From: Subbiah Arunachalam <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2016 00:37:57 +0530

"Requiring libraries to implement more secure authentication, ending
PDF as we know it in favor of more restrictive and harder to use
formats, and pretty much whatever they want to do to make their
property more secure and our lives harder- all of these things have
got to be on the table at some point." - Richard James

I would think the research I do with years of effort (and supported by
my institution, funding agency, colleagues and students) is our
property. The published paper should rightfully belong to the
author(s). On publishers making our lives harder, of course, I agree
with Richard.


"As for librarians, what is more important to them? Researchers?
Publishers? Once librarians, as a profession, clearly answer that
their priority is researchers, I believe much of their existential
angst will begin to fade away. " - Jean-Claude Guédon

I have not studied or worked in the West and therefore I do not have
first-hand knowledge of the priorities of librarians in North America and
Europe. But for me the priority was settled long ago by my countryman and
highly regarded librarian Prof. S R Ranganathan. He put forth five laws of
library science. <
http://librarysciencedegree.usc.edu/resources/infographics/dr-s-r-ranganathans-five-laws-of-library-science/
>.

1.   Books are for use.
2.   Every *reader* his / her book.
3.   Every book its *reader*.
4.   Save the time of the *reader*.
5.   The library is a growing organism.

The eminent professor has not uttered a word about the publisher, but
talked about the reader in three of his five laws.

Librarians are there to assist faculty (in their teaching and research) and
students and not publishers.

Arun
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4398-4658
http://www.researcherid.com/rid/B-9925-2009