[Libs-Or] Take Action: ACRL and ALA call for increased public access to federally funded research

[Diedre Conkling]

ACRL and ALA call for increased public access to federally funded
research<http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=4235>
January 12, 2010 ( 1
Comment<http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=4235#comments>)

*Contact:
*Jenni Terry <jterry at alawash.org>
Press Officer, ALA Washington Office

For Immediate Release

*Associations encourage members to file comments to the White House Office
of Science and Technology Policy by January 21*

WASHINGTON, D.C.– The American Library Association (ALA) and the Association
of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) today submitted
comments<http://www.acrl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/scholcomm/ostpcomments.cfm>to
the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
supporting
increased public access to research funded by federal science and technology
agencies.

The ALA and ACRL have long believed that ensuring public access to the
fruits of federally funded research is a logical, feasible, and widely
beneficial goal. They provided information and evidence as the Executive
Branch considers expanding public access policies, like that implemented by
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to other federal agencies.
Specifically, the ALA and ACRL recommend: which agencies should be covered,
that policies should be mandatory, that earlier access is better, version
and format recommendations, how to keep implementation costs reasonable, and
the importance of supporting emerging scholarly practice.

While greater access to publicly funded research has long been a high
priority issue for academic libraries, ACRL President Lori Goetsch, Dean of
Libraries at Kansas State University, emphasized that now is the time for
public and school librarians to tell their stories.

“What would it mean for members of your community to have better access to
scholarly, scientific, and technical articles – paid with their own tax
dollars through grants from agencies like NASA or the EPA?” Goetsch said.
“How would it help small business owners starting up green technology
companies? How would it help enhance teaching and learning in high schools?”

In the past, the ALA and ACRL have supported NIH Public Access Policy and
endorsed <http://www.wo.ala.org/?p=3810> “The Federal Research Public Access
Act of 2009” (S. 1373 <http://capwiz.com/ala/issues/alert/?alertid=14111616>)
noting the latter, “reflects ALA policy regarding access to Federal
government information by providing for the long-term preservation of, and
no-fee public access to, government-sponsored, tax-payer funded published
research findings.”

The ALA and ACRL encourage all members to consider making comments, no later
than January 21, 2010, to OSTP as individuals or libraries. More information
is available on the OSTP Public Access Policy blog at
http://blog.ostp.gov/category/public-access-policy. Comments can also be
posted on the blog. Comments e-mailed to publicaccess at ostp.gov are also
accepted, but may be posted to the blog by the moderator. General comments,
addressing any part of the Request for Information, may be submitted. See
the full notice Federal Register notice at
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-30725.htm for details.
 *http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=4235*


-- 
Diedre Conkling
Lincoln County Library District
P.O. Box 2027
Newport, OR  97365
Work phone & fax:  541-265-3066
Work email:  diedre at beachbooks.org
Home email:  diedre08 at gmail.com
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