Editorial

Citation

Broady-Preston, J. (2013), "Editorial", Library Review, Vol. 62 No. 4/5. https://doi.org/10.1108/lr.2013.03562daa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Library Review, Volume 62, Issue 4/5

Open Access (OA) is a, if not the, hot topic currently. As I go to press with this editorial, both the new OA policy recently announced by Research Councils UK (RCUK) and a revised OA policy from the Wellcome Trust become effective 1 April 2013. Given the amount of publicity surrounding OA, it is tempting to think that progress towards such a model is proceeding at a similar rate globally. In this issue, we look at this topic from two differing perspectives. In the first paper, Ondřej Fabián provides an overview of the current state of OA in the Czech Republic, concluding that when:

[…] compared to other Central European countries, the Czech Republic can be classified as average in certain respects, but it is no competition for developed West European and North American countries in terms of awareness, infrastructure and open access adoption.

Tariq Shah and Sumeer Gul of the University of Kashmir offer an economic analysis of the financial implications of the OA model, based on their analysis of journals indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). In particular, they explore the impact of article processing charges (APC) on global knowledge exchange and scholarly communication.

Remaining with the theme of knowledge sharing, in what is believed to be the first study of Farsi (Persian) Wikipedia, Saeid Asadi of Shahed University Tehran, together with colleagues from the National Library and Archives of Iran and Kharazmi University, offers a grounded theory study analysing the use of, and contribution to, Farsi-language Wikipedia. As the authors outline, there are very few studies of minority languages on the web, and:

[…] the amount of the Web content in Persian language is not comparable with that of languages such as English, Spanish or Chinese. However, open sources such as Persian Wikipedia can provide a basis for the rapid publication of Persian contents and consequently the growth of Persian Web content.

On a different continent, Patrick Mapalunga of the University of Malawi examines issues in relation to licensing commercial e-resources, and the impact of “inadequate” budgets, especially in relation to facilitating access to digitised content. A somewhat universal theme sadly; however this paper offers an original insight and case study of an under-researched field in this country. The solution adopted by librarians in Malawi of digitising local content and making it available locally via country-specific institutional repositories will resonate more widely.

Extending the theme of knowledge exchange, the following two papers also examine aspects of knowledge management. In the first of these, Nicholaus Mwalukasa offers a study on another theme of global importance – that of climate change and the role of information and knowledge in equipping farmers to adapt successfully to significant climate change in Tanzania. Adopting a mixed methods approach, Mwalukasa presents a detailed study of information sources used by farmers in this semi-arid region, which necessitates the requirement for both demand-led and client-based information services in order to meet the disparate farmers’ needs in the region.

Examining a more conceptual and abstract notion of knowledge, academics from Bangladesh and Japan explore the link between, and understanding of, the twin domains of library and information science and knowledge management amongst academics in the generic field of library and information science.

Increasingly, the synergy between knowledge management and services marketing is being recognised, especially with the growing awareness of the need to manage relationships successfully with customers and indeed, key stakeholders, particularly in the public or not-for-profit service sectors. Thus, the literature review offered by a team of academics based at the Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki in Greece is a timely update and review of knowledge in this field. Their critical review examines contemporary technological opportunities for library services marketing in the digital era, including a review of issues in relation to marketing and social media.

The final paper marks an innovation for Library Review and one I am especially pleased to be able to introduce to you. I have long believed that a series of shorter papers which detail exploratory research or research in progress or current developments in practice would be of interest to a wider audience. Beginning with the final paper in this issue by Yvonne de Grandbois currently Professor at the Montreux School of Business, Switzerland, I hope to offer a series of short communications of c. 1,500-2,000 words in each issue of the journal. I would encourage all readers who are in the early stages of a research project, or indeed, have a particularly pertinent application of an established method or methodology or case study in practice, to contact me if feel your topic is more suited to this shorter treatment and we can discuss its suitability for this new series. I am happy to help or advise in any way on your paper in preparation for this new series or indeed, for any issue of the journal.

Judith Broady-Preston