Enabling International Digital Projects: Lessons Learned Association of Research Libraries 148 th...

Enabling International Digital Enabling International Digital Projects: Lessons LearnedProjects: Lessons Learned

Association of Research Libraries

148th Members Meeting

Ottawa, Ontario 18 May 2006

Wendy D. White

Director, Board on International

Scientific Organizations

Board on International Scientific Organizations

Why support science? • Promotes moderation and rationalityPromotes moderation and rationality

• Supports the development of the knowledge Supports the development of the knowledge society society

• Promotes transparency, democracy, and Promotes transparency, democracy, and meritocracy – inherent principles of sciencemeritocracy – inherent principles of science

• Underpinning of economic developmentUnderpinning of economic development


Why Build S&T Digital Libraries?• Global questions currently on the scientific

agenda require increased multidisciplinary and international collaboration

• Intrinsic nature of science is universal, its success depends on cooperation, interaction and exchange, often beyond national boundaries

• Scientists must have open access to each other and to scientific data and information


S&T Digital Library Consortia

• PERI -- INASP• HINARI – World Health Organization• AGORA – Food and Agriculture

Organization• EiFL• These digital library projects provide

discounted access to published collections. They are not projects that collect and digitize local information, artifacts, etc.


Common Characteristics• Support capacity building in the research

sector in developing and transitional countries by strengthening access to S&T information

• Negotiated consortia licensing

• No cost at point of use

• Available only in countries without large markets for publishers


Common Characteristics• Countrywide access available to not-for-

profit institutes

• Publishers provide low-price access to high-value, high-impact content

• Definitions and criteria for inclusion may vary but goals are basically the same


PERI/INASP• http://www.inasp.info/peri/index.shtml

• Local research community identifies required resources

• Implemented in a planned and phased manner – more than 50 countries involved in some part of program

• Access to over 17,000 full text journals

• Links to open literature, not controlled by licenses


PERI/INASP• Program components include:

– Delivering information– Strengthening national research publications – Enhancing ICT skills – Supporting country collaboration and

networking – Initiating research and development

• Sustainable program – countries share in costs


HINARI/WHO

• http://www.who.int/hinari/en/

• Health and biomedical focus

• 3280 full text online journals.

• 2000 institutions registered in 106 countries

• HINARI users logged onto system 98,000 times in April 2006


AGORA/FAO

• http://www.aginternetwork.org/en/

• Agriculture and related biological, environmental and social sciences

• 849 journals to institutions in 69 countries


eIFL - Electronic Information for Libraries/SOROS

• http://www.eifl.net/• eIFL aims to facilitate affordable access to

electronic scholarly resources by libraries in about 40 countries in transition.

• Along with its services promoting access to content in social sciences and humanities as well as science and technology, eIFL also offers various programs that support library consortium building in countries in transition.


NAS Experience with Digital Libraries for Developing Countries

• WDW member of INASP Board of Trustees, MLS, 30+ years of work in 50+ countries

• NAS provides it own journal, PNAS, available to developing countries

• Guidance from INASP’s PERI project• Completed two digital library projects –

Pakistan and Iraq


Pakistan Digital Library• The “add-on” model

• Higher Education Commission in Pakistan had digital library project – and provided central funding for and control over digital library for all colleges and universities

• Strong ministry provided financial and staff support

• Funds from DoS, via bi-lateral S&T agreement


Pakistan Digital Library• Researchers identified additional resources

primarily from U.S. scientific societies

• Turned to NAS to help negotiate differential prices

• Single point of contact – expert partner

• INASP provided expert negotiator

• Gained participation from all target publishers


Iraq Virtual Science Library• The “from scratch” model -- no existing

digital library • Technology infrastructure compromised by

looting, war• No logical in-country partner• Not a participant in PERI -- but HINARI

operating in Iraq• Project funded by DoD, through DoS, to

NAS


Iraq Virtual Science Library• Recruited project manager of Pakistan

digital library

• Identified highest impact S&T journals

• Started with publishers from Pakistan project

• Asked publishers for deep discounts and they responded


Iraq Virtual Science Library

• Iraq suffered deterioration of scientific, technical, and educational infrastructure during 30 years of Saddam Hussein’s rule

• NAS not responsible for technical aspects of project but had to work with DoD to overcome unique problems

• Had to work around IP address problem and allow access from Internet cafes, etc.


Iraq Virtual Science Library

• Website hosted at DoD

• Licenses held by NAS

• Access limited to 7 universities, plus 2 ministries, and 1 research organization

• Need to verify that users were from these institutions – use of “registrar”


IVSL Participants• American Chemical Society • American Physical Society• American Institute of Physics • American Mathematical Society• Association for Computing Machinery• American Society for Civil Engineering • American Society of Mechanical Engineers• Annual Reviews• Elsevier Publishing • EBSCO Publishing• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers • ISI Web of Knowledge / Thomson Scientific• JSTOR • MIT OpenCourseWare• SpringerLink


Digital Libraries Outcome• Both projects provide scientists, engineers,

physicians, researchers, and students with electronic access to over 17,000 journals and their archives, containing millions of articles on science and engineering, as well as online training and educational materials, and information on funding opportunities.


Digital Libraries Outcome

• In Iraq, $11 million of resources available for $170,000

• Nearly 80% of the Iraqi higher education community, and government scientists, with access to the same scientific content available at any top-tier university in the United States.


FAQ’s• How will you translate all the articles into

English?– Articles are full text in language in which they

were published. There is no translation. English is the “language of science.”


FAQ’s

• Why are there no journals in my field?– There probably are but you need to know how

to find them. Also, with limited budget, we went after highest impact journals.


FAQ’s

• How did you decide what to include?– In Pakistan, content was determined via a

survey of the researchers– In Iraq, we went for mainstream S&T journals

with highest impact. – In both countries, we excluded content

available through any of the other consortia operating in those countries


FAQ’s

• What if an Iraqi researcher learns something he or she shouldn’t?– Journals are in public domain, have been

through peer review– Nothing in IVSL that is not available to anyone

with a library card


FAQ’s

• How do you make these partnerships work?– Each partner had different language and

slightly different goal. Much of project was “management by committee.” NAS exercised final authority only in content negotiations and made clear that deals reached are “business confidential.”


FAQ’s

• How did you deal with the press?– Each in our own way! – Sample press releases prove different style


Do They Even Have Computers There?

• Yes, of course.


Lessons Learned• Need strong leadership – ministry level

support willing to put in $$ and political will

• Need receptive scientific community

• Flexibility in addressing technical infrastructure problems. Start with what is available and build from there. Build it and they will come.


Lessons Learned• Base agreement with publishers on business

models to provide for sustainability and to protect publishers interests– Basic pricing model was country-wide license

for price of one institution, plus 90% discount

• Don’t ask for 95% discounts where publishers have strong subscription base

• Much can be done before licenses are negotiated. Get people started with free, public-access material


Wendy D. WhiteDirector, Board on International Scientific Organizations

The National Academies500 5th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Tel: 202-334-2807; Fax: 202-334-2231Email: [email protected]

Web: http://national-academies.org/bisohttp://national-academies.org/visas

Enabling International Digital Projects: Lessons Learned Association of Research Libraries 148 th...

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