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European research to be freely available on the Internet
by Subbiah Arunachalam 19 Apr '06

19 Apr '06

From Peter Suber's blog More on the EC report Richard Wray, Brussels delivers blow to Reed Elsevier, The Guardian, April 19, 2006. Excerpt: Scientific research funded by the European taxpayer should be freely available to everyone over the internet, according to a European commission report - a blow to the lucrative scientific publishing operations of media groups such as Reed Elsevier and Germany's Springer. The report, produced by economists from Toulouse University and the Free University of Brussels for the EC, shows that in the 20 years to 1995 the price of scientific journals rose 300% more than the rate of inflation over the period. In the 10 years since then, price increases slowed but still significantly outpaced inflation. "While it is important to stress the societal value of the existing publication system, it is also important to acknowledge the societal cost linked to high journal prices, in financial terms for public budgets, but also in terms of limits on the dissemination of knowledge and therefore of further scientific progress," the report concludes. The report, published this month and open to consultation until the summer, recommends open access to publicly funded research. It proposes that researchers who receive EU funding should be "mandated" to place copies of articles published in subscription journals on web-based archives that can be accessed by everyone for free. The worry for traditional publishers such as Reed, Springer, Blackwell and the hundreds of learned societies that make their money through journals, is that if research is available for free on the internet no one will pay subscriptions.... Peter Willis, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough and current chair of the science and technology select committee, described the EC report as "a good trigger for the UK government and science minister Lord Sainsbury to say this is something we support as well....I am delighted at the EC's recommendations and indeed hope it will act as a catalyst for the UK government to apply similar principles to the publishing market in the UK," he said. "Now is the time to bite the bullet and say this is the future of publishing."...[BioMed Central] publisher, Matthew Cockerill, said of the EC report: "It confirms what BioMed Central has been saying for some time - that scientists and funders are getting a poor deal from the traditional publishing system, which delivers limited access at high cost." Posted by Peter Suber at 4/18/2006 10:45:00 PM. From Peter Suber's blog More on the EC report Richard Wray, http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1756426,00.html Brussels delivers blow to Reed Elsevier , The Guardian , April 19, 2006. Excerpt: Scientific research funded by the European taxpayer should be freely available to everyone over the internet, according to a European commission report - a blow to the lucrative scientific publishing operations of media groups such as Reed Elsevier and Germany's Springer. The report, produced by economists from Toulouse University and the Free University of Brussels for the EC, shows that in the 20 years to 1995 the price of scientific journals rose 300% more than the rate of inflation over the period. In the 10 years since then, price increases slowed but still significantly outpaced inflation. "While it is important to stress the societal value of the existing publication system, it is also important to acknowledge the societal cost linked to high journal prices, in financial terms for public budgets, but also in terms of limits on the dissemination of knowledge and therefore of further scientific progress," the report concludes. The report, published this month and open to consultation until the summer, recommends open access to publicly funded research. It proposes that researchers who receive EU funding should be "mandated" to place copies of articles published in subscription journals on web-based archives that can be accessed by everyone for free. The worry for traditional publishers such as Reed, Springer, Blackwell and the hundreds of learned societies that make their money through journals, is that if research is available for free on the internet no one will pay subscriptions.... Peter Willis, Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough and current chair of the science and technology select committee, described the EC report as "a good trigger for the UK government and science minister Lord Sainsbury to say this is something we support as well....I am delighted at the EC's recommendations and indeed hope it will act as a catalyst for the UK government to apply similar principles to the publishing market in the UK," he said. "Now is the time to bite the bullet and say this is the future of publishing."...[BioMed Central] publisher, Matthew Cockerill, said of the EC report: "It confirms what BioMed Central has been saying for some time - that scientists and funders are getting a poor deal from the traditional publishing system, which delivers limited access at high cost." http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/2006_04_16_fosblogarchive.html#114541528… http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/permalink.gif Posted by Peter Suber at 4/18/2006 10:45:00 PM.

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Eminent physicists appeal to President Bush
by arun＠mssrf.res.in 19 Apr '06

19 Apr '06

Friends: Here is a news report you might wish to read. Ms Usha Munshi may kindly forward this to all Fellows of INSA. Regards. Arun ------- Prominent U.S. Physicists Send Letter to President Bush Discussion at PhysOrgForum Thirteen of the nations most prominent physicists have written a letter to President Bush, calling U.S. plans to reportedly use nuclear weapons against Iran gravely irresponsible and warning that such action would have disastrous consequences for the security of the United States and the world. The physicists include five Nobel laureates, a recipient of the National Medal of Science and three past presidents of the American Physical Society, the nations preeminent professional society for physicists. Their letter was prompted by recent articles in the Washington Post, New Yorker and other publications that one of the options being considered by Pentagon planners and the White House in a military confrontation with Iran includes the use of nuclear bunker busters against underground facilities. These reports were neither confirmed nor denied by White House and Pentagon officials. The letter was initiated by Jorge Hirsch, a professor of physics at the University of California , San Diego , who last fall put together a petition signed by more than 1,800 physicists that repudiated new U.S. nuclear weapons policies that include preemptive use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear adversaries (http://physics.ucsd.edu/petition/) Hirsch has also published 15 articles in recent months (http://antiwar.com/hirsch/) documenting the dangers associated with a potential U.S. nuclear strike on Iran . We are members of the profession that brought nuclear weapons into existence, and we feel strongly that it is our professional duty to contribute our efforts to prevent their misuse, says Hirsch. "Physicists know best about the devastating effects of the weapons they created, and these eminent physicists speak for thousands of our colleagues. The fact that the existence of this plan has not been denied by the Administration should be a cause of great alarm, even if it is only one of several plans being considered, he adds. The public should join these eminent scientists in demanding that the Administration publicly renounces such a misbegotten option against a non-nuclear country like Iran . The letter, which is available at http://physics.ucsd.edu/petition/physicistsletter.html, points out that nuclear weapons are unique among weapons of mass destruction, and that nuclear weapons in today's arsenals have a total power of more than 200,000 times the explosive energy of the bomb that leveled Hiroshima, which caused the deaths of more than 100,000 people. It notes that there are no sharp lines between small and large nuclear weapons, nor between nuclear weapons targeting facilities and those targeting armies or cities, and that the use by the United States of nuclear weapons after 60 years of non-use will make the use of nuclear weapons by others more likely. Once the U.S. uses a nuclear weapon again, it will heighten the probability that others will too, the physicists write. In a world with many more nuclear nations and no longer a taboo against the use of nuclear weapons, there will be a greatly enhanced risk that regional conflicts could expand into global nuclear war, with the potential to destroy our civilization. The letter echoes the main objection of last falls physicists petition, stressing that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty will be irreversibly damaged by the use or even the threat of use of nuclear weapons by a nuclear nation against a non-nuclear one, with disastrous consequences for the security of the United States and the world. It is gravely irresponsible for the U.S. as the greatest superpower to consider courses of action that could eventually lead to the widespread destruction of life on the planet. We urge the administration to announce publicly that it is taking the nuclear option off the table in the case of all non-nuclear adversaries, present or future, and we urge the American people to make their voices heard on this matter. The 13 physicists who coauthored the letter are: Philip Anderson, professor of physics at Princeton University and Nobel Laureate in Physics; Michael Fisher, professor of physics at the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland and Wolf Laureate in Physics; David Gross, professor of theoretical physics and director of the Kavli Institute of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Nobel Laureate in Physics; Jorge Hirsch, professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego; Leo Kadanoff, professor of physics and mathematics at the University of Chicago and recipient of the National Medal of Science; Joel Lebowitz, professor of mathematics and physics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and Boltzmann Medalist; Anthony Leggett, professor of physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Nobel Laureate, Physics; Eugen Merzbacher, professor of physics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and former president, American Physical Society; Douglas Osheroff, professor of physics and applied physics, Stanford University and Nobel Laureate, Physics; Andrew Sessler, former director of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and former president, American Physical Society; George Trilling, professor of physics, University of California, Berkeley, and former president, American Physical Society; Frank Wilczek, professor of physics, MIT and Nobel Laureate, Physics; Edward Witten, professor of physics, Institute for Advanced Study and Fields Medalist. The physicists are sending copies of their letter to their elected representatives, requesting that the issue be urgently addressed in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Source: University of California, San Diego, by Kim McDonald

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Fwd: SciDev.Net Weekly Update: 10 - 18 April 2006
by Prof. N. Laxman Rao. 18 Apr '06

18 Apr '06

info(a)scidev.net wrote: Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:14:06 +0100 (BST) From: info(a)scidev.net To: naglaxman(a)yahoo.com Subject: SciDev.Net Weekly Update: 10 - 18 April 2006 THE ITEMS BELOW HAVE BEEN POSTED ON http://www.scidev.net OVER THE PAST WEEK. ======================================== NEWS ======================================== Bird flu update: 18 April 2006 http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2785&langua… A roundup of the latest news on the spread of the bird flu virus and the threat to human health. China cracks down on malpractice in fertility industry http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2775&langua… China's health ministry has issued new rules for controlling the use of reproductive technologies following media reports of unethical practices. Nitrogen emissions threaten biodiversity 'hotspots' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2776&langua… The rising nitrogen emissions from developing nations will put biodiversity at risk, scientists warn. Spend on science to beat brain drain, says WHO head http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2777&langua… The director-general of the World Health Organization has urged African nations to invest in science to tackle the brain drain. Genetic change helped pig microbe kill 38 Chinese http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2778&langua… A bacterium that normally infects pigs appears to have changed genetically, potentially explaining why it killed 38 people last year. Caribbean & Central America may get drier summers http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2779&langua… Researchers predict that by the end of this century, climate change could have cut tropical rainfall by 25 per cent in Central America and the Caribbean. Yeast 'factories' could produce key malaria drug http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2781&langua… GM yeast factories could become a cheap and productive source of the antimalarial drug artemisinin, currently in short supply, say researchers. Studies disagree on safety of lemon juice against HIV http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2780&langua… Researchers who disagree about whether lemon and lime juice could safely protect women from HIV infection will present their findings at a conference later this month. Planting trees 'will not cancel out climate change' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2784&langua… The planet's plant life will not absorb excess emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as previously hoped, say researchers. Climate change 'worse threat than deforestation' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2786&langua… By the end of the century, climate change could pose a bigger threat to biodiversity than deforestation, say researchers. OTHER NEWS Costa Rica: scientists give new president funding plan http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2783&langua… Scientists have presented Costa Rica's president-elect with a plan for increasing science funding from 0.4 to 3 per cent of the nation's GDP, with private sector support. [Spanish full text] Lack of scientists worries Uruguayan government http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2782&langua… Uruguay's education minister has called for an increase in the number of researchers, in order to build a more competitive country. [Spanish full text] ======================================== FEATURES ======================================== Not just weapons: nuclear science for development http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=512… Over the past decade, the UN's nuclear energy regulator has helped over 90 developing countries reap the benefits of safe radiation-based technology, reports Marilyn Smith. Chinese science: forging the future http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=511… Richard Suttmeier and colleagues describe how the Chinese Academy of Sciences is changing to meet the challenges of China's long-term scientific ambitions. (Source: Science) Tapping new wells: Qatar's education revolution http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=510… Qatar is investing billions in becoming the Gulf's top knowledge economy but will research excellence follow the money? Lone Frank investigates. (Source: Science) ======================================== OPINIONS ======================================== Do we still need the Cartagena Protocol? http://www.scidev.net/Opinions/index.cfm?fuseaction=readOpinions&itemid=489… Arnoldo Ventura argues that the international debate over the potential risks that GM crops pose to biodiversity is wasteful and unnecessary. ======================================== POLICY BRIEFS ======================================== How real is the threat of sea-level rise? http://www.scidev.net/dossiers/index.cfm?fuseaction=policybrief&dossier=4&p… warming causes sea-level rise not only by melting glaciers and other land ice, but also because water expands as it warms up. The consequences are likely to be significant, although mitigating action can be taken. ======================================== LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ======================================== UK development policy is not ignoring science http://www.scidev.net/editorletters/index.cfm?fuseaction=readeditorletter&i… Hilary Benn, UK secretary of state for international development, denies that the new white paper on UK aid policy has ignored science. ======================================== EVENTS ======================================== International Conference on Aflatoxins in Groundnuts http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=898&lan… Location: Guangzhou, China Date: 30 October 2006 - 3 November 2006 Biotechnology Havana 2006 http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=897&lan… Location: Havana, Cuba Date: 13 - 16 November 2006 International Conference on Digital Information Management http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=896&lan… Location: Bangalore, India Date: 6 - 8 December 2006 ======================================== GRANTS ======================================== Scholarship for young Muslim scientists http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=283&lan… Organisation: King Faisal Foundation Closing date: 15 May 2006 Research Capacity Strengthening Programme Grants http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=281&lan… Organisation: The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases Closing date: 31 May 2006 The African Fellows Programme http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=282&lan… Organisation: Rothamsted International Closing date: 3 July 2006 ======================================== ANNOUNCEMENTS ======================================== 'Expose Urban Solutions' photo contest http://www.scidev.net/announcements/index.cfm?fuseaction=readannouncement&i… Agency: International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Closing date: 25 April 2006(extended) Global e-learning program http://www.scidev.net/announcements/index.cfm?fuseaction=readannouncement&i… Organisation: International Food Policy Research Institute Closing date: 1 July 2006 SciDev.Net's email alert is available in English, French, Spanish or Chinese, and in html or plain text formats. If you would like to update your details, or unregister from SciDev.Net, please go to http://www.scidev.net/register --------------------------------- 24 FIFA World Cup tickets to be won with Yahoo! Mail. Learn more info(a)scidev.net wrote: Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:14:06 +0100 (BST) From: info(a)scidev.net To: naglaxman(a)yahoo.com Subject: SciDev.Net Weekly Update: 10 - 18 April 2006 THE ITEMS BELOW HAVE BEEN POSTED ON http://www.scidev.net OVER THE PAST WEEK. ======================================== NEWS ======================================== Bird flu update: 18 April 2006 http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2785&langua… A roundup of the latest news on the spread of the bird flu virus and the threat to human health. China cracks down on malpractice in fertility industry http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2775&langua… China's health ministry has issued new rules for controlling the use of reproductive technologies following media reports of unethical practices. Nitrogen emissions threaten biodiversity 'hotspots' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2776&langua… The rising nitrogen emissions from developing nations will put biodiversity at risk, scientists warn. Spend on science to beat brain drain, says WHO head http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2777&langua… The director-general of the World Health Organization has urged African nations to invest in science to tackle the brain drain. Genetic change helped pig microbe kill 38 Chinese http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2778&langua… A bacterium that normally infects pigs appears to have changed genetically, potentially explaining why it killed 38 people last year. Caribbean & Central America may get drier summers http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2779&langua… Researchers predict that by the end of this century, climate change could have cut tropical rainfall by 25 per cent in Central America and the Caribbean. Yeast 'factories' could produce key malaria drug http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2781&langua… GM yeast factories could become a cheap and productive source of the antimalarial drug artemisinin, currently in short supply, say researchers. Studies disagree on safety of lemon juice against HIV http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2780&langua… Researchers who disagree about whether lemon and lime juice could safely protect women from HIV infection will present their findings at a conference later this month. Planting trees 'will not cancel out climate change' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2784&langua… The planet's plant life will not absorb excess emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as previously hoped, say researchers. Climate change 'worse threat than deforestation' http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2786&langua… By the end of the century, climate change could pose a bigger threat to biodiversity than deforestation, say researchers. OTHER NEWS Costa Rica: scientists give new president funding plan http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2783&langua… Scientists have presented Costa Rica's president-elect with a plan for increasing science funding from 0.4 to 3 per cent of the nation's GDP, with private sector support. [Spanish full text] Lack of scientists worries Uruguayan government http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=2782&langua… Uruguay's education minister has called for an increase in the number of researchers, in order to build a more competitive country. [Spanish full text] ======================================== FEATURES ======================================== Not just weapons: nuclear science for development http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=512… Over the past decade, the UN's nuclear energy regulator has helped over 90 developing countries reap the benefits of safe radiation-based technology, reports Marilyn Smith. Chinese science: forging the future http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=511… Richard Suttmeier and colleagues describe how the Chinese Academy of Sciences is changing to meet the challenges of China's long-term scientific ambitions. (Source: Science) Tapping new wells: Qatar's education revolution http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=510… Qatar is investing billions in becoming the Gulf's top knowledge economy but will research excellence follow the money? Lone Frank investigates. (Source: Science) ======================================== OPINIONS ======================================== Do we still need the Cartagena Protocol? http://www.scidev.net/Opinions/index.cfm?fuseaction=readOpinions&itemid=489… Arnoldo Ventura argues that the international debate over the potential risks that GM crops pose to biodiversity is wasteful and unnecessary. ======================================== POLICY BRIEFS ======================================== How real is the threat of sea-level rise? http://www.scidev.net/dossiers/index.cfm?fuseaction=policybrief&dossier=4&p… warming causes sea-level rise not only by melting glaciers and other land ice, but also because water expands as it warms up. The consequences are likely to be significant, although mitigating action can be taken. ======================================== LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ======================================== UK development policy is not ignoring science http://www.scidev.net/editorletters/index.cfm?fuseaction=readeditorletter&i… Hilary Benn, UK secretary of state for international development, denies that the new white paper on UK aid policy has ignored science. ======================================== EVENTS ======================================== International Conference on Aflatoxins in Groundnuts http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=898&lan… Location: Guangzhou, China Date: 30 October 2006 - 3 November 2006 Biotechnology Havana 2006 http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=897&lan… Location: Havana, Cuba Date: 13 - 16 November 2006 International Conference on Digital Information Management http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=896&lan… Location: Bangalore, India Date: 6 - 8 December 2006 ======================================== GRANTS ======================================== Scholarship for young Muslim scientists http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=283&lan… Organisation: King Faisal Foundation Closing date: 15 May 2006 Research Capacity Strengthening Programme Grants http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=281&lan… Organisation: The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases Closing date: 31 May 2006 The African Fellows Programme http://www.scidev.net/grants/index.cfm?fuseaction=readgrants&itemid=282&lan… Organisation: Rothamsted International Closing date: 3 July 2006 ======================================== ANNOUNCEMENTS ======================================== 'Expose Urban Solutions' photo contest http://www.scidev.net/announcements/index.cfm?fuseaction=readannouncement&i… Agency: International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Closing date: 25 April 2006(extended) Global e-learning program http://www.scidev.net/announcements/index.cfm?fuseaction=readannouncement&i… Organisation: International Food Policy Research Institute Closing date: 1 July 2006 SciDev.Net's email alert is available in English, French, Spanish or Chinese, and in html or plain text formats. If you would like to update your details, or unregister from SciDev.Net, please go to http://www.scidev.net/register 24 FIFA World Cup tickets to be won with Yahoo! Mail. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail/uk/taglines/default/fifa_trueswitch/*http://eur… Learn more

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Damning indictment of LIS profession
by K.Sankaraiah 18 Apr '06

18 Apr '06

Dear Moderator, Grateful for publishing the following in lis-forum. I wish to draw the attention of our professional colleagues to an article under the Musings, entitled "What are your bonafides?", by Mr Ranjit Lal in the Magazine section of the Hindu of 9 April, 2006. I think all of us should read this and ponder over the implications. I'm sure many of us must have already done so. The gist of the article is the author, obviously not a member, approached the librarian of the National Museum library in Delhi for help and the librarian promptly asked him to prove his bonafides. Ranjit Lal contributes articles to the Hindu and probably does so to many other renowned newspapers and journals. In any case he told the librarian that he uses the Teen Murthi library and the British Council Library in Delhi and he is working on a book for which he needs help. According to the article, this did not cut ice with the librarian. This article, I believe, is a damning indictment of the unhelpful and bureaucratic attitude of the librarian of one of the premier institutions of the country. It should rouse the collective conscience of the LIS profession and force us to think if in today's competitive world we can afford to have this kind of unhelpful attitude. Even otherwise, isn't service to the user at the centre of our profession ?. The aurthor rightly says the public pays for librarian's salary, allowances and the innumerable cups of tea, justifiable and just righteous indignation!!. How do we change this attitude?. I was under the impression that things have changed and we all swear by service. All the works of SRR emphasise this aspect. Because of instaces like this,( I hope they are isolated) the whole profession gets the stick. And this is why society does not give us the status that an intellectual profession like ours deserves. We need to do something here. Sankaraiah, K Immediate past President of the Madras Library Association (MALA) Dear Moderator, Grateful for publishing the following in lis-forum. I wish to draw the attention of our professional colleagues to an article under the Musings, entitled "What are your bonafides?", by Mr Ranjit Lal in the Magazine section of the Hindu of 9 April, 2006. I think all of us should read this and ponder over the implications. I'm sure many of us must have already done so. The gist of the article is the author, obviously not a member, approached the librarian of the National Museum library in Delhi for help and the librarian promptly asked him to prove his bonafides. Ranjit Lal contributes articles to the Hindu and probably does so to many other renowned newspapers and journals. In any case he told the librarian that he uses the Teen Murthi library and the British Council Library in Delhi and he is working on a book for which he needs help. According to the article, this did not cut ice with the librarian. This article, I believe, is a damning indictment of the unhelpful and bureaucratic attitude of the librarian of one of the premier institutions of the country. It should rouse the collective conscience of the LIS profession and force us to think if in today's competitive world we can afford to have this kind of unhelpful attitude. Even otherwise, isn't service to the user at the centre of our profession ?. The aurthor rightly says the public pays for librarian's salary, allowances and the innumerable cups of tea, justifiable and just righteous indignation!!. How do we change this attitude?. I was under the impression that things have changed and we all swear by service. All the works of SRR emphasise this aspect. Because of instaces like this,( I hope they are isolated) the whole profession gets the stick. And this is why society does not give us the status that an intellectual profession like ours deserves. We need to do something here. Sankaraiah, K Immediate past President of the Madras Library Association (MALA)

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Fw: Call for articles on institutional repositories
by Subbiah Arunachalam 18 Apr '06

18 Apr '06

Call for articles on institutional repositories Please excuse duplicate postings. Forward to other listservs and interested colleagues. _OCLC Systems & Services: International Digital Library Perspectives_ will be publishing a special issue on institutional repositories in early 2007. This peer-reviewed journal is looking for case studies related to the planning, implementation, collaboration, metadata decisions, ongoing issues, etc. of institutional repositories. Lessons learned, mistakes to avoid, cooperation among various constituencies are also topics of interest. Please direct all questions and proposals to the editor, Dr. Brad Eden, by April 30 for approval. Deadline for article drafts will be October 2006. Do not reply to this message; please send all correspondence to the email provided below. Thanks. Dr. Brad Eden Editor, _OSS: IDLP_ Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and Scholarly Communication University of California, Santa Barbara eden(a)library.ucsb.edu ------------------------------------------------- Ann Apps. IT Specialist (Research & Development), MIMAS, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK Tel: +44 (0) 161 275 6039 Fax: +44 (0) 161 275 6040 Email: ann.apps(a)manchester.ac.uk WWW: http://epub.mimas.ac.uk/ann.html --------------------------------------------------

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IGNOU accredited
by NIKHIL EYEROOR 18 Apr '06

18 Apr '06

Dear friends, In the web based free content encyclopedia Wikipedia, I came across an information that IGNOU is an unaccredited University. Please see the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhi_National_Open_University. As a person planning to peruse research in IGNOU, I would like to know the credibility of the information. -- NIKHIL EYEROOR LIBRARIAN, P.A.AZIZ COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY KARAKULAM , TRIVANDRUM, PIN: 695 564 MOB: 09447515691

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NCSI-NET Meeting
by Mailing List Manager 17 Apr '06

17 Apr '06

Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2006 14:10:40 +0530 From: Nandhan Ravi <Ravi.Nandhan(a)capco.com> Dear All , The next NCSI-NET meeting will be held on Saturday, April 22nd 2006. As usual, the meeting will commence with a talk. You are coordially invited for the talk. Topic: Internet Search Engines & the Invisible Web What's New? What's Changed? Speaker: Anand T. Byrappa Manager, Library & Information Services GE Global Research, Bangalore Time: 10-30 AM. Venue: Seminar Hall, NCSI, IISc, Bangalore Kindly confirm your attendance by sending a mail to: ravi.nandhan(a)capco.com or anitha_m(a)aurigene.com With warm regards, Anitha M.K & V. Ravi Nandhan. NCSI-NET Coordinators. Regards, V. Ravi Nandhan . Knowledge Coordinator Capco IT Services Pvt. Ltd. Bangalore Ph: +91 80 41997351 VOIP: 67351 Email: ravi.nandhan(a)capco.com

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Librarians are insensitive to readers' owes.
by K A. Sardesai 17 Apr '06

17 Apr '06

Dear Sir, This mail may be an exception. Actually this type of questions are bind by the organizations itself and that should not be blamed to the Library profession. The present Librarians are devotedly doing their reference service parts apart from their services to the organizational set up.Like marketing our products we ask the users to approach the Librarians for more and more references to increase their research and developments in the respective fields.Kindly do not reach to overall Librarian's attitude. I feel very sorry that you have directly blamed our profession. Kshipras

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[LIS-Forum] Felicitation-Smt. Lalithabai, DLIS, University of Kerala
by Saji S. Nair 17 Apr '06

17 Apr '06

Dear friends, This is to inform that Smt. K. K. Lalithabai (‘Lalitha Lenin’ in literary circles), Reader, Department of Library & Information Science, University of Kerala is completing her ‘Shashtyabdi’(completion of 60 years) in April 2006, and formally laying down office on superannuation on 30th April 2006. She has been serving the Department for the last twenty-seven years as faculty member and as Head of the Department during 1989-93. Thousands of Information professionals working elsewhere in India and abroad may be her fond disciples who still cherish memories of her classes. All her students and well-wishers are cordially invited to the felicitation programme to be held at DLIS, University Kerala on 29th April 2006. You can wish the beloved teacher at dliskerala(a)email.com Lalitha teacher, through her motherly affection, endeared herself as a friend, philosopher and guide not only on academic and professional issues but also on personal matters. As ‘Lalitha Lenin’, she is well known in social, cultural and literary fields as well. She has a rare combination of gifted teacher, a talented litterateur and an accomplished social activist who assiduously champions the cause of the marginalized and the downtrodden. All the literary works that she has authored were well received and she has been honoured with a number of literary awards. As a member of the judging committees of many of the prestigious awards in literature and film she has earned a reputation for her unbiased and critical appraisal. She always makes use of these opportunities to uphold the role played by Information Science and Information profession in every field of knowledge, especially literature. On behalf of the felicitation committee, this message is posted by Saji S. Nair Regional Cancer Centre Library Thiruvananthapuram Kerala www.rcctvm.org _______________________________________________ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!

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Greenstone Support effort for South Asia has been launched on
by mgsree＠iimk.ac.in 17 Apr '06

17 Apr '06

Dear Colleagues: We are pleased to announce the launch of the Greenstone Support Organization for South Asia on April 5, 2006. Our objective is to ensure effective promotion and support for Greenstone in the South Asia region. The support site is available at http://greenstonesupport.iimk.ac.in. Please visit the site and your valued contributions towards enriching the site are most welcome. An E-List with the ID greenstonesupport(a)iimk.ac.in is also established for this purpose. Your contributions/suggestions/comments for attention by the community can be submitted to this mail ID. Other functions as well as subscription to the E-List are explained in the site. This E-List (Support Forum) is the first step in the establishment of a Greenstone Support Organization for India (GSOI). To this end, the CDDL is coordinating the development of a network of Greenstone users and a feasibility study on GSOI under the supervision of an Advisory Committee (names given in the site). Our profound thanks to the Greenstone team at Waikato, UNESCO, Greenstone Experts and Advisors from India for their wholehearted support and encouragement in this regard. With best regards, Sreekumar/John Rose (IIMK) /(Research Associate, University of Waikato) -- Dr. M. G. Sreekumar Librarian & Head, Center for Development of Digital Libraries (CDDL) Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode IIMK Campus P.O. Kozhikode, Kerala, India-673 570 ----------------------------------------- Phone : +91 495 2809140 Fax : +91 495 2803010/11 Email : mgsree(a)iimk.ac.in Web : www.iimk.ac.in =========================================

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