[LIS-Forum] Re: [oa-india] Re: Fw: [BOAI] Functioning IRs

Thank you Sukhdev for expressing your views openly so everyone will have an opportunity to reflect. 1.India has such a great reputation - as one of the world's best in software, for example - and many of our LIS professionals attend and speak at conferences on digital libraries and other adanced topics. Many Indian LIS professionals have spent several months in good US institutions as Fulbright scholars and a few have spent time in the UK (as exchange visitors). Many LIS departments do teach computer programming and use of technology in libraries as part of their curriculum. One would therefore expect that there should be no "fear of working with Linux," at least in leading research institutions and the better higher educational institutions. Assuming that some LIS professionals are not familiar with Linux, how long would it take to learn? 2. There is no harm in examining different software before one chooses one of them. For example, at NIC Sukhdev and colleagues took time before they decided to go ahead with GNU EPrints. Mr Muthu Madhan at NIT Rourkela took time to examine both DSPace and EPrints before he decided to work with DSPace. Indeed taking time to examine different software before a repository is set up, in my opinion, is a good thing. It gives one hands-on experience and strengthens one's involvement in OA. 3. Yes, the passing away of Raja is a great loss. But his legacy, viz. the IISc GNU EPrints archive, should inspire the rest of the community to set up similar archives in other institutions. Right now we have competent people such as Dr A R D Prasad, Dr D K Sahu and Sukhdev imself. When I wanted OneWorld South Asia to set up an archive for ICT-enabled Development (somewhat similar to penMED for biomedical research), I took the OWSA team to Sukhdev without prior appointment and he was kind enouugh to spare two hours (and he even offered to provide us lunch). My point is we have lost one of our best men, but mercifully we have others who are more than willing to help anyone who wants to set up an archive. 4. I have not heard of any computer science department coming forward to set up an institutional archive. By and large is going to be the LIS personnel who will have to set up and maintain institutional archives. At least in India, that is how it will happen. 5. When we held two workshops at MSSRF more than 18 months ago, virtually everyone of the participants told Leslie Chan that he/she would be able to set up an archive within a few months (ranging from 3-9 months). But only a few have actually set up till now. As the coordinator of the workshop, I wrote to virtually everyone of the participants more than once. I am not even sure how many of them spoke to their managements (Vice chancellor, Director, Registrar, Head of Dept, Dean, etc.). Things may improve only if there is an order from above! If heads of institutions/ funding agencies could mandate making publicly funded research available through open access, then people will start action. The recent versions of both DSpace and EPrints are pretty easy to install. Costs are not a major problem, but cannot be ignored altogether. Advocacy at all levels - at the levels of research students, faculty, heads of institutions, policy makers, donor agencies - should continue. And of course some introspection - just started by Sukhdev, for which he deserves our thanks. Let us hope Dr Alma Swan [who will speak at the Science Congress on 6th January and also visit Bangalore, Bombay and Delhi to meet with people and promote Open Access] will inspire a number of people to start new OA archives. Best wishes. Arun [Subbiah Arunachalam] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sukhdev Singh" To: "Discussion Group for Open Access Workshop India" Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 11:10 AM Subject: [oa-india] Re: Fw: [BOAI] Functioning IRs

However, Institutional Archives are not coming up as expected in India. What are the reasons?

I suspect the following could be some of the factors:

- Fear of working with Linux. - Spending too much time on deciding which IA Repository Software to use. - Lack of technical leadership of the kind of Late Dr. Rajshekhar - Confusion on Domain Area, whether computer department should set up or initiative should be taken by libraries. Some librarians may even fear loosing the (false?) tag of being the sole custodian of knowledge - Mere lip service to the whole issue. Boosting too much and doing too little.

Following could serve a solution to some extend.

- Work to package all components required for installing and running : Linux, Apache and EPrints. - Distributing a set of CDs that will format a new machine, install linux and eprints - all set and running. - A national level team of practical professionals could be formed that would implement the above two steps. - State level teams could be formed that would take the distribution CDs and implement the same in instituions / universities. It would also provide training and support service for day to day running of servers.

However, the motivation and policy level lobbing is not included the above solution. Moreover funding has also to be arranged. Someone else may suggest the same.

Regards Sukhdev Singh, NIC. http://openmed.nic.in

On 12/15/05, Subbiah Arunachalam wrote:

...

[Forwarding from the AmSci OA Forum. --Peter Suber]

Posted on behalf of Subbiah Arunachalam, Leslie Chan and Barbara Kirsop

Regarding comments to the list on the costs of setting up and maintaining an Institutional Repository (IR), we agree that figures are being publicised about the costs without distinguishing whether these are solely for the institute's published research output or for a high-cost Institute-wide or Campus-wide resource for all purposes. So when issuing cost statements it is critical to explain precisely what is being set up, otherwise figures are meaningless. Because of these confusions, we are concerned that the very high figures quoted can deter smaller institutions and developing countries from setting up open access archives.

To off-set such concerns, we know that over 70 repositories for research publications have already been set up in the developing world and we have evidence of the low costs associated with these.

Only yesterday a colleague from India responded to a question we asked, saying '....organisations can do with a server just costing about 40 K (rupees) and use a broad band connectivity. This connectivity has become very cheap recently due the launch of Broadband Services by BSNL/MTNL/Private Cos. Running the server is also not a problem for us. We are already paid for other work. It just takes fraction of our time to maintain the server and handle the approval of uploaded articles. In the same manner, Indian Universities / Research Institutes already have infrastructure in form of libraries and librarians....' And we have had other similar reports from developing country organisations.

Cost should not be used as an argument to dissuade organisations from setting up an eprints server. As Arthur says, costs are trivial compared with the overall institutional budgets and can generally be absorbed. If further examples of costs are to be reported, the purpose of the repository and the overall research budget of the institution should be stated at the same time.

Leslie Chan, Subbiah Arunachalam, Barbara Kirsop Electronic Publishing Trust for Development

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