Meeting Notes

Charlie Green
Bob Henshaw
Vicki Kowlowitz
Wallace McClendon
Tim McMillan

Call to Order
Welcome and Introductions

Announcements

• Jim Noblitt, Linda Carl, Charlie Green, Kathy Thomas and Bob Henshaw attended a meeting on Jan 16 sponsored by UNC TLTC to consider redesign of large enrollment course along guidelines provided by Pew Trust. A follow-up workshop is scheduled for Feb 2.
• New website recently announced by the Carolina Copyright Committee that includes a rich variety of resources on copyright, including guidelines for campus policy.

Role of IT in Scholarly Publication

Faculty Chair Judith Wegner has asked FITAC and others to comment on the new contract with publishing giant Elsevier.

Diane Strauss (AA Library) updated the committee on the contract. In 2003, the UNC libraries spent more than $1.5 million for print and electronic access to Reed Elsevier titles, accounting for about one-fourth of the total journal expenditures. Elsevier's 2004-2007 contract for the Triangle Research Libraries network would have included a cost increase for UNC of more than $200,000 in the first year, with additional increases in the following years. The contract also required that no Elsevier titles be canceled. Attempts by TRLN and its member libraries to change these terms were unsuccessful. Accordingly, UNC will be providing print and electronic access to nearly 700 Reed-Elsevier journal titles, but will be canceling 109 lesser used titles. In addition, the previous TRLN-Elsevier contract allowed immediate access to titles held by any of the TRLN libraries. Although immediate access to unique titles at other libraries will no longer be possible, Strauss indicated that the libraries will fill requests for specific articles from these titles. She noted that the libraries at Harvard and Cornell are also following similar paths.

HSL has decided to buy a license for the BioMed Central database (see November 17 FITAC minutes). Will allow faculty to submit papers online for peer review. DSpace model seems too expensive. Very limited interest among libraries in local implementation.

Libraries are working with departments to decide what journals/access to keep.

Has legal action (full-line forcing via anti-trust laws) been considered? Would a University boycott be legal?

FITAC action?

• Make it clear to publishers that the University has begun exploring options for alternative publishing models.
• Ask faculty, deans and administrators to consider issues raised in three-point summary (tenure/promotion, acceptance of online peer-reviewed journals, number of online peer-reviewed journals).
• Endorse resolutions from another group on campus.

Jim Noblitt agreed to draft a FITAC response on the issue.

Future Agenda Items

Issues raised:

• Classrooms and software license agreements

____________

Agenda: TBA