Posted 3:30 PM by Garrett
Scientific American : Public Not Welcome A Scientific American news feature illustrates a dilemma which may, unfortunately, not be uncommon in research libraries that allow access to members of the public not affiliated with their institution. Formerly, one could browse journals on the shelves; now, some content providers insist that institutions restrict access to electronic publications through networks or id/password-protected systems. At the two universities where I have the most experience, Harvard and MIT, members of the public can access journals and networked resources in the library without a password or ID in most cases. But if the situation described in this article is common, it may mean much of the published research is totally inaccessible for many. The article sites the growing use of institutional archives and repositories and the burgeoning open access movement as remedies to such restrictions. (Ironically, the article is restricted to subscribers.)