Info Commons meeting notes
[Previous remarks missed]
Frederick Emrich -- definitions of information commons
Forum/discussion --
Comments: in common parlance, "commons" are perceived/assumed to be market failures; economists are starting to study the commons; "the tragedy of the commons"; Eleanor Ostrum - different types of common resources; Carol Rosen - the comedy of the commons; an new paradigm of resources, not based on scarcity
important to make counter-models, but also make arguments not based on economics/value -- "there are things that should not be evaluated just on an economic [basis]."
Important to go beyond current market models back to earlier political economy; cultural democracy as a core value
Arguments based on: commons as essential component of democracy; broader welfare of society
ALA needs to go towards the open access/Creative Commons model with its own intellectual property
The spectrum and the commons -- how do we maintain it; what infrastructure, protection, norms, governance does it get/build
Maintaining the commons means making sure that things enter the commons -- such as the public domain; for-profit and scholarly access is not an either/or proposition
As publishers shift from print to print/online to print only, how does the pre-print access work?
There is a fundamental conflict between market and conflict; if ALA is going to be a player, it has to change its policies regarding 1) copyright sign-offs and 2) continued retention of Jenner and Block
We have to speak out, educate ourselves and learn more about 1) the bigger picture and 2) individual actions
Why can't ALA create its own commons?
Must look at policy issues as well
Metaphor of the commons and the reality of the commons -> look at the philosophy and best practices
Public space as the commons; "the library is the original information commons" - Nancy Kranich
Info Commons workshop in Cerritos at the Cerritos Public Library in March 2004; conference centre on the third floor
Economic pressures on the physical space of public libraries as a part of the commons
Looking at art spaces and as a commons example
Larry Lessig at ALISE -- intellectual property and how it inhibits innovation and creativity
Creating the narrative to change notions of property
Moral rights -- separate from economic rights (ex.: attribution rights, association rights)
Moral rights cut both ways, usually a benefit, but can be a detriment -- can be used to stop parody or satire based on derivative works
Examples of commons aren't comprehensively catalogued, but there are working definitions and identifiers of commons
Important not to inflate community with commons
Public and school librarians also need to be part of this work/committee
Proposal -- one of the largest encroachment on the commons has been CTEA, which is keeping a large amount of material out of the public domain; 50-100 librarians holding a protest against Disney's role in CTEA at DisneyWorld, with signs that violate the copyright on Mickey
Entire issue on School Library Journal on Knowledge Quest and the information commons(?)