Bernard Lang wrote: > In order to understand your position, I would like to know where you > work, how much your library spends on publications, and what are your > qualifications to speak for poor countries (for example those where > hospitals cannot afford a single subscription).
I work in Kuwait, Kuwait University spends a lot on the Medical Library (equivalent to any major US university Library at the very least - you can review details online at its website) and most major publications can be accessed without cost (to users). I did not realise that we require qualifications to speak for the third world, but none the less I have worked in Africa, South East Asia & the Caribbean so I have a good idea what user access restriction means. By the way, if you are located in an area where no subscriptions are available, and if you view my opinion as blocking the move to free access for such researchers, I should point out that this discussion is not arguing against open access as we know it, but about stopping publishers from replacing one kind of toll based system (access tolls) with another (author tolls) and therefore restricting author access in the name of open access. I have worked with a lot of authors in Kuwait (who work outside Kuwait University) who are unable to pay author tolls. Imagine what the scenario will be like in a poor third world country? Suhail
