The Oberlin Group: A Consortium of Liberal Arts College Libraries endorses the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities. (October 26, 2011)
The Oberlin Group: A Consortium of Liberal Arts College Libraries endorses the Berlin Declaration. Atlanta, GA – At its 2011 annual meeting at the Atlanta University Center and Agnes Scott College on October 6, 7, and 8, the Oberlin Group agreed to become a signatory of the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities. The library directors noted that the colleges they represent are important components of our nation’s scientific and scholarly productivity, that their colleges’ faculty actively pursue research, much of it with government funding, and that their graduates go on to obtain Ph.D. degrees or take leadership roles in many sectors of society and the economy. Liberal arts college libraries also hold important collections of cultural heritage material, much of which is already openly available via the Internet. Oberlin Group spokesperson Richard Fyffe, Librarian of the College at Grinnell College, observed that “the Berlin Declaration is consistent with the commitment to the common good that is fundamental to the missions of the liberal arts colleges we represent, and to American librarianship itself. The Consortium is pleased to lend its support to the Berlin Declaration in time for its North American meeting.”
About the Oberlin Group: The Oberlin Group is a consortium representing 80 libraries of selective liberal arts colleges. The group evolved from meetings of college presidents in 1985 and 1986 at Oberlin College. The primary purpose for the Oberlin Group is to provide a forum for member directors and staff to discuss issues of common concern, to share accomplishments and information on best practices in library operations and services, and to help members anticipate and adapt to the challenges of college library administration and liberal arts education. The Oberlin Group focuses on library and scholarly publishing issues and related services that support our liberal arts missions. For further information, see http://www.oberlingroup.org/.