According to Hoon, both the luncheon and the teleconference involved a variety of attendees, including university legal counsel, subcommittee members, university information technology staff, and members of the North Carolina Library Association Governmental Relations Committee. David Drooz, NC State legal counsel, expressed concern that lobbying could not take place at the university level, and he suggested the formation of a working group at NC State to develop organized strategies for bringing concerns to the UNC System administration. Hoon will begin work on forming the group, identifying potential members from across the state who work in libraries, education, and information technology. Hoon suggested that the group should determine where Governor Easley stands on this issue. He is leading a new administration and is viewed as a consumer advocate.
More work is needed before taking a course of action.
He explained that the project focuses on providing science, technology, and medical journal editors and members of editorial boards with tools for evaluating their present publishing environment and for determining alternatives to the commercial sector for communicating with scholars. The booklet includes a diagnostic guide for evaluating the effectiveness of a journal in meeting its goals and other sections which provide examples and analyses of alternative publishing options. The material has been mailed to approximately 1200 faculty members affiliated with the 100 most expensive journals identified by the Association of Research Libraries' Create Change program. Three NC State faculty members sit on the board of the most expensive journal, and one NC State faculty member sits on the boards of three of the most expensive journals. Individuals and libraries may request multiple copies for further distribution.