24 September 2008 - On behalf of the UKSG I am delighted to announce that following extensive consultation Version 2.0 of the Transfer Code of Practice has been released and is available here: http://www.uksg.org/Transfer/Code
The UKSG Transfer Code of Practice responds to the expressed needs of the scholarly journal community for consistent guidelines to help publishers ensure that journal content remains easily accessible by librarians and readers when there is a transfer between parties, and to ensure that the transfer process occurs with minimum disruption. Publishers are being asked to publicly endorse and follow the Code of Practice which is a set of voluntary "best practices" for the industry. Assuming the Code of Practice succeeds in gaining broad acceptance, the UKSG Transfer Working Group will consider some next steps, which may include establishing a more formal international committee composed of librarians, publishers, societies, agents and other interested parties. The committee could consider such issues as:
- The development of guidelines for publishers on practical aspects of implementing the Code of Practice.
- The development of a simple UKSG Transfer Alerting Service to provide a central location for publishers to register basic details of transfers that would be openly available to libraries and other interested parties.
- The development of policies and procedures for ongoing oversight of the Code, conducting periodic reviews of the effectiveness of the Code and considering future revisions to the Code.
The Code and any policies and procedures developed around the Code will be guided by openness and fairness and will be to the benefit of libraries, readers, users and other consumers. Publishers endorsing the Code will be listed on the Publisher Endorsement page at http://www.uksg.org/Transfer/Transfer_Publishers.
About the UKSG (www.uksg.org)
The UK Serials Group (UKSG) exists to encourage the exchange of ideas on printed and electronic serials and the process of scholarly communication. In a dynamic environment, the UKSG works to:
- promote discussion and the free flow of information on serials matters and associated technology
- develop links between all parties in the serials information chain encourage professional awareness
- stimulate research and provide a programme of training and education
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Bev Acreman UKSG Marketing Officer Global Marketing & Customer Services Director, Taylor & Francis