Author Archives: Polly Thistlethwaite

Publishing and the POOC, or, why we need open access

By Polly Thistlethwaite | Published: February 15, 2013

Isn’t everything up on the internet for free? Yes, most new books and articles appear in digital format, but NO-O-O they’re not (yet) mostly free. Libraries pay big bucks to license them, and the licenses require libraries to restrict access to narrow audiences (students, faculty, or people physically inside the library). Publishers sell journal articles […]

Posted in Copyright, Open Access, Repositories | Comments closed

Graduate Center Archivist John Rothman

By Polly Thistlethwaite | Published: September 23, 2012

John Rothman began to shape the Graduate Center’s Archive when he joined the staff on February 14, 2001. For the past 12 years, Mr. Rothman has offered form and description to the Graduate Center’s archive, now comprising about 390 linear feet.  After over 11 years of work with the raw data of the Graduate Center’s […]

Posted in CUNY Libraries, CUNY Library Services | Comments closed

Elsevier Costs Too Much

By Polly Thistlethwaite | Published: May 13, 2012

When journals evolved from exclusive print formats into some variety of electronic hybrid, librarians valued the extra service their formats offered, and we justified paying more for them. Scientists in far-flung labs off campus enjoyed easier access to the journals they consult and publish in. Humanists steadily gained deeper access to primary and secondary sources. […]

Posted in Open Access, Repositories | Comments closed

State to CUNY-NYPL: Drop Dead

By Polly Thistlethwaite | Published: May 2, 2012

When President Gerald Ford rebuffed New York City’s request for federal financial assistance in a financial crisis, The  Daily News ran its  famous headline October 29, 1975, “Ford to City: Drop Dead.” On a micro-level parallels between this situation and the one I discuss here are pretty slim, but that old headline can’t help but […]

Posted in CUNY Library Services, New York Public Library | Comments closed

CUNY and the NYPL Central Library Plan

By Polly Thistlethwaite | Published: April 20, 2012

NYPL made public its general plans for Reimagining  the 42nd St. Schwarzman Building (now called the Central Library Plan or CLP) in February 2012 following December 2011 publication of Scott Sherman’s alarm in the Nation. Sherman condemns the plan as costly and ill-conceived. He alleges repeatedly and sensationally (e.g. on the WNYC Leonard Lopate show) […]

Posted in CUNY Library Services, New York Public Library | Comments closed
Skip to toolbar