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I've never quite understood academic libraries' promotion of "openness." How does it advance education when libraries are pressured to spend millions on proprietary databases, students are urged and taught to use them, and B.I. programs emphasize them? And why should all information be free anyway? A lot of what's free is marginally useful. Many people in many industries work very hard and are paid - some very well - to generate, experiment with, organize, publish, and test information. Who is supposed to be paying them? Granted, there are many useful databases and content management systems containing information based on open access. But no serious user group could ever be satisfied by them alone. And usually, "experts" end up managing them - which limits access - anyway. On Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 11:47 AM, GSLIS CE2 <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > (Please excuse cross-posting) > > *Simmons GSLIS Continuing Education* > > *The Open Movement and Libraries* > February 1 - 28, 2010 (online asynchronous) > $250 (Simmons GSLIS Alumni price $200) > PDPs: 15 > > "Openness" which has become a hallmark of the new Web has long been a > mission in libraries. The philosophy of free and open access to information > and technology has become a critical subject for information and technology > leaders and practitioners. This month-long session will focus on what's > happening in the realm of "open" on today's Web including an overview of > open-source technologies (such as content management systems and ILS > programs) which are being used by libraries today and an exploration of the > latest efforts of the open access movement, open courses and learning > initiatives, open conferences and "camps", and open licenses (like GPL and > Creative Commons). > > Students will explore weekly modules which will introduce them to open > topics. They will have the opportunity to take part in weekly discussions > via a private chat room, and will blog their impressions of the materials on > an interactive website custom-designed for the course. > > Instructor: Ellyssa Kroski, information consultant, reference librarian, > and adjunct faculty member at Long Island University, Pratt Institute, and > San Jose State University. Author of the blog iLibrarian and the book "Web > 2.0 for Librarians and Information Professionals" (2008); > [log in to unmask] > > For more information about our online workshops see > http://www.simmons.edu/gslis/careers/continuing-education/faq.php#faq1432 > > *************************************** > > For additional information or to register see > http://www.simmons.edu/gslis/careers/continuing-education/register.php > or contact [log in to unmask] > > -- > > Kris Liberman '87LS > Program Manager > Simmons GSLIS CE > T - 617-521-2803 > F - 617-521-3192 > [log in to unmask] > http://www.simmons.edu/gslis/careers/continuing-education/index.php > > > -- A scholar is just a library's way of making another library.