Rick B Forsman1. 1. Charles Denison MD Memorial Library University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center 4200 East Ninth Avenue Denver, Colorado 80262-0003, USA. rick.forsman@uchsc.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Reflecting patterns evident in past Janet Doe lectures, the 2004 address draws on the foundations of biology to provide a model that offers insights into the advent of electronic publications and choices for the future. SETTING: The lecture sketches a picture of the fragile relationships found in complex ecosystems and illustrates how such interdependencies function in the environment of the coral reef. ANALYSIS: Deriving lessons from the marine world, the lecture then shifts to a description of similarities in the realm of scholarly publishing, the impact of digital innovations in the marketplace, and the controversies and choices inherent in open access publications. CONCLUSIONS: Lessons from ecology and publishing lead to the conclusion that librarians must take action and risks in this time of dramatic environmental change.
OBJECTIVE: Reflecting patterns evident in past Janet Doe lectures, the 2004 address draws on the foundations of biology to provide a model that offers insights into the advent of electronic publications and choices for the future. SETTING: The lecture sketches a picture of the fragile relationships found in complex ecosystems and illustrates how such interdependencies function in the environment of the coral reef. ANALYSIS: Deriving lessons from the marine world, the lecture then shifts to a description of similarities in the realm of scholarly publishing, the impact of digital innovations in the marketplace, and the controversies and choices inherent in open access publications. CONCLUSIONS: Lessons from ecology and publishing lead to the conclusion that librarians must take action and risks in this time of dramatic environmental change.