals is a
>> tedium to many academics. Dutch academics can use the boycott as as
>> excuse not to review. But publishers can draw on a non-Dutch
>> reviewers.
>> 
>>> After that, scientists could be asked to stop publishing in Elsevier 
>>> journals.
>> 
>> Good luck with that. As an academic you have to take submission
>> decisions based on the likelihood to be in a good journal, not
>> based on some boycott ideology. 
>> 
>> The whole strategy makes very little sense whatsoever from a
>> theoretical perspective thinking about academics' incentives. And
>> there is historical evidence that adds weight to the theoretical
>> argument. Recall the Public Library of Science.  Before it became a
>> publishing business, it was a grass root group. It issued a similar
>> boycott call. I can't find the text now. I guess they withdrew the
>> text from public view. By my impression it was completely
>> ineffective. 
>> 
>> Libraries have created, and continue to maintain the closed-access
>> publication system by subscribing to journals. They should stop
>> subscribing to journals and use the proceeds to fund open access
>> publications.  Publishers will get the same revenue stream but open
>> access is achieved. 
>> 
>> In short: Stop bothering academics and publishers about a
>> library-made problem. 
>> 
>> 
> 
> -- 
> Yvonne Nobis
> 
> Head of Science Information Services
> 
> Betty and Gordon Moore Library
> Wilberforce Road,
> Cambridge, CB3 0WD.
> Tel : 01223 765673
> 
> Central Science Library
> Bene't Street,
> Cambridge CB2 3PY.
> Tel (01223)334744
> 
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