ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Hi All,

One thing I've often thought about is access to information and scientific literature.  By enlarge, with the very notable exception of PLoS, museums and science centers are treated as if they were commercial or academic organizations.  Is this a reasonable assumption, we're really kind of a hybrid that runs to benefit scientific interest and continued public support, and common good most generally.

Museums (with many notable exceptions and prescribed domains) and Science Centers don't do scientific research by enlarge (again with notable exceptions and domains), yet we primarily convey in non-written form to the broader public.  I would propose that ASTC explore the possibility of including access to scientific literature as benefit and public good that publish companies should support.  Such access would not diminish the demand or need of their primary audiences, the academic and commercial scientific markets, and would greatly benefit and improve the flow of accurate information from lab to public discussion.  It would be a benefit to the field.  

It seems like such a series of agreement should be negotiated and licensed via something like an ASTC membership and even supported by NSF and NIH.  There is little downside for the publishers of scientific journals and it would greatly facilitate professional development and scientific literacy.

Charlie

The opinions and thoughts expressed here are my own and should in no way be construed or attributed to the Exploratorium or related organization, and do not represent an institutional position.

Charles Carlson
Senior Scientist
exploratorium
3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
[log in to unmask]
Tel:   415-561-0319
Fax:  415-561-0370




***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html.

To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]