Skip to content
Skip to main content
University of Iowa

University Libraries

Mar 5 2009

Transitions: scholarly communication news for the UI Community – March 2009

March 2009
Issue 1.09

Welcome to the Spring issue of Transitions.

The purpose of this irregular electronic newsletter is to bring to readers’ attention some of the many new projects and developments affecting the current system of scholarly communication, with emphasis on new products and programs, the open access movement and other alternative publishing models. Scholarly communication refers to the full range of formal and informal means by which scholars and researchers communicate, from email discussion lists to peer-reviewed publication. In general authors are seeking to document and share new discoveries with their colleagues, while readers–researchers, students, librarians and others–want access to all the literature relevant to their work.

While the system of scholarly communication exists for the benefit of the world’s research and educational community and the public at large, it faces a multitude of challenges and is undergoing rapid change brought on by technology. To help interested members of the UI community keep up on these challenges and changes we plan to put out 4 issues per year of this newsletter.  Please visit our web site, Transforming Scholarly Communication, to find out more about this topic.

This newsletter aims to reflect the interests of its readers so please forward comments, suggestions and entries to include to karen-fischer@uiowa.edu.

Table of Contents:

Google Books Settlement – updates

Publish in Wikipedia or Perish

Long-term Open Access Journal Ends Free Access

Study Suggests Library Dollars Spent Corrolate with Grant Income

Misunderestimating Open Science

Institutional Repositories: Thinking Beyond the Box

MacArthur Foundation Adopts a Research Access Policy

Negotiating a Creative Commons License

Framing the Open Access Debate

How the Media Frames “Open Access”

Publishing an E-journal on a Shoestring: Sustaining a low-buget OA journal

University Presses Find Strategies to Survive Economic Crisis

New Open Access Search Tool for Economics

An Open Access Resource for Women’s Health

Self-Publishers Flourish as Writers Pay the Tab

Mar 3 2009

Kraft Earns Midwest Archives Conference Presidents’ Award

Nancy E. Kraft, Head of Preservation at the UI Libraries has been selected as a 2009 recipient of the Presidents’ Award presented by the Midwest Archives Conference.

Nancy has advocated for the preservation and proper management of Iowa’s cultural treasures throughout her career.  She is a leader in the Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium and has been personally involved in the development of a successful statewide preservation training program through the Consortium.  Those efforts alone would make her eligible for the Presidents’ Award but she is nominated for her extraordinary work following the historic levels of flooding that struck Iowa in the summer of 2008.

Last June when all UI employees were officially asked not to report to work, Nancy assisted repositories and archives in her hometown of Cedar Rapids. She worked late into the night during that time, even though she was under no obligation to do so. She continued performing this service for other repositories at various times on nights and weekends for the balance of the summer and into early fall.

“I simply could not have survived the flood without Nancy’s assistance,” said Susan Kuecker, curator of the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa. “Even though Nancy was off of work the week of June 16, she and I were constantly in touch.  I had an e-mail from her on Sunday evening, June 15, offering assistance.  I called her at 7 a.m. on June 16 and arranged to have a meeting with her and our director at 8 a.m.”

The Presidents’ award, established in 1986, recognizes significant contributions to the archival profession by individuals, institutions and organizations not directly involved in archival work but knowledgeable about its purpose and value. Recipients are chosen by a committee comprising the three most recent past presidents of MAC from nominations submitted by committees in each of the 13 states in the MAC region.

“Nancy’s tireless efforts following last June’s devastating floods alone merit this recognition,” said David McCartney, University Archivist and one of the nominators. “In addition, her lifelong commitment to assisting our profession is deeply appreciated. We thank her for all she has done for us in preserving and strengthening our collections.”

Mar 2 2009

Gerritsen Collection of Women’s History online records added to InfoHawk

The Gerritsen Collection was begun by Aletta Jacobs Gerritsen in the late 1800s. The online resource delivers two million page images exactly as they appeared in the original printed works. It includes monographs, periodicals and pamphlets in fifteen languages, and is searchable by keyword and Boolean operators.

Nearly 4500 records were added to InfoHawk and Smart Search. When you search a particular topic in the library catalog, you may find pages from the Gerritsen online collection.

Feb 24 2009

A Medical Look at the Lincoln Assassination

The next History of Medicine Society presentation will feature Dr. Blaine Houmes, Cedar Rapids Emergency Medicine Physician, who will speak on “Medical Aspects of the Lincoln Assassination.”

Dr. Houmes is known for his extensive knowledge of Abraham Lincoln and is an avid collector of Lincoln literature and artifacts.  As an emergency medical physician he has a special interest in the medical events relating to Lincoln’s assassination.  Dr. Houmes’ collection features prominently in the exhibit now on display at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch: “Abraham Lincoln: Three Collectors’ Perspectives”

Date:               Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Time:              5:30 – 6:30 pm
Location:        Room 2032, Main Library
As always, light refreshments will be served

Driving Directions
Parking Information
Accessibility Information

Because the presentation will take place in the Main Library, you’ll also be able to take advantage of the related exhibit currently on display in the North Lobby:  “Lincoln’s Legacy in Iowa; a Bicentennial Celebration.”

Of special interest also is the University of Iowa Libraries’ new web site, Abraham Lincoln Digital Collection which showcases the University of Iowa Special Collections’ holdings of books, letters, pamphlets, and memorabilia that explore the life and legacy of Lincoln.

Feb 19 2009

Kraft to Serve as State Disaster Preparedness Planning Co-Director

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) announced the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences awarded a grant of $40,000 to develop a statewide disaster preparedness and response plan for Iowa.

“Iowa is home to many unique cultural and historical treasures,” said Congressman Loebsack.  “I am pleased to announce funding that will establish an action plan that will work to save and protect artifacts in the event of another natural disaster, like the Floods of 2008.”

The grant funding will be used by the Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium in partnership with the State Historical Society of Iowa, the Iowa Museum Association, and the State Library of Iowa to marshal resources to act as first responders for cultural entities in the event of disaster. Nancy E. Kraft, University of Iowa Libraries Preservation Librarian, and Jerome Thompson, State Curator at the State Historical Society of Iowa, will serve as co-project directors.

“We learned during the Floods of 2008 that a rapid response can save a significant portion of a collection. This grant will help us put a plan in place so cultural institutions anywhere in Iowa can get prompt assistance during a disaster,” stated Nancy E. Kraft.

Specifically, the grant will fund surveys of institutional preparedness, knowledge of resources, geo-referencing location of cultural repositories, raising awareness of the need for disaster response plans, developing a strategy for establishing first responders, and developing applicable disaster response planning tools. This will ensure that in the event of an emergency situation, Iowa’s cultural entities are able to quickly respond and provide safe conditions for collections.

Feb 17 2009

Birth of Primetime TV was at the Univ of Iowa’s W9XK

The switch to digital telecasts is on, and to mark the occasion the Iowa Digital Library has released a new online collection celebrating the birth of American prime-time TV more than 75 years ago.

This “birth” didn’t happen in a laboratory at AT&T, General Electric or RCA, however. Instead, regularly scheduled TV programs were launched on the University of Iowa campus, in a building at the corner of Iowa Avenue and Dubuque Street in Iowa City.

W9XK, as the experimental TV station was known, went on the air in 1933. For six years the station presented a two-nights-per-week schedule of “sight and sound” lectures, musical performances, and drama. A small but loyal audience using special receivers viewed the telecasts from as far away as Pennsylvania and Oklahoma.

Television was in its infancy in the 1930’s when the U.S. government licensed about 30 such experimental stations around the country, mostly in large cities. What set W9XK apart from the others was its pioneering schedule of programs, according to university archivist David McCartney.

“While other stations were airing test signals to prove the viability of certain types of transmission systems under development, W9XK went one step further and offered programs on a regular basis,” he said. “It was not only a technical effort of the College of Engineering but faculty from the School of Music, the Department of Speech and Theatre Arts, and other areas of campus also collaborated.”

The online collection is at http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/w9xk. It features photographs, correspondence, and newspaper clippings from the University of Iowa Archives.

Feb 17 2009

Did You Know? You don’t have to pay for newspaper and magazine articles.

Did you know that you shouldn’t PAY for newspaper and magazine articles that you find on the Web?  The next time you’re asked for your credit card while doing your research online, check the UI Libraries’ resources first.  Check e-journals to find electronic coverage for your title.  If we don’t have the article in print or electronically, you can get it free through our Interlibrary Loan service.

Feb 11 2009

Lincoln Collection Online

In celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the University of Iowa Libraries has digitized over 1,000 artifacts related to Lincoln and his time for its new Abraham Lincoln Digital Collection that explores the life and legacy of one of the nation’s most notable presidents.

The digital collection at http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/lincoln provides integrated access to a variety of Lincoln materials across three manuscript collections held in the University of Iowa Libraries’ Special Collections department.. Highlighted are two defining issues of Lincoln’s presidency—the Civil War and railroad expansion—as well as his tremendous legacy revealed in materials amassed during the last 100 years by noted Lincoln collectors.

Over 800 items drawn from the James W. Bollinger collection are are featured in the digital collection. Bollinger (1867-1951) was a lawyer and judge from Davenport who spent a lifetime amassing books, journals, letters, pamphlets and memorabilia by or about Lincoln. Upon his death, the collection was bequeathed to the UI Libraries, where it has been continually developed.

“This digital collection allows us to bring some of the many fascinating pieces collected by Judge Bollinger to a much wider audience,” says Greg Prickman, assistant head of the Libraries’ Special Collections Department. “The items Bollinger collected show how Lincoln has been depicted over the years, but rather than simply focus on this visual legacy, we decided to include items from two other collections to provide a more detailed look into Lincoln’s era.”

One example the items in the Lincoln Digital Collection is a hand-written 1856 letter by Lincoln and addressed to an abolitionist group in Muscatine:

“…It would be very pleasant to strike hands with the Fremonters of Iowa, who have led the van so splendidly, in this grand charge which we hope and believe will end in a most glorious victory — All thanks, all honor to Iowa!! But Iowa is out of all danger, and it is no time for us, when the battle still rages, to pay half-day visits to Iowa . I am sure you will excuse me for remaining in Illinois, where much hard work is still to be done .”

The collection also includes items documenting major historic events of Lincoln’s time:

  • Letters and diaries featuring contemporary, first-hand accounts written by Iowans who served as soldiers, nurses, and administrators during the war.
  • Photographs and documents concerning important early railroads in Illinois and Iowa, and the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad and its expansion westward from Iowa.

The Abraham Lincoln Digital Collection was made available through the generosity of Mary Calkin, in memory of Homer Calkin, in recognition of his life-long interest in Abraham Lincoln. With her support, the Libraries was able to purchase specialized equipment with which many of these fragile artifacts could be digitized.

This collection is part of the Iowa Digital Library (http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/ ), more than 225,000 digital photographs, maps, sound recordings, and documents from libraries and archives at the University of Iowa and their partnering institutions.

Feb 2 2009

Conservation Lab Restores Artifacts from African American Museum of Iowa

The Conservation Laboratory at the University of Iowa Libraries has completed restoration of 23 flood-damaged artifacts from the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa in Cedar Rapids.

The media is invited to be the lab at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, when Susan Kuecker, museum curator, comes to the Conservation Lab to accept the items, which will also be on view before packing up for safe return to the museum. Kuecker will be available to provide background information on the cleaned items.

The artifacts include a collection of buttons was from the Mason’s Dry Cleaners in Cedar Rapids owned by Elmer Smith, Jr., coins, baskets, gourds, feathered fans, and a mat woven by George Washington Carver.  

Nancy E. Kraft, head of preservation at UI Libraries, says her staff logged over 100 hours to clean the items, which were retrieved the week of June 16, 2008 after flood waters receded from the museum at 55 12th Ave. SE in Cedar Rapids. The length of time for cleaning each item ranged from 15 minutes to 35 hours, depending on the amount of damage and intricacy, Kraft said.

The return of the collection coincides with Black History Month, a popular time to visit the museum.

The Conservation Lab is also restoring flood-damaged collections from the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids and the Johnson County Historical Society.  For background on these efforts see http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2008/december/121608restoration.html