Government info in general reference and instruction
As a reference and instruction librarian, I always have my eyes open for sources that make government information accessible and relevant for general reference questions and instruction sessions. I especially like websites that provide a wide range of information, make that information browsable by topic, and that don't require the user to navigate the administrative or publication cycle to get to the meat of these materials. I'm also partial to sources that include media, such as podcasts and video, which helps me sell these sources to undergrads at the reference desk and through online class guides. The good news is, it's getting tough to keep track of them all! A couple of my favorites: GAO topic collections Feature reports and testimonies on a number of policy issues, from biofuels to terrorism, presented in a browsable topical list. Check out their podcast and videos too. U.S. Department of State Wide topical range of publications and background information, browsable by policy issues, countries & regions, and more. Oyez An online archive of the Supreme Court, Oyez allows users to browse for cases by issue, such as due process, federalism, civil rights, etc. Also includes some audio of oral arguments. Your favorites? Continue reading
Association of American Publishers says taxpayers have not paid for journal articles
More reporting on the hearing this week on Public Access to Federally-Funded Research: In his testimony to the House Committee On Oversight and Government Reform, Alan Adler of the Association of American Publishers, said:
Publishers strongly believe that American taxpayers are entitled to the research they've paid for.... But taxpayers have not paid for the private sector, peer-reviewed journal articles reporting on that research. ...Peer-reviewed articles published in scholarly journals are not research, federally-funded or otherwise. They describe and explain the process, findings and significance of research. They require substantial amounts of the publisher's resources to ensure that their content is accurate, new, and important.Or, as Barbara Fister comments at Inside Higher Education,
Sure, taxpayers are entitled to federally funded research, but "peer-reviewed articles published in scholarly articles are not research." No, they are the intellectual property of publishers, because they're the ones who spend all kinds of money to make sure the science in them is accurate. I'm not kidding. He actually said that. It's publishers who make sure the research is "accurate, new, and important." That peer review you do for free? They have to spend millions to make sure you do it right. So we have no problem, and taxpayers have to right to this stuff because it's not research.Continue reading
Publisher argues free access to research violates transparency initiative
Publisher argues free access to research violates administration's transparency initiative, By Aliya Sternstein, NextGov (07/30/2010).
...But a mother of two children diagnosed with a rare disease, who also testified at the hearing, said access to such articles has been critical to treating their illness....Continue reading
Welcome Emily Keller, guest blogger for August and thanks Shari Laster!
Welcome to the podium Emily Keller to the guest blogger podium for August 2010! Emily is the Political Science and Public Affairs Librarian at the University of Washington (full bio). Thanks also to Shari Laster for posting to FGI for the month of July! Take it away Emily! Continue reading
Emily Keller, Blogger of the month August, 2010
Emily Keller is the Political Science and Public Affairs Librarian at the University of Washington Libraries. Her primary focus is on reference and instruction, but she is also a self-described govpubs groupie with an interest in gov/mil 2.0 and integrating government information into general reference and instruction. You can find her on twitter too. Continue reading