Open Access Oops

Dorothea has two different posts about open access and library literature. The second one has some great advice for authors about making sure your stuff is available via open access. I have to admit I have an article in the same netConnect supplement of Library Journal as Dorothea and didn’t ask about the self-archiving issue until AFTER I’d already signed the contract. Mistake. Part of the problem is that I’ve written a number of articles for Computers in Libraries and they will let you self-archive after a year. I just thought "oh no big deal". I should know better, particularly after the UH Libraries put on a symposium to talk about issues related to scholarly communication (videos of the lectures are coming soon, please check them out because the symposium was great).

Part of the problem I see is that when you are busy you just don’t think about these things. I had a very short time to write the article and turn in the accompanying paperwork. It was particularly stressful time for me so my brain was on auto-pilot. (Then of course there was I need the money factor, no matter how small the amount may seem to other people.) I fully admit that this isn’t the first time I’ve read (been unhappy or didn’t understand the lingo) and just signed. The other instance was when former boss’ boss asked me to guest write an article for her column in a library journal. I was super honored, but not happy with the transfer of copyright. At the same time, there was no way I could back out and the people I talked to at the publisher were downright scary and unhelpful. So I just let it go.
I think that both of these instances probably happens to faculty as well. In the end it means I have to go back and ask for permission to archive the stuff that I’m not sure if I have permission to archive. (I only have a couple articles that I’m not sure about.) Doing this retroactively is a pain (which is probably why faculty don’t do it) but high on my personal to do list. (Once I get through IL) The best solution is for all publishers to allow publications to be self-archived as part of the standard agreement. Until then faculty and librarians have to get in the habit of making sure self-archiving is agreed to in the contract.