From: Rick Anderson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2013 03:58:00 +0000

>How can a library that has a long tradition of providing the version
>of record, supply as part of any good faith effort a copy where it is
>unknowable that an article is "a reasonable facsimile"?

By explaining what Green OA is, asking the requestor whether a Green
version would be acceptable, and then acting on the response.

>The library can't possibly know what a reasonable facsimile of an
>article might be absent versioning information.

All the more reason to explain what Green OA is and then ask the requestor
whether a Green version would be acceptable, rather than making that
decision on the requestor's behalf.

>You have made no suggestion as to how a library could know which copy
>is closest to a "reasonable facsimile".

That's correct. I've suggested explaining to the requestor what Green OA
is and then asking the requestor to say whether a Green version would be
acceptable.

>Absent that, I don't see you have made a case at all for the library's
>involvement in green OA provision of articles from the general web.

The library's involvement would come only at the request of the patron,
who of course always has the option of seeking out the OA version him- or
herself in the first instance rather than making a request of the library.

>I think you will agree it is not the library's job to even imply one
>version out on the web is better than another. That is not a judgment
>the library can make.

Yes, we agree on that. That's why I propose explaining to the requestor
what Green OA is and then asking the patron whether a Green version would
be acceptable, rather than presuming to make that judgement on his or her
behalf.

---
Rick Anderson
Assoc. Dean for Scholarly Resources & Collections
Marriott Library, University of Utah
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