SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONS CONVOCATION REPORT March 2005

PURPOSE OF CONVOCATION To examine scholarly communications issues broadly To identify problem areas To recognize the difference in the problems from discipline to discipline To identify areas in which UNC-CH can offer local solutions

IS THERE A CRISIS? Yes Serials costs continue to escalate out of control – especially in the sciences & now the social sciences Scholarly monograph publishing is on the decline In order to publish their research, faculty often lose control of the copyright

BUT IT IS NOT HOPELESS! Open source publishing offers solutions Open archives are a complementary solution Low-cost electronic alternative journals such as those through SPARC Working with our scholarly societies

PLANNING COMMITTEE Appointed over the summer to begin work to plan and offer a convocation to address these issues Bring together faculty, librarians, IT professionals & administrators to focus on these issues Advanced readings – white papers

WHITE PAPERS White papers – general interest Two on the problems: serials costs & copyright concerns Two on solutions: institutional repositories & tenure & promotion policies Disciplinary papers – unique Anthropology Biology Computer Science Music Spanish

THE CONVOCATION Difficult to convey the excitement & interest of participants Key note speaker to the summary! 4:30 on Friday afternoon, audience still present, alert & engaged Discuss some of the issues with you through the recommendations