A federal judge handed down a ruling in a closely watched case that pitted three scholarly publishers against Georgia State University. The plaintiffs argued that the university went too far in allowing professors to post unlicensed copyrighted material online for students; GSU defended its policy as fair use in an educational setting. The judge mostly agreed with the university. Library and fair-use advocates worried, though, that her ruling draws a too-bright line on fair use. Read More at The Chronicle of Higher Education »
Journalism
“Hot Type: Elsevier Experiments With Allowing ‘Text Mining’ of Its Journals”
In my latest column, I look into an unusual deal struck by Heather Piwowar, a postdoc at the University of British Columbia, with the science-publishing giant Elsevier. The deal got its start in a Twitter exchange between Piwowar and Alicia Wise, Elsevier's director of universal access. It will allow UBC researchers to text-mine Elsevier journal content, including its subscription-only databases. Read More at The Chronicle of Higher Education »
“Breaking Down Menus Digitally, Dish by Dish”
The New York Public Library's "What's on the Menu?" project recruits volunteers to help transcribe digitized copies of the library's 40,000 historic menus. Not only is the project a runaway hit with the public, it's helping the library rethink its mission in the 21st century. Crowd-sourcing isn't just about free labor; it's about engaging patrons everywhere with the creation of public memory. Read More at The Digital Campus (CHE) »
“Debate at N.Y. Public Library Raises Question: Can Off-Site Storage Work for Researchers?”
Part of the outcry over the New York Public Library's Central Library Plan centers on what will happen to the millions of books stored in the 42nd Street building. Many will be moved to offsite storage. I talked to some research librairies to find out more about remote storage and its pros and cons. Read More at The Chronicle of Higher Education »
“Supreme Court Will Hear Case Over Foreign Textbooks Imported and Resold in U.S.”
Is it legal to buy textbooks and other copyrighted works overseas, where they may be much cheaper, and resell them in the United States? The U.S. Supreme Court will take up that question in its next term, when it hears arguments in Supap Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons. The case could have major implications for publishers intent on protecting the market for copyrighted works. It's also being watched closely by librarians concerned that it could undermine the first-sale doctrine, which allows the buyer of a copyrighted work to lend or sell it without permission from the rights holder. Read More at The Chronicle of Higher Education »
