Don't forget Mickey

Working Saturday has it's rewards, amongst them is having the following Monday off work; it's my weekend, just one day removed. My home office cleaning quest unearthed my ALA Annual folder containing a plethora of maps, session notes, and handouts. In turn, the discovery led me to several draft blog posts previously loaded with accompanying photographs for discussing ALA in Anaheim. They are dated July 3rd. It is amazing how quickly the conference faded to the background as the holidays and subsequent return to work surged to the forefront demanding attention. The exhilaration of being near Mickey, palm trees, sun and breezes are faded, but my pictures and notes remain.

ARCL had several EBSS sessions, including committee meetings, scheduled at the Disneyland Hotel (hence the welcome from Mickey). It was a simple matter to ride the purple Gale shuttle bus into Disney to attend. Stepping off the bus was like entering another world, one full of happy families and delirious children steeped in the magic kingdom's allure; mouse ears in ever size and colors with even the restrooms playing Disney music. Naturally the hotel was well prepared for conference goers. At the end of mornign sessions they set up a reasonably priced lunch area in the lobby. While definitely a pragmatic move, we did not have to leave the premisis to eat and our money stayed on site, it was a welcome option to scouting an eatery nearby that would serve lunch in the short hour between meetings and afternoon programs.

I Attended ACRL's EBSS session Knowledge Wants to be Known that featured John Willinksy (Stanford), Ray English (Oberlin), and Alison Muddit (Sage) speaking on the topic of Open Access. The web site description:

"Are you interested in alternative scholarly publishing models? Do you want to know more about how open access is playing out in the social and behavioral sciences? Open access is not one-size-fits all; disciplines have unique publishing histories and requirements. Learn how to energize behavioral science faculty and connect access issues with the "publish or perish" imperative." - EBSS Program Announcement

Each of the speakers had a different perspective on Open Access and presented their points with enthusiasm. I found the session informative and it helped to clarify everyones stand on the issue at hand. An audience member raised an interesting question at the programs end that further expanded upon the publishers view of this growing trend. It could be argued that everyone wants information to be available, but agreement how it reaches the masses has a way to go. This is a publishing area worth watching. For more information, visit the Directory of Open Access Journals.