1. Rick Anderson, President of the Society for Scholarly Publishing & Associate Dean for Collections and Scholarly Communication at the University of Utah
Reconciling the Needs of Analysis and Advocacy in Scholarly-Communication Reform
October 24, 2016
Presented by BC Research Libraries Group
Description – Reforming scholarly communication is a tough job, made tougher by factors that include the lack of unanimity among stakeholders as to what reform should look like (or whether it’s needed at all); the wide variety of needs and interests among the system’s stakeholders; the structural complexity of the system itself; the lack of unanimity as to what “open access” means; the heavy weight of inertia in academic practice; and the high level of emotion that inevitably accompanies discussion of these issues. The difficulty and complexity of the reform project suggest that analysis is needed, but the moral and emotional weight of the issues involved naturally lead us in the direction of advocacy instead—and advocacy and analysis are, unfortunately, natural enemies. In this session we will review salient aspects of the scholarly-communication landscape that make reform particularly challenging, some principles for addressing those challenges, and some possible mechanisms for applying those principles.
See also: Open in Action: A Panel Discussion
2. Gerald Beasley, Vice-Provost and Chief Librarian, University of Alberta Libraries
Open Access in Action
October 27, 2016
Presented by the University of Lethbridge
Description – Mr. Beasley will talk about his experience with Concordia University’s successful institutional Open Access policy as well as his evolving thoughts on open access in the university context. The talk will be preceded by a panel discussion on open access scholarly publishing.