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Charlie,

I understand your practical ideas in this matter. But, again, realistically, no publisher is going to provide any additional discount to the informal science education community above and beyond what is already given to public libraries and the college community.

You must realize that, particularly today when a lot of free content on the Internet provides much greater pressures on publishers, publishers are desperately trying to find new revenue streams. This is particularly evident in newspaper and magazine publishing, with some publications such as The New York Times starting to charge for some on-line content.

Again, if the informal science education community could join with libraries and the university community, as one large customer we could possibly get significantly discounted rates for all of us.

gaw



Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,

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--- On Mon, 2/14/11, Charlie Carlson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: Charlie Carlson <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Role for ASTC
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Monday, February 14, 2011, 11:54 AM

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

The input has been great!  One other thing I would suggest, is that from a practical perspective it's not possible to ask publishers of information that directly market to the informal educational field to provide free access;  they'd be putting themselves out of business.  Such a plan makes little economic sense for them. 

However, major journals that publish scientific content and research that's not mainly and specifically directed towards education and educational research are ones I'm suggesting out of purely practical considerations.  In the journals I'm suggested, the overlap of interest is mutually beneficial, serves a public good and promotes interest.  

I can think of little economic downside and there is a potential definite benefit.  I would point out that it is not that likely that a museum visitor or casual user is going to subscribe to a journal such as Nature, or Science (for example), and those that would are probably already in research and are not going to be dependent upon science centers and museums as an information source.  In either case, there would be increased access to scientific knowledge for both museum staff and public (through interpretation).  Such a relationship would serve to improve the field without detriment.

Clearly not everyone in ASTC is going to read Science or Nature, etc., but access would improve grants, scientific interest, and STEM education generally (within our field).  It also fosters and supports a broader public interest in STEM.



      

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