Wits Library Journal Club

INFORMATION LITERACY IN THE AGE OF AMATEURS

09600521<Hilbre.Revington@wits.ac.za> — 2009-11-17T09:24:45+02:00

http://http://www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/italics/vol5iss4/godwin.pdf

A link to an interesting article from Jenny Croll as a follow up to our first RUSH meeting about the Google generation...

For those of us who could not make the RUSH meeting this morning!

09600521<Hilbre.Revington@wits.ac.za> — 2009-11-13T13:32:40+02:00

A copy of Di Hillman's presentation ....

RUSH Meeting: Friday 13 November 2009 : discussion of ASSAF Report

I doubt whether any of us has managed to read the actual ASSAF report, but I did think that the second article distributed to everyone to read for today’s meeting does a good job of summarizing the contents of the report, so that is the one that I will focus on here.

According to this article, the ASSAF report recommends a more focused approach to the production and promotion of scholarly books published in South Africa. (These are to be differentiated from other academic books such as textbooks)

It recommends the establishment of a National Scholarly Book Publishing Forum, as well as a sustainable book publishing support system.

It further recommends that there should be more of an effort made to promote the increased use of these scholarly books in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, in order to make them more visible to the public.

The report also recommends the extension of open access publishing to the book publishing industry.

It goes on to mention some of the questions which need to be considered :

1. Whether there is any duplication of research in both forms of publishing.

2. The difference in the peer review process in both forms of publishing.

3. The difference in time delays in both forms of publishing.

4. Whether all fields of scholarly enquiry make equal use of scholarly books as a means of disseminating research.

5. Whether it would be possible to encourage publication of research in scholarly books through a different form of “weighting”, which is traditionally used to calculate research output subsidies.

6. Whether the trend of open access, if applied to the publication of scholarly books, would have similar positive effects as in the publication of scholarly journals? Would such a step actually enhance the dissemination and use of the scholarly knowledge that has traditionally appeared in print published works?

A quick Google search on the last point led me to quite a few very recent articles and blogs, some of which I quote from here:

“The rise and success of Open Access journals in scientific and biomedical fields has spread to the Humanities and Social Sciences, promising similar benefits in access and outreach for Open Access Books …most important is the increasing realization that the traditional book publishing model is no longer sustainable. A new approach is needed to ensure the publication of academic books and to improve their accessibility and dissemination.”

https://www.lib.uwo.ca/blogs/digitalscholarly/2009/10/open-access-boo.html

Finally, I would like to take a quote from an article which reports on the main findings of a new study soon to be made available OAPEN’s website: (OAPEN = Open Access Publishing in European Networks)

“Print remains important…………………” (See link below)

http://jurnsearch.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/new-report-on-open-access-book-publishing-in-the-humanities-and-social-sciences/

Thanks very much.

Thank you, Di, for sending this to be published on the blog!

"Research that makes people LAUGH and then THINK"

09600521<Hilbre.Revington@wits.ac.za> — 2009-11-05T09:55:46+02:00

From Mark .

Stuck with ideas about what to research - the link below may help and give you a giggle at the same time...! Who knows - you maybe the next Ig Nobel prize winner!

Improbable Research-Research that makes people LAUGH and then THINK

http://improbable.com/about/

Want to try out the Library's Kindle?

09600521<Hilbre.Revington@wits.ac.za> — 2009-11-04T14:06:17+02:00

Jo-Anne has a Kindle that she has offered to lend out to anyone that is interested in experimenting with this new technology. It is a wireless device that allows one to read e-books and other digital media anywhere, anytime.

All that is required is feedback. The more people who try it out, the better.

Will it become the next format librarians will have to embrace?!!

Comments received to Janie on our second meeting

09600521<Hilbre.Revington@wits.ac.za> — 2009-10-27T12:34:29+02:00

The Blog allows comments but they are not as visible as the posts so I have decided to make a seperate post of them so everyone will be able to view them - even those who are unfamiliar with blogs

The debate is open.... where do we go with our RUSH Journal Club for Wits Librarians?

After yesterday's RUSH gathering, there were comments like:

* Yet another stimulating discussion!
*My impression is it was a bit like a tea party (this was from a latecomer who missed Cathy's great presentation...)
*We need set questions beforehand to stimulate thinking and be able to go in there, ready and prepared so we can come away with a practical way in which to put it to parctice in the workplace.
*We wondered off the main theme by moving into a different discussion which rather belonged in the November gathering.

Keep in mind that although we all share our librarian profession, we are still individuals with different opinions: some of us like a more formal structure, whereas others would like it to be totally informal, open and free.

Whilst taking these first baby steps in our RUSH existance we may not always suit everyone's taste, but the whole is bigger than its parts. RUSH needs you all, dear librarians. Our turnout has been good thus far, 20;with 10 apologies first time round, and 15 with 5 apologies 2nd time round. Keep it, guys! It will only get better.
JJ

Next RUSH Meeting: 13 November 2009

09600521<Hilbre.Revington@wits.ac.za> — 2009-10-22T09:51:47+02:00

Next RUSH Meeting: 13 November 2009

Venue: WWL, Boardroom, 4^th floor

Time: 9h00-10h00

Group facilitators for this gathering: Simon Lesejane, Diane Hillman, Alison Chisholm

We read the Businessday article http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=82431

in combination with the ASSAF Report

http://www.assaf.org.za/images/Scholarly%20Report%20WEB%20L-RES.pdf

The ASSAF Report is 187 pages! No-one is expected to read the entire report, but all should take note of what the report is about.

During our RUSH hour on Friday 13/10/09 we will discuss possible advantages and disadvantages to the ASSAF recommendations as summarised in the Businessday article.

NOTICE OF RUSH'S SECOND MEETING

09600521<Hilbre.Revington@wits.ac.za> — 2009-10-09T12:24:11+02:00

Dear RUSH Participants

This Friday is Journal Club! Are you reading, dear Clubbers? And I don’t see anyone blogging yet – Hilbre, please add our Friday 09/10/09 gathering to the blog – and everyone out there: get your comments onto the blog.

Here’s to remind you:

For this Friday we’re reading: Millennials Coming to College. De Bard, Robert

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=aph&AN=13855828&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live

Getting to know our clients had never been such a ‘controversial’ matter than it is for us here and now! For us, the Baby Boomers and Generation X’ers, how do we understand them…. these new Millennials? And more, do we keep up with them? Or worse, do we even have to?

Let’s read and discuss for only one hour this Friday!

Date: 09/10/09

Time: 9h00-10h00

Place: WWL, Boardroom (the Conference Room is in use, so we have the honour of the Boardroom!)

Chair: Cathy Dryden

Also bring some stimulating articles with you for the November gathering. See the following article:

http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=82431

Interesting, stimulating and most relevant for our work environment! Thanks to Heather Acott, this article was circulated by Jo-Anne King. Shall we try and find more articles around this topic so we can broaden our scope?…. vision?….insight? Sounds as if the future of the journal article is at steak here! See what you can bring us for the November reading. We must appoint a November-leader on Friday, who will it be?

We have space for ideas, so if you come up with a good one, it can be implemented. RUSH belongs to you, remember!

If there are still members to be added to the listserv, do let me know. And anything else you want me to follow up on, just drop me an e-mail!

Hope to see you all there J

Best regards

Janie

First Meeting Tomorrow - Fri, 11/09/09

09600521<Hilbre.Revington@wits.ac.za> — 2009-09-10T12:45:42+02:00

Try to read the following article by Nicholas Carr before you come:

IS GOOGLE MAKING US STUPID

Click on the link below:

http://regcso.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/is-google-making-us-stupid.pdf

As librarians we all know that many of our users would rather ask Google than 'ask a librarian'. New technology has impacted on the way we work, the way we think, who we are. Have we embraced it or fought against what our users will turn to before they turn to us?

What do you think? We can't wait to hear your ideas! See you tomorrow....

Why we started the Club

09600521<Hilbre.Revington@wits.ac.za> — 2009-09-10T11:06:19+02:00

Keeping Up With the Journals: A Library Journal Club at Oakland University
The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 33, Issue 1, January 2007, Pages 136-137
Elizabeth W. Kraemer, available in Science Direct.

Some of the Wits Librarians got together and we decided to start such a Journal Club for Wits Librarians which will serve as a forum/platform for sharing knowledge, and professional growth and enhancement.

Our target group for such a forum is Wits Librarians with professional qualifications, as well as Wits Library staff members who are currently studying towards a professional qualification.