Abstract: From interlending to resource sharing between scholars? – An analysis of recent developments

[SESSION 03]

Dr. Jarmo Saarti & Prof. Kimmo Tuominen; University of Eastern Finland Library, University of Oulu, University of Tampere, Helsinki University Library (Finland)

Even though resource sharing between scholars is evolving rapidly, we still have paper-based interlending procedures in use. However, the current business model of acquiring digital e-journals and e-books and hiding them behind a paywall does not seem to fit very well with traditional interlending practices. The new models of peer-to-peer resource sharing between individual academics have proven to be rather effective. Scholars arrange access to the needed publications by sharing resources among themselves, i.e., they use legal (buying, exchanging) and illegal means (Sci-Hub, etc.) for accessing the publications they need. Furthermore, the demands for open access have increased, voiced not only librarians and science funders but also by politicians. This development might change the scholarly publication system, even though older publications are still likely to hide behind a paywall. In the present paper, we analyse the situation conceptually and contrast the Finnish interlending statistics with the use of ResearchGate, social media for scholars, as an example of peer-to-peer sharing. In addition, we analyse the usage of the #icanhazpdf hashtag on Twitter. Based on the data and a conceptual analysis, we attempt to understand how resource sharing, on the one hand between institutions, and on the other between individual scholars, will develop in the future.

References

Muhonen, Ari & Saarti, Jarmo (2016). The changing paradigm of document delivery – exploring researchers’ peer to peer practices. Interlending & Document Supply 44(2):66-71.

Muhonen, Ari & Saarti, Jarmo & Vattulainen, Pentti (2014). From the centralized national collection policy towards a decentralized collection management and resource sharing co-operation – Finnish experiences. Library management 35(1/2):111 – 122.

Saarti, Jarmo & Tuominen, Kimmo (2017). From paper-based towards post-digital scholarly publishing: an analysis of an ideological dilemma and its consequences. Information Research 22(3): paper 769. Retrieved from http://InformationR.net/ir/22-3/paper769.html

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