From: "Blobaum, Paul" <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:16:06 +0000

Statement from the Medical Library Assn and AAHSL (Assn of Academic
Health Science Libraries).

Medlib-l Subscribers:

Thanks to a team of people from AAHSL and MLA, including, the two
associations have issued the following joint statement on the Askey
and McMaster incident.  The press release will be posted on MLANET and
distributed through this week's issue of MLA-FOCUS.

Special thanks to Chris Frank, Chair of AAHSL's Scholarly
Communications Committee; Barbara Epstein, Chair of MLA's Scholarly
Communications Committee; Jane Blumenthal, MLA President; M.J. Tooey,
AAHSL President; and Carla J. Funk, CAE, Executive Director for their
work in crafting this statement.

Paul Blobaum, MA, MS
pblobaum at govst.edu
Full Professor and Head of Reference
University Library
Governors State University
University Park, IL  60484


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The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AASHL) and the
Medical Library Association (MLA) share a commitment to intellectual
freedom and access to information.  We strongly oppose the suppression
of opinion and censorship of ideas.

We believe that librarians must be able to openly assess publisher
products or practices without intimidation.

We strongly support Dale Askey and McMaster University as they face
the lawsuit brought against them by Edwin Mellen Press.

"The free exchange of ideas and opinions is essential to academic
work," said Jane Blumenthal, President, Medical Library Association.
"This exchange is often critical and sometime intemperate, but
regardless, the assessment of information is an essential part of the
work of librarians, faculty, libraries, and universities. Academic
publishers, as partners in the process of scholarly communication,
should not only expect but also welcome critical appraisal. The filing
of a lawsuit in response to an expression of professional opinion will
work to suppress free and open discussion and hinder the growth of
knowledge."

"Though we may work in different library environments, one common
foundational and critical element of our work is the appraisal of
information resources in support of our academic communities," said
M.J. Tooey, President, Association of Academic Health Sciences
Libraries. "These resources support the creation of new methods, of
new theories, of new cures, and new pathways to knowledge.  Any
attempt to stifle professional opinion is an impediment to the
scholarly process and a violation of freedom of speech in support of
the advancement of scholarship."

We urge Edwin Mellen Press to drop this suit.

The Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL) supports
academic health sciences libraries and directors in advancing the
patient care, research, education and community service missions of
academic health centers through visionary executive leadership and
expertise in health information, scholarly communication, and
knowledge management.

Founded in 1898, MLA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, educational
organization of 4,000 individual and institutional members in the
health sciences information field that provides lifelong educational
opportunities, supports a knowledgebase of health information
research, and works with a global network of partners to promote the
importance of quality information for improved health to the health
care community and the public.

Mary M. Langman
Director, Information Issues and Policy
Medical Library Association
65 E. Wacker Place, Ste. 1900
Chicago, IL 60601-7246