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On open access
by Subbiah Arunachalam 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

Friends: Here is a note from Stevan Harnad which would be of interest to all those interested in open access. Arun -------- SENSE ABOUT SCIENCE Peer review and the acceptance of new scientific ideas http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/peerreview/ Summary of above report: (1) "If it (peer review) ain't broke, don't fix it" and (2) "Caveat emptor to journalists -- if you use non-peer-reviewed information" On the relation between peer-review reform and the open access (OA) movement: None! OA is about providing free online access to all peer-reviewed journal articles (2.5 million articles a year, from 24,000 peer-reviewed journals). OA is about freeing those articles from online access tolls, not about freeing them from peer review! For more details, do the following search in Google: amsci "simon says" peer review In a nutshell: (1) Historical fact 1: The pre-refereeing preprint always comes before the refereed postprint (2) Historical fact 2: Since well before the internet, some areas of physics shared their preprints amongst themselves well before publication (3) Historical fact 3: With the advent of the internet and web, those same physicists took (quite naturally) to sharing their preprints -- *and postprints* -- via the internet (since 1991). http://arxiv.org (4) Historical fact 4: That practice -- of self-archiving preprints and postprints -- (not unique to physicists, but done most systematically by them) grew, and is still growing today, but not nearly fast enough (even among physicists). End of the catalogue of indisputable facts. Now we move to the area of interpretation and speculation: (5) Interpretation/Speculation 1: Some have hypothesized -- and Paul Ginsparg, the one who wrote the software for the physics Arxiv, was among the ones who made this hypothesis, but so has the mathematician and analyst of electronic publication developments, Andrew Odlyzko -- that the success and usefulness of preprint-self-archiving implies that peer-review (hence postprints) may either not be necessary at all (and done only to satisfy the demands of the author's tenure committee) or (6) Interpretation/Speculation 2: that peer review can be implemented as a kind of (optional?) "overlay," on top of preprints, possibly in the form of post-hoc peer commentary. But what needs to be carefully noted is that the empirical facts are equally compatible with a much simpler hypothesis, which is that it is extremely useful to the impact, productivity and progress of research to make both postprints (definitely) and preprints (optionally) open-access, by self-archiving them, and that this benefit has *absolutely nothing* to do with any hypothetical and untested reforms one might or might not one day wish to make of the peer-review system -- which has continued, absolutely unchanged, since self-archiving began in 1991, with virtually every preprint also being submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, hence also generating the revised, corrected, peer-reviewed postprint meeting the journal's quality standards, *exactly* as it had and has done all along! *Empirically* the only change has been open-access to preprints and postprints. The rest is all interpretation and untested speculation. For the sake of OA, it is extremely important to disentangle all that interpretation/speculation from the facts, which are that providing OA to one's postprints (all of them) and preprints (those one chooses to make OA) has great benefits, so not only 20% but 100% of postprints (and, optionally, preprints) should be made OA in this way. Entangling this theory-independent truth with untested conjectures about ways of reforming peer review simply serves to delay the long overdue passage from 20% OA to 100% OA still longer, needlessly. http://www.eprints.org/self-faq/#7.Peer In fact, the over-emphasis on preprint self-archiving (as if it were a *substitute*, rather than merely an optional *supplement* to postprint self-archiving, which in turn is a supplement to toll-access) was one of several of the incoherent components in the original e-biomed proposal that made it fail, generated opposition (from both publishers and those who did not want peer review tampered with needlessly) and eventually led to the non-optimal form of the NIH proposal we have now (with a 6-month embargo and only central archiving and only NIH-funded biomed) instead of the univeral self-archiving of 100% of postprints (and optionally, whatever percentage of preprints authors also choose to self-archive) that we need, that is still so long overdue, and that we are *at last* moving toward today! All this was already pointed out in the 1999 comments on the original e-biomed: http://www.nih.gov/about/director/ebiomed/com0509.htm#harn45 (1999) http://www.nih.gov/about/director/ebiomed/comment.htm Pertinent Prior American Scientist Topic Threads: Re: A Note of Caution About "Reforming the System" (2001) http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/1178.html Re: Science Article (Roberts et al.) and Science Editorial (2001) http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/1241.html Re: Self-Selected Vetting vs. Peer Review: Supplement or Substitute? (2003) http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/2889.html Stevan Harnad Moderator, American Scientist Open Access Forum Chaire de recherche du Canada Centre de neuroscience de la cognition (CNC) Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3P8 tel: 1-514-987-3000 2461# fax: 1-514-987-8952 harnad(a)uqam.ca http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/ Friends: Here is a note from Stevan Harnad which would be of interest to all those interested in open access. Arun -------- SENSE ABOUT SCIENCE Peer review and the acceptance of new scientific ideas http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/peerreview/ http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/peerreview/ Summary of above report: (1) "If it (peer review) ain't broke, don't fix it" and (2) "Caveat emptor to journalists -- if you use non-peer-reviewed information" On the relation between peer-review reform and the open access (OA) movement: None! OA is about providing free online access to all peer-reviewed journal articles (2.5 million articles a year, from 24,000 peer-reviewed journals). OA is about freeing those articles from online access tolls, not about freeing them from peer review! For more details, do the following search in Google: amsci "simon says" peer review In a nutshell: (1) Historical fact 1: The pre-refereeing preprint always comes before the refereed postprint (2) Historical fact 2: Since well before the internet, some areas of physics shared their preprints amongst themselves well before publication (3) Historical fact 3: With the advent of the internet and web, those same physicists took (quite naturally) to sharing their preprints -- *and postprints* -- via the internet (since 1991). http://arxiv.org/ http://arxiv.org (4) Historical fact 4: That practice -- of self-archiving preprints and postprints -- (not unique to physicists, but done most systematically by them) grew, and is still growing today, but not nearly fast enough (even among physicists). End of the catalogue of indisputable facts. Now we move to the area of interpretation and speculation: (5) Interpretation/Speculation 1: Some have hypothesized -- and Paul Ginsparg, the one who wrote the software for the physics Arxiv, was among the ones who made this hypothesis, but so has the mathematician and analyst of electronic publication developments, Andrew Odlyzko -- that the success and usefulness of preprint-self-archiving implies that peer-review (hence postprints) may either not be necessary at all (and done only to satisfy the demands of the author's tenure committee) or (6) Interpretation/Speculation 2: that peer review can be implemented as a kind of (optional?) "overlay," on top of preprints, possibly in the form of post-hoc peer commentary. But what needs to be carefully noted is that the empirical facts are equally compatible with a much simpler hypothesis, which is that it is extremely useful to the impact, productivity and progress of research to make both postprints (definitely) and preprints (optionally) open-access, by self-archiving them, and that this benefit has *absolutely nothing* to do with any hypothetical and untested reforms one might or might not one day wish to make of the peer-review system -- which has continued, absolutely unchanged, since self-archiving began in 1991, with virtually every preprint also being submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, hence also generating the revised, corrected, peer-reviewed postprint meeting the journal's quality standards, *exactly* as it had and has done all along! *Empirically* the only change has been open-access to preprints and postprints. The rest is all interpretation and untested speculation. For the sake of OA, it is extremely important to disentangle all that interpretation/speculation from the facts, which are that providing OA to one's postprints (all of them) and preprints (those one chooses to make OA) has great benefits, so not only 20% but 100% of postprints (and, optionally, preprints) should be made OA in this way. Entangling this theory-independent truth with untested conjectures about ways of reforming peer review simply serves to delay the long overdue passage from 20% OA to 100% OA still longer, needlessly. http://www.eprints.org/self-faq/#7.Peer http://www.eprints.org/self-faq/#7.Peer In fact, the over-emphasis on preprint self-archiving (as if it were a *substitute*, rather than merely an optional *supplement* to postprint self-archiving, which in turn is a supplement to toll-access) was one of several of the incoherent components in the original e-biomed proposal that made it fail, generated opposition (from both publishers and those who did not want peer review tampered with needlessly) and eventually led to the non-optimal form of the NIH proposal we have now (with a 6-month embargo and only central archiving and only NIH-funded biomed) instead of the univeral self-archiving of 100% of postprints (and optionally, whatever percentage of preprints authors also choose to self-archive) that we need, that is still so long overdue, and that we are *at last* moving toward today! All this was already pointed out in the 1999 comments on the original e-biomed: http://www.nih.gov/about/director/ebiomed/com0509.htm#harn45 http://www.nih.gov/about/director/ebiomed/com0509.htm#harn45 (1999) http://www.nih.gov/about/director/ebiomed/comment.htm http://www.nih.gov/about/director/ebiomed/comment.htm Pertinent Prior American Scientist Topic Threads: Re: A Note of Caution About "Reforming the System" (2001) http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/1178.html http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/1178.html Re: Science Article (Roberts et al.) and Science Editorial (2001) http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/1241.html http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/1241.html Re: Self-Selected Vetting vs. Peer Review: Supplement or Substitute? (2003) http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/2889.html http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/2889.html Stevan Harnad Moderator, American Scientist Open Access Forum Chaire de recherche du Canada Centre de neuroscience de la cognition (CNC) Université du Québec à Montréal Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3P8 tel: 1-514-987-3000 2461# fax: 1-514-987-8952 http://uk.f113.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=harnad@uqam.ca&YY=51694&order=d… harnad(a)uqam.ca http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/ http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/

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Fw: Science in UK Department for Internatl. Devt.
by Subbiah Arunachalam 25 Nov '04

25 Nov '04

----- Original Message ----- From: EPT To: scitechcom(a)parliament.uk Cc: enquiry(a)dfid.gov.uk ; chan(a)utsc.utoronto.ca ; Subbiah Arunachalam ; Stevan Harnad Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 11:55 PM Subject: Science in UK Department for Internatl. Devt. MESSAGE TO DR. IAN GIBSON, Chair S&T Ctee cc Hilary Benn, DFiD From members of the Electronic Publishing Trust for Development (EPT) http://www.epublishingtrust.org and Stevan Harnad November 23rd 2004 Dear Dr Gibson, Access to research publications by developing country scientists We have read the comments from your Committee on the Department for International Development report (The use of science in UK International Development Policy, 13th Report of Session 2003-2004) and refer particularly to paragraphs 76 and 133. In these, your comments emphasise the importance of access to research information, the need for digitisation of publications and open access publishing. However, we are very disappointed to see that no reference to Open Access Archiving was made. As you will be aware from our written submission to your 10th Report, Scientific 'Publications: Free for all?', the Electronic Publishing Trust for Development strongly advocates policies to establish institutional archives. This very low cost opportunity has many benefits for science not possible with OA Publishing (OA Archiving will spread knowledge across departments, institutes and countries; OA Archiving can take place almost immediately, whereas the progress of OA Publishing is inevitably far slower; OA Archiving is endorsed by over 90% of publishers, whereas most remain opposed to OA Publishing; OA Archiving can be mandated, whereas OA Publishing cannot). Moreover, OA Archiving can straight away increase the visibility of locally generated research, so important for the development of a strong science base in the less advantaged regions and for the creation of a global digital library that includes the 'missing research'. We know that your Committee fully understands the benefits to be derived from OA Archiving, but we would ask that the Committee ensures that DFiD is made fully aware of these and their huge potential impact on science in information-starved regions. We have in the past tried to inform DFiD about the advantages of institutional archives, but have met with little success. The Department is currently supporting the distribution of subsidised printed journals to some developing countries (but these programmes exclude those where any journals are currently sold by the commercial publishers, eg India) and, while this has short-term benefits, it is clearly not the long-term solution to information poverty. We would hope that DFiD's future programmes would support the sustainable option of training in the establishment of OA archives. The signatories to this letter, and many others, now have substantial experience in running OA workshops that, in our view, will make a tremendous impact on the international inclusion of the science communities in poorer countries. We are heartened that the University of Namibia has very recently established an OA policy and its own OA Archive; some 20 other OA Archives in developing country institutes are also registered in the OA Archives registry. The process has begun and is shown to be feasible; the support of DFiD would substantially speed the process to the benefit of health, agriculture and other essential scientific work in these regions. We hope that your Committee can encourage DFiD in this work, and are available to provide further information/experience at any time. With kind regards, Professor Subbiah Arunachalam, MSSRF Chennia, India, EPT Trustee Professor Leslie Chan, University of Toronto, Canada, EPT Trustee Professor Stevan Harnad, University of Southampton, UK Barbara Kirsop, Secretary, Electronic Publishing Trust for Development, UK ----- Original Message ----- From: mailto:EPT@biostrat.demon.co.uk EPT To: mailto:scitechcom@parliament.uk scitechcom(a)parliament.uk Cc: mailto:enquiry@dfid.gov.uk enquiry(a)dfid.gov.uk ; mailto:chan@utsc.utoronto.ca chan(a)utsc.utoronto.ca ; mailto:arun@mssrf.res.in Subbiah Arunachalam ; mailto:harnad@ecs.soton.ac.uk Stevan Harnad Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2004 11:55 PM Subject: Science in UK Department for Internatl. Devt. MESSAGE TO DR. IAN GIBSON, Chair S&T Ctee cc Hilary Benn, DFiD From members of the Electronic Publishing Trust for Development (EPT) http://www.epublishingtrust.org http://www.epublishingtrust.org and Stevan Harnad November 23rd 2004 Dear Dr Gibson, Access to research publications by developing country scientists We have read the comments from your Committee on the Department for International Development report (The use of science in UK International Development Policy, 13 th Report of Session 2003-2004) and refer particularly to paragraphs 76 and 133. In these, your comments emphasise the importance of access to research information, the need for digitisation of publications and open access publishing. However, we are very disappointed to see that no reference to Open Access Archiving was made. As you will be aware from our written submission to your 10 th Report, Scientific Publications: Free for all?, the Electronic Publishing Trust for Development strongly advocates policies to establish institutional archives. This very low cost opportunity has many benefits for science not possible with OA Publishing (OA Archiving will spread knowledge across departments, institutes and countries; OA Archiving can take place almost immediately, whereas the progress of OA Publishing is inevitably far slower; OA Archiving is endorsed by over 90% of publishers, whereas most remain opposed to OA Publishing; OA Archiving can be mandated, whereas OA Publishing cannot). Moreover, OA Archiving can straight away increase the visibility of locally generated research, so important for the development of a strong science base in the less advantaged regions and for the creation of a global digital library that includes the 'missing research'. We know that your Committee fully understands the benefits to be derived from OA Archiving, but we would ask that the Committee ensures that DFiD is made fully aware of these and their huge potential impact on science in information-starved regions. We have in the past tried to inform DFiD about the advantages of institutional archives, but have met with little success. The Department is currently supporting the distribution of subsidised printed journals to some developing countries (but these programmes exclude those where any journals are currently sold by the commercial publishers, eg India) and, while this has short-term benefits, it is clearly not the long-term solution to information poverty. We would hope that DFiDs future programmes would support the sustainable option of training in the establishment of OA archives. The signatories to this letter, and many others, now have substantial experience in running OA workshops that, in our view, will make a tremendous impact on the international inclusion of the science communities in poorer countries. We are heartened that the University of Namibia has very recently established an OA policy and its own OA Archive; some 20 other OA Archives in developing country institutes are also registered in the OA Archives registry. The process has begun and is shown to be feasible; the support of DFiD would substantially speed the process to the benefit of health, agriculture and other essential scientific work in these regions. We hope that your Committee can encourage DFiD in this work, and are available to provide further information/experience at any time. With kind regards, Professor Subbiah Arunachalam, MSSRF Chennia, India, EPT Trustee Professor Leslie Chan, University of Toronto, Canada, EPT Trustee Professor Stevan Harnad, University of Southampton, UK Barbara Kirsop, Secretary, Electronic Publishing Trust for Development, UK

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PLANNER-2004
by Prem Chand 24 Nov '04

24 Nov '04

Dear friends INFLIBNET has recently organised PLANNER 2004 in collaboration with Manipur University , Imphal. Following is a brief report of the PLANNER-2004 Second Convention entitled PLANNER – 2003 (Promotion of Library Automation and Networking in North Eastern Region) was organized by INFLIBNET in collaboration with Manipur University, Imphal during 4-5 November , 2004 The convention was initiated by INFLIBNET to boost the automation and networking of libraries in North East Region. The convention was attended by the chairperson of the Manipur Human Rights Commission, Justice WA Shishak as the chief guest, vice-chancellor of university, Prof N Bijoy as the president and deputy director of UGC Bangladesh, Mr. Abdul Awal as the guest of honour. Other important participants included chief coordinator, Prem Chand, university deans and staff of Manipur University. The convention was inaugurated by Shri W A Shishak, chairperson of the Manipur Human Rights Commission and former Chief Justice of Chatisgarh and Himacahl Pradesh. The chief guest, Sh.W A Shishak remarked that the present generation are fortunate to be born in the computer age. He was optimistic that the ongoing endeavor of bringing INFLIBNET to the north-eastern states will ensure the passage of the region among successful states in the field of communication. It will also benefit information seekers, scholars and academicians, he added. In his inaugural address he expressed his happiness to know about PLANNER and appreciated the steps taken for North East Region by INFLIBNET. He emphasized that North East needs special attention and PLANNER is step in this direction. On the occasion, Sh.W A Shishak released Conference proceeding and Prof N Bijoy, Vice Chancellor , Manipur University released a souvenir. He appreciated the efforts and initiatives taken by the Director INFLIBNET Dr T A V Murthy who rightly and timely thought of bringing first convention of PLANNER-2004 to Manipur. Prof N Bijoy Singh in his speech expressed that the theme of the convention, content creation, access and management in networked environment holds potential to bring immense benefit to the librarians. He further stated that libraries have many added roles in the arena of disseminating information through the latest technologies. The traditional concept of a library, which brought to mind a place to access paper records and books had been redefined to one that houses the most advanced media facilities, including CD-ROM, internet, virtual library and remote access to a wide range of network. Consequently, librarians and information professionals have to increasingly dispense their traditional duties combined with tasks involving continuously evolving technologies, he added. Shri Abdul Awal Deputy Director, UGC Bangladesh in his address stated that INFLIBNET had a vision to bridge libraries in different universities through a computer based networking system in India. The Bangladesh UGC is moved by the success of the programme being launched by INFLIBNET, Shri Awal added and forwarded his wish to make contact chain network between Bangladesh and India. Ch. Radhyshyam Singh, University librarian and organizing Secretary welcomed the delegates. Shri Prem Chand, Scientist- C and Chief Coordinator proposed vote of thanks and highlighted he efforts of INFLIBNET and UGC for modernization of libraries by launching UGC- INFONET and e-journal consortium The professionals and the participants of this Second Convention PLANNER-2004 have taken this opportunity for updating their knowledge and experiences. More than 150 professionals from Manipur and other states and also from neighboring country Bangladesh have taken part in this convention. The bio-data of the authors recorded in the seminar-volume shows that they are from Kashmir, UP, MP, Gujarat, Karnatak, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Assam, besides, obviously from the host state Manipur; eighteen out of thirty four authors are women; 34 papers are authored by nine Information Scientists, twelve library-professionals, thirteen university teachers and seven Ph.D. research scholars. Besides there is also a paper from a Principal and a member of governing board , INFLIBNET As shown, all thirty four papers are grouped under three separate category entitled as ‘Digitization’, ‘Networking’ and ‘Content Management’. The papers are presented at separate three sessions under the supervision of three separate Chairman, supported by the rapporteurs. Sh. V D Srivastva, Librarian of Silchar university and Sh. A K M Mufizur Rahaman, Programme coordinator, Community Development Centre, Dhaka were the chairman of different sessions. Besides, the Cambridge University Press, Balani Infotech and INFORMATICS, Bangalore have demonstrated their products on e- resources covered under UGC-INFONET. The participants are given opportunities for interaction. The interactions, the queries and the suggestions from the participants have made every session lively. A tutorials was also arranged to familiarize the delegates with the processes and technical know-how of network and digitization techniques. About 40 delegates registered for tutorials on“ How to set up a LAN” . Sh R K Jotin Singh, Information Scientist , Manipur University delivered lecture on the topic. The convention concluded with valedictory function in which a book entitled “Library Without Walls “ written by Dr. A P Singh and Dr. T A V Murthy was released by Prof. Bijoy Singh. Dr. Murthy in his concluding speech highlighted the role of INFLIBNET and its endeavour to serve the academic community in India through network environment. He urged faculty members to use millions of articles which are being offered under E-Journal consortium launched under UGC- INFONET. Dr. Lahari acted as Rapporteur General for the convention. The Rapporteur General read the recommendations emerging out of the deliberations. (Prem Chand) Scientist-C Prem Chand Scientist- C INFLIBNET(Information and Library Network) Centre An IUC of University Grants Commission Near Gujarat University Guest House Navrangpura, PB No.4116 AHMEDABAD-380009 India # Tel. 91-079-26305971 / 26304695; 26923507 (Res.) FAX: 079-26300990, 26307816 email: premc65_chand(a)yahoo.co.in http://www.inflibnet.ac.in Dear friends INFLIBNET has recently organised PLANNER 2004 in collaboration with Manipur University , Imphal. Following is a brief report of the PLANNER-2004 Second Convention entitled PLANNER – 2003 (Promotion of Library Automation and Networking in North Eastern Region) was organized by INFLIBNET in collaboration with Manipur University, Imphal during 4-5 November , 2004 The convention was initiated by INFLIBNET to boost the automation and networking of libraries in North East Region. The convention was attended by the chairperson of the Manipur Human Rights Commission, Justice WA Shishak as the chief guest, vice-chancellor of university, Prof N Bijoy as the president and deputy director of UGC Bangladesh, Mr. Abdul Awal as the guest of honour. Other important participants included chief coordinator, Prem Chand, university deans and staff of Manipur University. The convention was inaugurated by Shri W A Shishak, chairperson of the Manipur Human Rights Commission and former Chief Justice of Chatisgarh and Himacahl Pradesh. The chief guest, Sh.W A Shishak remarked that the present generation are fortunate to be born in the computer age. He was optimistic that the ongoing endeavor of bringing INFLIBNET to the north-eastern states will ensure the passage of the region among successful states in the field of communication. It will also benefit information seekers, scholars and academicians, he added. In his inaugural address he expressed his happiness to know about PLANNER and appreciated the steps taken for North East Region by INFLIBNET. He emphasized that North East needs special attention and PLANNER is step in this direction. On the occasion, Sh.W A Shishak released Conference proceeding and Prof N Bijoy, Vice Chancellor , Manipur University released a souvenir. He appreciated the efforts and initiatives taken by the Director INFLIBNET Dr T A V Murthy who rightly and timely thought of bringing first convention of PLANNER-2004 to Manipur. Prof N Bijoy Singh in his speech expressed that the theme of the convention, content creation, access and management in networked environment holds potential to bring immense benefit to the librarians. He further stated that libraries have many added roles in the arena of disseminating information through the latest technologies. The traditional concept of a library, which brought to mind a place to access paper records and books had been redefined to one that houses the most advanced media facilities, including CD-ROM, internet, virtual library and remote access to a wide range of network. Consequently, librarians and information professionals have to increasingly dispense their traditional duties combined with tasks involving continuously evolving technologies, he added. Shri Abdul Awal Deputy Director, UGC Bangladesh in his address stated that INFLIBNET had a vision to bridge libraries in different universities through a computer based networking system in India. The Bangladesh UGC is moved by the success of the programme being launched by INFLIBNET, Shri Awal added and forwarded his wish to make contact chain network between Bangladesh and India. Ch. Radhyshyam Singh, University librarian and organizing Secretary welcomed the delegates. Shri Prem Chand, Scientist- C and Chief Coordinator proposed vote of thanks and highlighted he efforts of INFLIBNET and UGC for modernization of libraries by launching UGC- INFONET and e-journal consortium The professionals and the participants of this Second Convention PLANNER-2004 have taken this opportunity for updating their knowledge and experiences. More than 150 professionals from Manipur and other states and also from neighboring country Bangladesh have taken part in this convention. The bio-data of the authors recorded in the seminar-volume shows that they are from Kashmir, UP, MP, Gujarat, Karnatak, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Assam, besides, obviously from the host state Manipur; eighteen out of thirty four authors are women; 34 papers are authored by nine Information Scientists, twelve library-professionals, thirteen university teachers and seven Ph.D. research scholars. Besides there is also a paper from a Principal and a member of governing board , INFLIBNET As shown, all thirty four papers are grouped under three separate category entitled as ‘Digitization’, ‘Networking’ and ‘Content Management’. The papers are presented at separate three sessions under the supervision of three separate Chairman, supported by the rapporteurs. Sh. V D Srivastva, Librarian of Silchar university and Sh. A K M Mufizur Rahaman, Programme coordinator, Community Development Centre, Dhaka were the chairman of different sessions. Besides, the Cambridge University Press, Balani Infotech and INFORMATICS, Bangalore have demonstrated their products on e- resources covered under UGC-INFONET. The participants are given opportunities for interaction. The interactions, the queries and the suggestions from the participants have made every session lively. A tutorials was also arranged to familiarize the delegates with the processes and technical know-how of network and digitization techniques. About 40 delegates registered for tutorials on“ How to set up a LAN” . Sh R K Jotin Singh, Information Scientist , Manipur University delivered lecture on the topic. The convention concluded with valedictory function in which a book entitled “Library Without Walls “ written by Dr. A P Singh and Dr. T A V Murthy was released by Prof. Bijoy Singh. Dr. Murthy in his concluding speech highlighted the role of INFLIBNET and its endeavour to serve the academic community in India through network environment. He urged faculty members to use millions of articles which are being offered under E-Journal consortium launched under UGC- INFONET. Dr. Lahari acted as Rapporteur General for the convention. The Rapporteur General read the recommendations emerging out of the deliberations. (Prem Chand) Scientist-C Prem Chand Scientist- C INFLIBNET(Information and Library Network) Centre An IUC of University Grants Commission Near Gujarat University Guest House Navrangpura, PB No.4116 AHMEDABAD-380009 India # Tel. 91-079-26305971 / 26304695; 26923507 (Res.) FAX: 079-26300990, 26307816 email: mailto:premc65_chand@yahoo.co.in premc65_chand(a)yahoo.co.in http://www.inflibnet.ac.in http://www.inflibnet.ac.in

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mdp for management libraries
by Vrushali Rane 23 Nov '04

23 Nov '04

One Day Seminar on Information Resources for Management Libraries <<...>> December 11, 2004 10.00am - 5.00pm Organized by NMIMS (Deemed University) Venue NMIMS MDP Centre Organising Secretary Ms. Vrushali Rane Librarian librarian(a)nmims.edu Introduction and Objective There are large numbers of information resources available in the market and on Internet. Librarian needs to identify those resources that will be actually required by their clients. It is a challenge for Librarians how best they can make the selection and uses these vast resources to fulfill the growing demand of its clientele. With the help of these resources Librarian can give out various services to its clientele. Librarian should connect to their users and make their services valuable and visible to their community. In view of the above this one-day seminar will provide detailed information on all the resources available on the web and in the market. The seminar will give inputs as to what is the best for a management library and how to go about accessing and procuring it. Methodology Experienced professionals from Library and information Science area will conduct the session. The main instrument of learning will be the online demos, discussions and presentations. Expected Participants Professionals from Library and Information Science, working in Management libraries, will immensely benefit from this programme. Registration Form One Day Seminar on Information Resources for Management Libraries December 11, 2004 Venue: MDP Centre, NMIMS Name: Designation: Address: Tel:Off: E-mail: Date: Signature: (Photocopy this form for additional copies, if needed) Seminar Schedule 09.30-10.00 Registration and Tea 10.00-10.30 Inaugural address by the Vice Chancellor 10.30-11.45 Information Resources - Overview (Prof.Rajhans) 11.45-12.00 Tea Break 12.00-13.00 Electronic Information Resource -Assessment (Prof.Rajhans) 13.00-14.00 Lunch 14.00-15.00 Electronic Info Resources on web - (Vrushali Rane) 15.00-15.30 Demo of E-resources with NMIMS - (Vrushali Rane) 15.30-15.45 Tea Break 15.45-16.45 NMIMS Library tour 16.45 -17.00 Concluding Session From, Vrushali Rane Librarian Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (Deemed University) V.L.Mehta Road, JVPD Scheme, Vile Parle(W), Mumbai 400056. Tel: 26134577/26183688/26143177 Fax:26114512 E-Mail:librarian@nmims.edu

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DOI System on track to become an ISO standard
by Rajesh Chandrakar 23 Nov '04

23 Nov '04

DOI System on track to become an ISO standard At the recent ISO TC46 meeting in Washington, the DOI System was accepted as a formal work item to become an ISO standard. This standardisation will be within TC46/SC9, the ISO body responsible for "information content identifiers" such as ISBN, ISSN, ISTC, ISRC, etc. The formal approved resolution reads: "SC 9 invites the International DOI Foundation to submit a formal proposal and preliminary draft for an ISO standard on the Digital Object Identifier. SC 9 further invites the International DOI Foundation to nominate a Project Leader for this work and authorizes the SC 9 Secretariat to establish a new Working Group for this project if such WG is deemed necessary after consultation with the Project Leader." The IDF will be the nominated registration authority for this standard. The DOI system uses several existing standards-based components which have been brought together and further developed to provide a consistent system: the standardisation within ISO (ISO TC46/SC9) will use these underlying standards as normative references, and therefore will be a relatively concise summary. It will: codify a top level description of components; refer to those components (Syntax, Handle, Data Dictionary) as normative references; separate the existing "DOI Handbook" into formal standard (ISO) and operating manual; provide further assurances to users on governance and intent through ISO conformance; and show that DOI supports (does not compete with) other identifier schemes, offering the option of adding Internet actionability in a standard way. For further information please contact n.paskin(a)doi.org or the ISO/TC46/SC9 Secretariat at iso.tc46.sc9(a)lac-bac.gc.ca DOI System on track to become an ISO standard At the recent ISO TC46 meeting in Washington, the DOI System was accepted as a formal work item to become an ISO standard. This standardisation will be within TC46/SC9, the ISO body responsible for "information content identifiers" such as ISBN, ISSN, ISTC, ISRC, etc. The formal approved resolution reads: "SC 9 invites the International DOI Foundation to submit a formal proposal and preliminary draft for an ISO standard on the Digital Object Identifier. SC 9 further invites the International DOI Foundation to nominate a Project Leader for this work and authorizes the SC 9 Secretariat to establish a new Working Group for this project if such WG is deemed necessary after consultation with the Project Leader." The IDF will be the nominated registration authority for this standard. The DOI system uses several existing standards-based components which have been brought together and further developed to provide a consistent system: the standardisation within ISO (ISO TC46/SC9) will use these underlying standards as normative references, and therefore will be a relatively concise summary. It will: codify a top level description of components; refer to those components (Syntax, Handle, Data Dictionary) as normative references; separate the existing "DOI Handbook" into formal standard (ISO) and operating manual; provide further assurances to users on governance and intent through ISO conformance; and show that DOI supports (does not compete with) other identifier schemes, offering the option of adding Internet actionability in a standard way. For further information please contact mailto:n.paskin@doi.org n.paskin(a)doi.org or the ISO/TC46/SC9 Secretariat at mailto:iso.tc46.sc9@lac-bac.gc.ca iso.tc46.sc9(a)lac-bac.gc.ca

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RFID tags
by Vyasamoorthy＠icicikp.com 22 Nov '04

22 Nov '04

Following news on the use of RFID Tags in Pune University Library might be interesting. Someone from Pune University can post a comprehensive paper on RFID installation & usage for the benefit of others. ========== TAGS TO KEEP TABS Business Standard At Pune University's Jayakar library, members don't return books to a librarian or register the books they borrow at a counter behind which the librarian sits. He or she simply places a smart card on one of the three "readers" or devices in the library and the books are automatically registered in his or her account. Half the 4.25 lakh documents, books and periodicals in the library have an electronic label that costs Rs 50 pasted on them. In addition, two electronically monitored antennae have been set up at the library's entrance and exit. If a book is unauthorisedly sneaked out of the library, a buzzer sounds at the entrance. To be sure, books can still be pilfered. Says S K Patil, head of Pune University's library and information science department: "If someone tears off the page of the document where the electronic label is fixed, there is little we can do. The technology is akin to installing a large padlock on one's door. If a thief enters the house through the window, the robbery cannot be averted." The technology in question, introduced at the library in August this year, is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). Many say that not much RFID work has taken place here. Poppycock, we say. Sure, RFID is still in its infancy. But consider the following: - The Chitale Dairy at Bhiwladi in Maharashtra's Sangli district has installed RFID to monitor the feeding patterns of cattle and bison. An electronic tag is attached to the neck of cattle for this purpose. - Pantaloon Retail India is in discussions with Wipro on introducing RFID at its Tarapore factory for the next two months. If the pilot project helps save costs, the retail major will give Wipro the go ahead for implementing the technology in phases, starting with its warehouse at Tarapore. Says Chinar Deshpande, chief information officer, Pantaloon Retail India: "Suppliers will have to become RFID-compliant eventually, if the technology is to be implemented for individual items. But, unlike Wal-Mart, we cannot force this technology on suppliers as the Indian retail supply market is not that mature. For now, it will be implemented only for Pantaloon's in house manufacturing and warehousing." - Nearly 45 colleges in Pune that fall under the three deemed universities or education trusts, including the R P Vidyapeeth, D Y Patil Prathisthan and Maharashtra Academy of Engineering, and the Baroda-based Babaria Institute of Technology, have introduced student identity RFID cards that allow students access to hostels and monitor their classroom attendance. Each student will swipe his card at a reader to record his attendance. Attendance data can be uploaded on the Internet and accessed by parents. "For the hostel, a turnstile gate can be set up at which students will swipe cards. At the press of a button, the number of students there as well as visitors to the hostel can be found out," notes Aashim A Patil, CEO of the Pune-based Infotek Software & Systems, which supplied RFID software to the Pune University library and to the other educational institutes in Maharashtra. sent in by======================================== Dr.P.Vyasamoorthy, Advisor, Virtual Information Centre, ICICI Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Turkapally, Shameerpet Mandal, RR District, Hyderabad 500078 INDIA Email: vyasamoorthy(a)icicikp.com Phone - Office: +91(40)23480053 Fax: +91(40)23480007 Phone Residence: +91(40)27846631

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Vaccancy Advt
by Mailing List Manager 22 Nov '04

22 Nov '04

Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 13:15:03 +0530 From: geetha.v(a)tcs.com Tata Consultancy Services is looking for a bright and enthusiastic librarian for their new location near ITPL at Bangalore. Qualification : MLISc, with an ability to independently set up the library & handle the user requirements. Desired Skills : Excellent communication skills,Computer knowledge, should be a proactive service provider & a good team player. Experience 0 - 2 years Salary : As per the Industry standard Please mail your resume before 30/12/2004 Geetha Venkatraman Tata Consultancy Services Limited SJM Towers, No. 18, Seshadri Road,6th Cross, Gandhinagar Bangalore - 560 009,Karnataka India (Ph :5660 6007) Mailto: geetha.v(a)tcs.com Website: http://www.tcs.com

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Request to IR expert to advise & comments
by Sanjay Kataria 22 Nov '04

22 Nov '04

Dear Information Scientist, I want to take a initiative on design & develop the Institutional Repository but i have some queries to all expert and experienced on same, which as follows: 1. There is number of open source software for development of Institutional Repository which one is most users friendly 2. What is grantee for up-gradation of the software from source organization 3 Data Security / Permission on LAN or WAN Environment 4. What about the Copy Right Issue or Intellectual Property Right Issues 5. What skills are required to operate or customized the software 6. What type of infrastructure required / Preplanning for Hardware or software, scanner etc. 7. Which format should be used to save the data/ for easy search 8. Other technical aspect, we should keep in mind before starting. 9. Kindly mention the Role of the librarian/ Role of the faculty/ Role of the institute I am looking your valuable suggestions and advise on above points. Thanks & Regards ==*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Sanjay Kataria Learning Resource Centre Jaypee Institute of InformationTechnology (Deemed-to-be-University) A-10, Sector-62, Noida (UP) 201307 India Ph. 0120-2400973 to 978 Ext. 251 09810503341 (Mobile) E-mail: lib_scholar(a)rediffmail.com, katariasanjay2001(a)yahoo.com, sanjay.kataria(a)jiit.ac.in Website: www.jiit.ac.in, http://www.geocities.com/katariasanjay2001 --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Discover all that�s new in My Yahoo! Dear Information Scientist, I want to take a initiative on design & develop the Institutional Repository but i have some queries to all expert and experienced on same, which as follows: 1. There is number of open source software for development of Institutional Repository which one is most users friendly 2. What is grantee for up-gradation of the software from source organization 3 Data Security / Permission on LAN or WAN Environment 4. What about the Copy Right Issue or Intellectual Property Right Issues 5. What skills are required to operate or customized the software 6. What type of infrastructure required / Preplanning for Hardware or software, scanner etc. 7. Which format should be used to save the data/ for easy search 8. Other technical aspect, we should keep in mind before starting. 9. Kindly mention the Role of the librarian/ Role of the faculty/ Role of the institute I am looking your valuable suggestions and advise on above points. Thanks & Regards ==*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Sanjay Kataria Learning Resource Centre Jaypee Institute of InformationTechnology (Deemed-to-be-University) A-10, Sector-62, Noida (UP) 201307 India Ph. 0120-2400973 to 978 Ext. 251 09810503341 (Mobile) E-mail: lib_scholar(a)rediffmail.com, katariasanjay2001(a)yahoo.com, mailto:sanjay.kataria@jiit.ac.in sanjay.kataria(a)jiit.ac.in Website: http://www.jiit.ac.in, www.jiit.ac.in, http://www.geocities.com/katariasanjay2001 http://www.geocities.com/katariasanjay2001 Do you Yahoo!? Discover all that�s new in http://my.yahoo.com My Yahoo!

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Submission
by venky 22 Nov '04

22 Nov '04

Contest to Design a Digital Library The Rotary Bangalore West along with the Rotaract Bangalore West is planning establish Rotary Scholastic Centre, a digital library for children at the Govt. Girls School in 13th Cross Malleswaram. The objective of the Project is to inculcate the spirit of learning and pursuit of knowledge by providing a learning centre for children upto the age group of 18 years and also to the Senior citizens above the age group of 60. It is our desire that we empower the children through the Power of knowledge, as we strongly believe that any investment in the development of children is a direct contribution to Nation building. In view of this, Rotary and Rotaract Bangalore West are holding a contest for students and freelancers to design a digital library. Ideas/Designs for the digital library are invited from interested parties. The team which proposes the best idea will implement the library and will also win a grand prize. The specifications for the library are given below. The main layout of the library will be on the Web based model with a main server + backup servers servicing upto 25 clients initially and should be scalable to serve upto 100 clients in the future. The server will have to run a webserver software hosting the pages where in the user at the clientside can run through an index of books sorted according to subjects and can access the book entirely or only parts of its contents based on topic/chapter. A data warehousing software will run in the background and will hold the books in a digitized format. The server side also should be capable of automatically generating index of items added to the Digital repository. Text based Digital documents could be made full text searchable through a suitable interface. When contents from CD are added to the library the server also need to act as CD cache. There is a need to have an intranet running for the local network and a firewall to prevent any intrusions and security threat. The network will be on a WLAN and we need to provide enough encryption on the packets that are sent out to prevent snooping on the network. There should also be an inbuilt mechanism which will keep track of all the books being accessed at any given time and it should be able to generate reports on issues such as no. of books accessed,total no. of hits on server, most frequently accessed books / subjects, internet access times, quantity of data downloads etc. For the internet access, mechanisms must be provided to allow only logged in users to access internet and to monitor the time and usage of the net. Suitable cache must be built into the system to speed up internet access to 'often used sites' On the server side we need automated replication on the backup servers such that there is no downtime experienced in case of failure on the main server. All the softwares that are to be used for the servers as well as web browsing clients should be free/open source software and should be readily upgradeable and should be easy to maintain. The proposed solution could be based on the several flavors of open source DL softwares like Greenstone, D-Space etc. The proposals/design ideas should reach any of the mail ids given below before 1 December 2004. You could also post any queries to: Dr. S. Venkadesan - venky(a)library.iisc.ernet.in Rtn Rajendra Rai - rai(a)bgl.vsnl.net.in Rtr Chinmay Albal - chinmayalbal(a)rediffmail.com Dr. S. Venkadesan Librarian JRD Tata Memorial Library Indian Institute of Science Bangalore-560012 INDIA Ph: +91 80 23601653 + 91 80 22932408 Fax: +91 80 23601653 E-Mail- venky(a)library.iisc.ernet.in venkys(a)gmail.com Contest to Design a Digital Library The Rotary Bangalore West along with the Rotaract Bangalore West is planning establish Rotary Scholastic Centre, a digital library for children at the Govt. Girls School in 13th Cross Malleswaram. The objective of the Project is to inculcate the spirit of learning and pursuit of knowledge by providing a learning centre for children upto the age group of 18 years and also to the Senior citizens above the age group of 60. It is our desire that we empower the children through the Power of knowledge, as we strongly believe that any investment in the development of children is a direct contribution to Nation building. In view of this, Rotary and Rotaract Bangalore West are holding a contest for students and freelancers to design a digital library. Ideas/Designs for the digital library are invited from interested parties. The team which proposes the best idea will implement the library and will also win a grand prize. The specifications for the library are given below. The main layout of the library will be on the Web based model with a main server + backup servers servicing upto 25 clients initially and should be scalable to serve upto 100 clients in the future. The server will have to run a webserver software hosting the pages where in the user at the clientside can run through an index of books sorted according to subjects and can access the book entirely or only parts of its contents based on topic/chapter. A data warehousing software will run in the background and will hold the books in a digitized format. The server side also should be capable of automatically generating index of items added to the Digital repository. Text based Digital documents could be made full text searchable through a suitable interface. When contents from CD are added to the library the server also need to act as CD cache. There is a need to have an intranet running for the local network and a firewall to prevent any intrusions and security threat. The network will be on a WLAN and we need to provide enough encryption on the packets that are sent out to prevent snooping on the network. There should also be an inbuilt mechanism which will keep track of all the books being accessed at any given time and it should be able to generate reports on issues such as no. of books accessed,total no. of hits on server, most frequently accessed books / subjects, internet access times, quantity of data downloads etc. For the internet access, mechanisms must be provided to allow only logged in users to access internet and to monitor the time and usage of the net. Suitable cache must be built into the system to speed up internet access to 'often used sites' On the server side we need automated replication on the backup servers such that there is no downtime experienced in case of failure on the main server. All the softwares that are to be used for the servers as well as web browsing clients should be free/open source software and should be readily upgradeable and should be easy to maintain. The proposed solution could be based on the several flavors of open source DL softwares like Greenstone, D-Space etc. The proposals/design ideas should reach any of the mail ids given below before 1 December 2004. You could also post any queries to: Dr. S. Venkadesan - mailto:venky@library.iisc.ernet.in venky(a)library.iisc.ernet.in Rtn Rajendra Rai - mailto:rai@bgl.vsnl.net.in rai(a)bgl.vsnl.net.in Rtr Chinmay Albal - mailto:chinmayalbal@rediffmail.com chinmayalbal(a)rediffmail.com Dr. S. Venkadesan Librarian JRD Tata Memorial Library Indian Institute of Science Bangalore-560012 INDIA Ph: +91 80 23601653 + 91 80 22932408 Fax: +91 80 23601653 E-Mail- mailto:venky@library.iisc.ernet.in venky(a)library.iisc.ernet.in mailto:venkys@gmail.com venkys(a)gmail.com

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Overview about Google Scholar
by Sreeharsha_Gopalakrishna＠i2.com 20 Nov '04

20 Nov '04

Dear Professionals, This is in continuation with my earlier mail. Here is a bird's eye view about Google scholar which launched couple of days ago. ************************************************************************************ The world of on-line "scholarly" research is changing today as Google introduces Google Scholar. This specialized new interface -- which will NOT be linked from Google's main search page -- will allow users to search a treasure chest of "scholarly material." As you've read here many times, Google is brilliant (that is, ingenious at marketing and trying new things), and this is yet another example of their savvy. This is something that some other large web engine(s) could have done years ago to help separate themselves from other players and also provide a useful service. No one did it. Now, others will likely play catch-up with Google. Basically, users of Google Scholar can, via a single search location, access content from "scholarly" materials found on the OPEN WEB that they've found in the Google crawl of the web. Btw, it might also be time to take another look at what has traditionally thought of as "scholarly" since some of the material in Google Scholar is not "scholarly" using a traditional definition. Some basic facts: + In a nutshell, Google has built an algorithm that makes a calculated guess at to *what it thinks* is a scholarly content mined from the OPEN WEB, and then makes it accessible via the Google Scholar interface. + Precisely what makes something "scholarly" enough to be included in Google Scholar, Google will not say. And this is not an insignificant omission. Librarians, especially academic librarians, are *always* being asked to provide "scholarly" material, even if customers aren't quite sure what this means. Their instructor told them they needed articles from "scholarly journals," so this is precisely what they ask for at the library. As librarians, we may try to educate them about how "refereed publications" work, but let's face it. What most of these folks really want is to quickly download an appropriate article and beat feet out of the library. And if they think they can get what they need from Google, the odds are slim that they will bother with library resources at all. College students AND professors might not know that library databases exist, but they sure know Google. The database vendors don't always make it easy for us, either. For example, when searching Gale databases such as InfoTrac OneFile or Expanded Academic ASAP, you see a check box that you can fill in if you want to restrict your search to "refereed publications." How many of our customers know what a "refereed publication" is? Does any instructor ever ask his or her students to find articles from "refereed publications"? What's up with this? More facts: + Material accessible via Google Scholar can also be in the main Google index. + Google Scholar results pages *will not contain advertising* -- at least for now. + Some examples of material from major publishers whose material you'll find (we know Google has been working with many)? Google will not provide us with a complete list, but look for content from ACM, IEEE, and yes, Open Worldcat material from OCLC. We also don't know precisely what is and is not available, date ranges, etc. * In some cases Google will be crawling and searching the full text of an article but users will either have to have a subscription to the content or pay for access to an individual articles. + VERY COOL! For many citations, you'll find a direct link to other articles in the Google Scholar database that cite the article you've selected. Yes, Google Scholar is a citation database too! This reminds me of two specialized databases that focus on specific types of scholarly content accessible on the open web that have been on-line for many years and remain EXCELLENT tools. 1) CiteSeer (focuses on computer science material, info tech content) 2) SmealSearch (focuses on business material) + Some material, let's say from Open Worldcat, isn't always scholarly in the way many people think of it. For example: ++ Here are many John Grishman books. ++ Although we're honored, we don't consider this blog to be a "scholarly" resource. ++ Academic librarians will be sad to learn that it's impossible to limit to only "peer-reviwed" material. + How big is the Google Scholar database? Google isn't saying. As Google makes this announcement and word spreads about a "scholarly search tool" -- ESPECIALLY in the academic community -- we think the use of specialty databases (the ones university libraries offer and spend $$$ for) will drop. It's worth watching to see if people begin paying for material located via Google Scholar that they can get *free* from a specialty database they may not know is available via their public or academic library. Might this be a golden opportunity for the library community to tell people -- look, we have access to this stuff and MUCH MUCH MORE? We have better ways to search it, and you might not even have to pay for it? Well, yeah...but if what we've seen in the past is any indication, this is not going to happen. Maybe this time it will be different. Bottom line: It's very difficult to compete with the Google marketing machine. In the meantime, we'll be extremely interested in the response to Google Scholar from fee-based database publishers. Some might ask, are specialized database tools still necessary? Info pros know they are but we sure haven't done a good job of explaining why. It will also be interesting to see if *any* of the press/chatter about Google Scholar makes even a small mention of specialized subscription databases, free access to these via libraries, and the fact that what Google is offering is merely the tip of the "scholarly" info iceberg. Is all of this yet another nail in the coffin for library resources and maybe librarians? Too early to tell, of course. Kudos to Google for doing so but the library community could (should?) have done something similar years ago. Why didn't we? When big announcements come from Google and web engines, we often get nervous and...sometimes upset with our profession. Not this time, however. It's just not worth it. This is BIG news and something that should have been around for years. It's going to be interesting what transpires moving forward. Finally, specialized databases are still valuable for many types of searching, including searching for "scholarly material." Why? A few examples: + Limit to material published by date + Ability to view more than 1000 results. The Google cutoff of 1000 results is still in place with Google Scholar + Google is constantly crawling the web but we don't know how often the Google Scholar database is being refreshed with new content + Searching using a controlled vocabulary/subject searching + Ability to limit by publisher affiliation + You can limit by author with author: but you can only use a last name. First names and initials are not searchable when using author:. + Proximity operators + Gobs and gobs of content, Google Scholar still doesn't have it all. Example: While you're find John Grisham books, you will NOT find material (both current and archived) from MANY newspapers, trade publications, and general interest periodicals. + I'm sure you can add many more examples of what's NOT there Again, it's one thing for the info pro to understand all of this, it's something else for the typical searcher. Stay tuned, this is going to be interesting. ************************************************************************************ Sreeharsha BG Knowledge Management Group i2 Technologies software Pvt. Ltd. 5th Floor, Diamond District, Airport Road, Bangalore-8 PH: 25047319 Work does not require effort if its of ones interest....:-)

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