The Ethics of Republishing:
A Case Study of Emerald/MCB University Press Journals
Philip M. Davis
Publishing a journal article without citing the original source is considered unethical in the scholarly community. Simple keyword searching of Emerald (formerly MCB University Press) online journals from the publisher’s Web site has identified 409 examples of articles from 67 journals that were republished without such notification from 1989 through 2003. Many of these articles were published simultaneously in journals within the same or similar subject disciplines. Five examples of triple publication were identified. In several cases, neither the editor nor editorial board members had knowledge of this practice. This paper will review the conditions of acceptable republishing plus document and provide examples of republication. It will discuss implications on the publication of record, and question whether this is a case of “let the buyer beware.”
2004 ALCTS President’s Program
ALA Annual Conference,
28 June 2004, Orlando, Florida
Brian E. C. Schottlaender, Douglas Greenberg, and Bill Ivey
Three papers given at the 2004 Association for Library & Technical Services President’s Program are presented. They explore the challenge of preserving cultural memory—an increasingly complex task in an era with a short attention span that may compromise a long-term perspective.
Use of General Preservation Assessments:
Process
Karen E. K. Brown
This paper describes the typology of general preservation assessments and investigates what is being accomplished based on recommendations identified in the process. The author characterizes the assessment based on tabulated data. A range of institutional types and sizes are represented. The investment of staff time and the role of the consultant are examined. The most frequent goal of respondents was to develop a preservation plan. Interest in repair and reformatting was significantly less than interest in preventive activities. The findings of this study suggest that assessment reports are thorough and organized; report content is consistent across the population studied. The study informs future assessments by defining current practice through the collection of concrete data on specific representative measures.
A Serials Acquisitions Cost Study:
Presenting a Case for Standard Serials Acquisitions Data Elements
David C. Fowler and Janet Arcand
This paper is based on time and cost studies conducted at Iowa State University (ISU) between 1986/87 and 2000/2001. Serials acquisitions functions were evaluated and examined with a view toward using the results as a management tool. Previous cost center papers by the authors and others focused only on monograph acquisition functions. Analysis of the data collected at ISU suggests that libraries that have developed standards for serials acquisitions processing could reap significant benefits through the use of consistent sets of information for management decisions, including, but not limited to, reassigning staff time to new and evolving tasks.
Why Do You Still Use Dewey?
Academic Libraries That Continue with Dewey Decimal Classification
Jay Shorten, Michele Seikel, and Janet H. Ahrberg
Reclassification was a popular trend during the 1960s and 1970s for many academic libraries wanting to change from Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) to Library of Congress (LC) Classification. In 2002, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale’s Morris Library changed from DDC to LC. If one academic library recently converted, might other DDC academic libraries consider switching, too? Conversely, for those academic libraries that remain with DDC, what are the reasons they continue with it? A survey of thirty-four DDC academic libraries in the United States and Canada determined what factors influence these libraries to continue using DDC, and if reclassification is something they have considered or are considering. The survey also investigated whether patrons of these DDC libraries prefer LC and if their preference influences the library’s decision to reclassify. Results from the survey indicate that the issue of reclassification is being considered by some of these libraries even though, overall, they are satisfied with DDC. The study was unable to determine if patrons’ preference for a classification scheme influenced a library’s decision to reclassify.