National Library of Australia Staff Papers, 1995

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Electronic Journals and the National Library of Australia

Written by Margaret Henty and presented by Lesley Bezear at the ALIA seminar, 'Getting a Handle on E-Journals', in Sydney, 31 August 1995.

I would like to begin my talk today with a short excerpt from the Wollongong Pig Breeders Gazette. It is headed:

The Wollongong Pig Breeders' Gazette is the personalzine of Perry Middlemass. If you inadvertently entered this page in the vain hope that it might have something to do with either Wollongong or pig-breeding, then I feel you are going to be sadly disappointed. Firstly I've never been to Wollongong and secondly, my association with pigs runs purely to culinary pursuits.

In issue number 4 of May 1995 we read:

It's that time of the year when, if you were to believe all you read in the newspapers and magazines, every man and his dog is making New Year's resolutions. There just seems to be something about this time of the year which makes normally intelligent people want to give things up. Everything from smoking to sloth. The only reason I can think of to explain this aberrant behaviour is to look at it as some sort of catharsis. After the debauchery normally associated with the end of year celebrations the body rebels against all the inhaled, ingested and imbibed poisons and tries to make amends by believing that it can actually change the way it acts. To make matters worse it then assumes that the best way to achieve this is to tell everyone about it. Well, it's a theory.

This is one of over 300 Australian electronic journals which are accessible through the National Library's Web Server and it is interesting for quite a few reasons. I will return to those reasons later.

I'd like to talk today about networked electronic journals, especially Australian ones, and give an outline of some of the deliberations which have been going on in the National Library as we ponder our role in this new and exciting time in publishing. I will cover our attempts to bring electronic journals to our clients in the short term and some of the opportunities to be provided by World 1, the Library's forthcoming document identification and retrieval system which is due to become available in August 1996.

The Internet has been available now in Australia for just over 5 years, although it has taken some time for its reach to spread much beyond the university sector. The past year in particular has seen remarkable growth and a steady expansion into government and commercial sectors. Electronic publishing via the Internet is flourishing and, in performing its role in providing access to Australian publishing, electronic or otherwise, the Library is recording the existence of networked electronic journals. Since February, the list has been made available though the Library's web server with links directly to the journals themselves where these can be made. The list has grown from 35 titles initially to over 300 now. All these titles are catalogued onto the National Bibliographic Database, and therefore available via ABN, and to the Library's OPAC, so that they can be found by library clients whichever system they are searching. The list available on the server is currently alphabetical and does not permit searching. We are, however, investigating providing a subject-based approach to the list. There were over 2,000 uses of the list recorded in the month of July.

The Wollongong Pig-Breeders Gazette is an interesting example of the type of publishing which is appearing on the Net, interesting for the following reasons:

  • it is vanity publishing

Online publishing offers the potential for everyone to be their own publisher. The result of this is a quantum leap in the amount of material becoming available with no indication of its quality or intellectual content. This presents problems in simply coping with the quantity of information available and in directing users to information which is relevant and of value. You can image what a genuine pig fancier would make of the Wollongong Pig-Breeders Gazette!

  • it is irregular and has now not had a new issue since May

Because of the ease of publishing, electronic journals have been characterised by enthusiasm rather than a systematic approach to production and content. For this reason, a high proportion of the titles we are locating are the products of individuals rather than institutions and have no guarantee of continuity once the enthusiasm of the initiator has passed. This means a high death rate which presents issues for preservation and longer term access.

  • it is available free of charge and without any form of registration for access

The fact that it is available free of charge and without any registration means that it can be made freely and readily available within libraries as well as to individuals. This particular feature is proving to be of great importance in the delivery of services from the Net to library clients, not just those of the National Library. Access can be readily provided via a direct link, and the vast majority of Australian titles can be linked in this way. On the other hand, there are Australian electronic journal titles which are available either via paid subscription or registration. Publishers of these titles tend to focus on the individual subscriber, neglecting the possibility that the library may have a role as intermediary for those who do not have the ability, whether technical or financial, to subscribe on an individual basis. For libraries to provide access to these titles, they have to negotiate with the publishers as to how this can be achieved. Usually the library has a choice of access via password or it may be permitted to copy the title in-house for access to a limited number of users. Both of these solutions present problems for efficient service with the minimum of staff intervention. The library cannot provide access beyond its immediate clientele because publishers understandably do not want widespread free access. Fair dealing and document supply are unclear in this environment, although the Library is recommending to the Copyright Law Review Committee that fair dealing is as applicable in this environment as it is in the print environment.

  • it does not have a print equivalent

A high proportion of e-journals are duplicates of print journals. Indeed, the National Library is itself into replicating titles such as Gateways and ABN News with Ozline News in both print and electronic form. This is an issue in so far as we must determine whether the two are identical and mark catalogue records accordingly. National Library cataloguers have questioned whether there is a need to create separate records for electronic journal equivalents, but that is a standards issue which I will not develop further now. At present the Library continues to acquire paper copies and there are no immediate plans to change this.

There are many other titles on the list, and I would like to name a few, selected more or less at random, because they present some indication of the breadth of subjects being covered by this form of publishing and some of the other issues faced by the National Library in providing access. [Overheads]

AAO Newsletter (Newsletter of the Anglo-Australian Observatory)
These newsletters contain updates on current research, new telescope instrumentation, software developments, personnel and general information of interest to telescope users. Earliest issue online is no. 78 April 1994. You do, however, need a postscript viewer to see them!
ISSN 0728-5833
Contact: Stuart Lumsden, Anglo-Australian Observatory, PO Box 296, Epping NSW 2121.

This one has an ISSN, is rather more serious in content, but it does require a postscript viewer. Most e-journals do not require special equipment: where they do, this poses an additional requirement for a library which wants to provide access.

Aboriginal History Journal

Contents list and index to the Aboriginal History Journal which aims to present articles and information in the field of Australian ethnohistory, particularly in the post-contact history of the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.
Contact: The Editors, Aboriginal History, Research School of Pacific Studies, The Australian National University, GPO Box 4, Canberra, ACT Australia 2601. Facsimile: (06) 2571893.

The Age

Information service of The Age newspaper (Melbourne). See also Jason Romney's The Computer Age and Green Guide and Cybersurfing.
Contact: The Age- David Syme & Co.

It is increasingly common to find sections of mainstream serials being offered electronically.

In Flower This Week - Australian National Botanical Gardens

Antipodes: A North American Journal of Australian Literature
Published at the University of Texas by the American Association of Australian Literary Studies (AAALS). Site includes tables of contents from recent issues and information about subscriptions.
Contact: Antipodes, 190 Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11217 USA. Telephone: 718/789-5826. Facsimile: 718/482-5599

This one has been included to show that our definition of Australian includes titles about Australia and originating overseas.

ASA Newsletter (Australian Society of Astronomers)

Published twice a year, provides members of the Australian Society of Astronomers with an update of current Society activities and brief reports on work in progress at various institutions around Australia. Newsletters no. 18 (May 1995) and no. 19 (April 1995) available online.
Contact: R.A. Duncan Australian Telescope National Facility, PO Box 76, Epping NSW 2121. Telephone: (02) 3724260. Facsimile: (02) 3724400.

Asian Girls Magazine

Information about a hard copy colour magazine "featuring up to 100 girls with full 'Bio Data' details, addresses and colour photos". Vol.1, no. 4 (July 1995). Four times each year. Product of Soul Mates Introduction Agency (Australia).
Contact: Soul Mates Introduction Agency Level 2, 69 Liverpool Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

This title was included because of its short life. The link has disappeared already.

http://www.arts.su.edu.au/Arts/departs/philos/APS/AJP/AJP.HTM - Australasian Journal of Philosophy

Published by Australasian Association of Philosophy. Site includes contents pages of recent issues (vol. 73), subscription and editorial information.
Contact: AJP C/- Department of Philosophy, La Trobe University, Bundoora VIC 3183. Facsimile: (03) 4793639

Australian Centenary of Cinema

"The purpose of this Newsletter, to be published approximately each eight weeks, is to keep you informed of the events being organised or coordinated by the committee and to invite your participation and ideas. Outlines of some events planned are included herein" - No. 1 (August 1994).
Contact: Australian Centenary of Cinema, c/- National Film & Sound Archive, 223 Park Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205. Telephone: (03) 6905537. Facsimile: (03) 6994874.

geekgirl

Freely accessible "webzine taking a unique blend of cyberfeminism, information and humour to geekgirls and boys around the world". Also available in printed form.
Contact: Spyfood, PO Box 759, Newtown NSW 2041. Telephone/facsimilie: (02) 5506777.

The Giralanger

Latest news from the Giralang (ACT) Primary School.
Contact: greg.smith@giralandPS.act.edu.au

Journey Magazine

Magazine of the Uniting Church in Queensland.
Contact: ucaqld@peg.apc.org

Wood and Wire: Independent Music on the WWW

Sydney's "indie and alternative pop" label page, with information on various bands and labels, online fanzines, etc. Earliest issue available is #1, May 11 1995.
Contact: ether@magna.com.au

What's New in WWW Asian Studies

Online newsletter which is a part of the Asian Studies WWW Virtual Library. It covers recent changes and additions to the universe of Asian Studies information available to the World Wide Web. Details of new resources and interesting additions to existing resources are added to this list on a request basis. This facility is provided by the Australian National University as a service to the World Wide Web community.
ISSN 1323-9368.

The National Library sees itself as having a major role to play in the collecting and recording of Australia's documentary cultural heritage. Defining a role for itself in relation to electronically networked publications has not been easy. However, we have managed to reach some conclusions and are now working to put these into effect.

  1. The Library has made a commitment to continue its list of electronic journals which will be made available via the Internet. The process of identification process is more complex than we can use for print journals because the distribution and publicity processes have not yet been standardised as they have been for print. Once identified, contents will be catalogued in the traditional way, with records available through the National Bibliographic Database, the Library's OPAC and the Web server. There are some issues still to be resolved with the list. At present there are no guidelines as to precisely what should be included, and this can be seen from some of the titles above. The Library has software, known as Spider, which checks links automatically and provides a list of broken ones, but otherwise maintenance of the list has proven to be labour-intensive. ISSNs are provided for electronic journals and some items are indexed by APAIS where appropriate. A registration form is available on the server for those who wish to tell us about new electronic journals and an application form for ISSNs is available there too. The Library has commenced two special projects involving bringing electronic journals inhouse. The first of these is a project to provide inhouse access to subscription titles by asking publishers to permit us to mount the journals inhouse rather than having access via password. Initially twelve titles will be identified for this project. There is an anomaly in having to go to such lengths to provide restricted access to publications which are so amenable to unlimited access, but this is where technology is running ahead of conventions such as copyright and commerce. Secondly, a trial will be undertaken to test the suitability of World 1 as an archiving and access mechanism. About twenty publishers of electronic titles which are available gratis are currently being approached to provide a year's worth of issues which will be mounted on the NDIS platform. Access will be provided via links from records on the National Bibliographic Database. World 1 will provide a facility to link records on the NBD to the documents themselves. This facility will cover all types of material, not just serials. Journals currently being catalogued to the NBD will create a small body of records which will be automatically linked to the full text of the journals, a small number of which will be hosted by World 1 as mentioned earlier, but the rest of which will be mounted at their original host site. In the case of journals for which payment or registration is required, the link will connect to the home page where subscription details can be found. World 1 will also have an automatic link checking facility, so that it should be possible to handle broken links with the minimum of inconvenience. The Library is developing a policy to provide access to all electronic publications in the longer term. Development of this policy has involved redefinition of some activities which previously would have been taken for granted. For example, it is recognised that preservation in this environment may be more efficiently handled by the publisher than by the Library, and the Library will be seeking to form cooperative and proactive approaches to preservation. As the major serious publishers of electronic publications are currently the universities it would not seem unreasonable to expect them to take responsibility for the long-term maintenance of their own output. This will particularly be the case where refereed journals are concerned. The Library is exploring standards for metadata in order to facilitate search and retrieval on the Internet. This again is an activity which involves more than serials. The intention is to provide standards which will enable specific elements of electronic documents, such as title or originator, to be defined and consequently identified as such. If publishers adhere to such standards, it would then be possible to compile indexes or other lists automatically rather than with manual intervention. The Wollongong Pig-Breeders Gazette is a prime example of how metadata can mislead rather than inform, so it remains to be seen whether we can ever dispense totally with human intervention. The question of legal deposit for electronic materials is currently being addressed in a joint submission to the Copyright Law Review Committee by the National Library and the National Film and Sound Archive. The submission, which will been mounted on the Library's web server, recommends that the Copyright Act be extended to cover all forms of material not included in the present Act, which is limited to print materials only. There is specific reference to electronic publications of all kinds, networked and artefactual. One approach to electronic publishing which is being followed with interest is that being taken by the ACM (Association of Computer Machinery). The ACM, which publishes a range of scientific and semi-popular titles, has recently announced its electronic publishing plan, by which it proposes to automate the entire process of journal production. This includes submission, pre-publication copies for comment, refereeing, publication, distribution and archiving. It will contract the process to OCLC which has recently purchased powerful document database management software which can be used as a document management system for electronic publishing.

The approach I have taken today in talking about electronic journals has been essentially a pragmatic one and I have not attempted to deal with many of the wider issues concerning the viability and validity of the electronic journal as a means of publishing. The fact that there has been so little quality and refereed publishing in this medium suggests that this may not offer the promised solutions to the escalating costs of serials for academic libraries. There are questions also surrounding the longer term viability and costs of information provision using the Internet as a communications vehicle. It is significant that commercial publishers for the most part are avoiding this medium, especially those who rely on advertising income to provide a significant proportion of their revenue. I have also not covered many of the other cooperative activities being undertaken by the Library and designed to enhance access to the Internet but not specifically directed towards serials.

To close, let's return to Perry the pig-breeder and some of his cogitations.

Nursery rhymes are a strange business. I've thought for a long time that "Mary, Mary, quite contrary..." referred to Mary Queen of Scots, that "Georgey Porgie, Pudding and Pie..." made fun of the podgy George IV, and even that "Ring-a-ring o' roses..." dated from the time of the Black Death, but I didn't know that "Humpty Dumpty" was anything other than an egg. In fact, Humpty Dumpty was a massive siege tower built by the Royalists (which explains "all the king's horses and all the king's men") near the end of the English Civil War. As befits their nature, siege towers were big, clumsy and very top-heavy - especially when full of troops aiming to get to the top of the opposing castle walls - and had to be pushed into place across heavily defended ground that probably had little resemblance to a level playing field. It is hardly surprising then that Humpty "had a great fall" and that it would have been impossible to "put him together again", but it is interesting that such a minor event could have such a lasting impact as to become the stuff of playground games, and remain so for hundreds of years.

It remains to be seen whether the Wollongong Pig-Breeders' Gazette is granted a similar place in history.

Margaret Henty
National Library of Australia

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