Scholarly Communication in the Next Millennium, Vol. 22

Fritz Pannekoek is an associate professor of heritage studies and
director of information resources at the University of Calgary. He is
also the author of A Snug Little Flock: The Social Origins of the Riel
Resistance of 1869–70.

This excellent compilation of current debates on scholarly communication
in a digital environment contains 17 essays on a variety of topics
including scholarly publishing, journal publication, responses to
technology, and faculty and student opinions on the new digital reality.

Somewhat disappointing are the two essays by Margot J. Montgomery of
the National Research Council and Tom Delsey of the National Library.
Both fail to deal with the international environment and, more
important, with the transforming leadership they will have to provide if
they are to become national electronic information brokers. As several
of the essays suggest, electronic information products are so expensive
that the only way they can be provided to all Canadian postsecondary
institutions is through national licensing.

In discussing the implications of the new reality for undergraduate
students, Richard Nimijean argues that students will accept the “just
in time” library (as opposed to the “ownership” library, which
depends heavily on interlibrary loans and document delivery), but that
the majority will continue to demand physical browsing collections. If
the suggestion is correct that electronic reserves will result in
students not developing independent research skills, then perhaps
librarians of the future will have a role after all.

Several essays deal with the issue of electronic publishing in Canada.
These articles emphasize both the importance of a changing university
culture and the implications of instantaneous scholarly communications.
What they fail to mention is the importance of continuing peer review in
all digital publications.

This collection is a must for anyone interested in the future of
commodification of information, copyright, and scholarly publishing.