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Open Access to Knowledge and Information: Scholarly Literature and Digital Library Initiatives - the South Asian Scenario
UNESCO Office in New Delhi has released Open Access to Knowledge and Information: Scholarly Literature and Digital Library Initiatives – the South Asian Scenario. This book illustrates South Asian initiatives on open access to information and knowledge. It has its genesis in the recommendations and proceedings of UNESCO-supported international conferences and workshops.
Universal access to information and knowledge is a key principle in UNESCO's overall mandate to promote the free flow of information by word and by image and thus to place information and knowledge at the doorsteps of communities.
In the information society, free flow of information is a fundamental principle for bridging the knowledge gaps between privileged and under-privileged communities. Open access to information and knowledge is an innovative mode of scholarly communication within the digital environment, which is gaining momentum in developed countries that already have necessary information infrastructure.
The emerging economies amongst the developing countries are not far behind in building up necessary information infrastructure, essential for sustainable economic development. These emerging countries, however, have limitations in terms of bridging the digital divide within their societies, due to the co-existence of marginalized and privileged communities. The South Asia sub-region is now in the forefront of the open access movement within developing countries, with India being the most prominent partner in terms of its successful open access and digital library initiatives.
The book describes successful digital library and open access initiatives in the South Asia sub-region that are available in the forms of open courseware, open access journals, metadata harvesting services, national-level open access repositories and institutional repositories. It may be considered an authoritative source-book on open access development in this sub-region.
Universal access to information and knowledge is a key principle in UNESCO's overall mandate to promote the free flow of information by word and by image and thus to place information and knowledge at the doorsteps of communities.
In the information society, free flow of information is a fundamental principle for bridging the knowledge gaps between privileged and under-privileged communities. Open access to information and knowledge is an innovative mode of scholarly communication within the digital environment, which is gaining momentum in developed countries that already have necessary information infrastructure.
The emerging economies amongst the developing countries are not far behind in building up necessary information infrastructure, essential for sustainable economic development. These emerging countries, however, have limitations in terms of bridging the digital divide within their societies, due to the co-existence of marginalized and privileged communities. The South Asia sub-region is now in the forefront of the open access movement within developing countries, with India being the most prominent partner in terms of its successful open access and digital library initiatives.
The book describes successful digital library and open access initiatives in the South Asia sub-region that are available in the forms of open courseware, open access journals, metadata harvesting services, national-level open access repositories and institutional repositories. It may be considered an authoritative source-book on open access development in this sub-region.
137 pages
First published April 1, 2008
About the author
Anup Kumar Das
12 books16 followersInformation and Communications Specialist, with interests in Information Policies, Advocacy, Open Access Publishing, Open Educational Resources (OER), e-Science, and ICT for Development. Presently attached with Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India; Ex-Consultant to UNESCO, Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) of Commonwealth of Learning (COL). Awarded PhD from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.
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March 26, 2015
Natarajan, M. (2008). Annals of Library and Information Studies, 55(1), p.81.
This book describes some of the digital library and open access initiatives in India and outside with particular reference to South Asia. It discusses and identifies areas like the type of contents included in e-form, the agency / organization which is involved, the supporting organisation, software used, their web addresses and a brief description of the activities. The book is mainly focused as a reference source for identifying the sources available on open access. It has chapters on digital library initiatives, open courseware initiatives, open access journals, Metadata harvesting services, National level open access repositories, and Institutional Repositories.
The first chapter on digital library initiatives in different types of institutions is highlighted with the multilingual content aspects. About the organization and the detailed history is also included. The second chapter on Open Courseware initiatives, describes the efforts made by the Consortium for Educational Communication for learning with the allied / related projects at the end of each initiatives with other initiatives like UNESCO-SALIS and National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning.
The third chapter discusses the open access e-journals from INSA, Indian journals.org and even from private publishers including the availability of issues. The fourth chapter on Metadata harvesting services provides the highlights of CASSSIR from NCSI, for the development of OAI-based Institutional research repository services in India. The other initiatives are also highlighted. The National level open access repositories discusses on special subject oriented repositories like for catalysis database, Librarians' Digital Library, OpenMed@NIC, etc. Some of the Institutional Repositories are discussed under institutional Repositories before concluding the digital initiatives taken in the South Asia.
It has concluded that there is a need for policy frameworks at institutional level with infrastructure, trained manpower and the required financial resources. The open access should be available from any region and at any time is a trivial issue and bridges the social divide. It gives the visibility of e-resources available in south Asia, which will act as reference source for open access initiatives for digital contents. This is available at FREE of cost.
Reviewed by M. Natarajan.
This book describes some of the digital library and open access initiatives in India and outside with particular reference to South Asia. It discusses and identifies areas like the type of contents included in e-form, the agency / organization which is involved, the supporting organisation, software used, their web addresses and a brief description of the activities. The book is mainly focused as a reference source for identifying the sources available on open access. It has chapters on digital library initiatives, open courseware initiatives, open access journals, Metadata harvesting services, National level open access repositories, and Institutional Repositories.
The first chapter on digital library initiatives in different types of institutions is highlighted with the multilingual content aspects. About the organization and the detailed history is also included. The second chapter on Open Courseware initiatives, describes the efforts made by the Consortium for Educational Communication for learning with the allied / related projects at the end of each initiatives with other initiatives like UNESCO-SALIS and National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning.
The third chapter discusses the open access e-journals from INSA, Indian journals.org and even from private publishers including the availability of issues. The fourth chapter on Metadata harvesting services provides the highlights of CASSSIR from NCSI, for the development of OAI-based Institutional research repository services in India. The other initiatives are also highlighted. The National level open access repositories discusses on special subject oriented repositories like for catalysis database, Librarians' Digital Library, OpenMed@NIC, etc. Some of the Institutional Repositories are discussed under institutional Repositories before concluding the digital initiatives taken in the South Asia.
It has concluded that there is a need for policy frameworks at institutional level with infrastructure, trained manpower and the required financial resources. The open access should be available from any region and at any time is a trivial issue and bridges the social divide. It gives the visibility of e-resources available in south Asia, which will act as reference source for open access initiatives for digital contents. This is available at FREE of cost.
Reviewed by M. Natarajan.
Displaying 1 of 1 review