Re: The Future of Serials Librarians

From: Fytton Rowland <J.F.Rowland_at_lboro.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 11:43:44 +0100

As Stevan Harnad repeatedly points out
http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~harnad/Hypermail/Amsci/2003.html
all of this is applicable to only one smallish sector of publishing
(scholarly). All the rest of publishing is quite rightly commercial and
will continue to be so. I don't think we need fear for our friends'
jobs. I teach publishing, and confidently expect that my graduating
students will continue to find work!

Fytton Rowland, Loughborough University, UK.

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Goodman" <dgoodman_at_phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
To: <AMERICAN-SCIENTIST-OPEN-ACCESS-FORUM_at_LISTSERVER.SIGMAXI.ORG>
Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2002 1:32 AM
Subject: The Future of Serials Librarians

> On Mon, 7 Oct 2002, Albert Henderson wrote:
>
> > Libraries and librarians support "incoming articles." If
> > spending switches to "outgoing articles," libraries
> > will be out of business and serials librarians will
> > be out on the street.
> >
> > Albert Henderson Former Editor, PUBLISHING RESEARCH QUARTERLY 1994-2000
>
> Frankly, Al, I cannot imagine that a scholarly publication system will
> ever be simple enough to navigate successfully so that the assistance of
> specialists will not be needed.
>
> They'll be needed at two places: First, in the design, operation, set-up,
> and continuing meta-data control (this is what has traditionally been
> known as technical services).
>
> Second, in the instruction and assistance to users, both by preparing
> online help information and more formal guides, and by direct individual
> assistance, in person and remotely (this is what has been traditionally
> been known as public services).
>
> Whatever their jobs may be called, and whatever the places where they
> work may be called, their functions will be needed. They will be needed
> especially in the period of transition--I think one of the limiting
> factors here is that there aren't enough knowledgeable and imaginative
> people to work on the transition. They will still be needed
> afterwards--the design of a complex yet obvious system in any domain does

> not seem to be within human capabilities.
>
> I am not as sure about the need for much of conventional publishing. The
> entire administrative side--the skilled sales, publicity, billing, and
> related staff functions may not exist as such. Although I have many
> friends in such positions, I am not worried about their employment
> prospects--they are eminently qualified to become librarians,
> and we will need many more.
>
> Dr. David Goodman
> Princeton University Library
> dgoodman_at_princeton.edu
>
>
Received on Tue Oct 08 2002 - 11:43:44 BST

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