30 October 2000
Ed Penz
CrossRef
Sixth Floor
200 Wheeler Road
Burlington, MA 01803
Dear Mr. Penz:
As you know, the International Consortium of Library Consortia is deeply involved in the evolution of commercial networked resources of interest to libraries and their users. Of critical importance to our membership is an environment that supports the development of the widest possible range of resources and services and provides for integration and interoperation across a very wide range of systems and resources, both commercial and non-commercial.
This past spring, members of the ICLOC heard presentations that you, Dale Flecker, and Herbert von de Sompel gave concerning developments in the linking of e-journals. We were excited by the enormous utility of reference linking between e-journals, because the inter-linking of resources across many systems is vitally important to libraries and their readers. However, we were troubled by the limitations inherent in the linking infrastructure in place today, because it does not support access to copies of e-journal articles in local systems or aggregator services, nor does it support the development of journal-related services appropriate for a local population.
Flexible and open linking is essential in the development of a rich and vital environment of electronic research resources. Such an environment will encourage experimentation and innovation in the creation of useful and successful services.
We are aware of the discussions underway regarding possible models that can open up the DOI/CrossRef environment and allow the “localization” of linking. We write to urge that CrossRef actively pursue such solutions and work with the library community and other interested parties on ways to open the linking infrastructure to support a much richer environment of distributed heterogeneous systems.
In the long run, we believe that such an open environment will best serve the interests of all players: publishers, libraries, and third-party service providers. We further believe that it is critical for all three communities to work together to create the new electronic information environment in ways that best serve all of our readers. We hope and trust that CrossRef will participate in the development of an open and interconnected environment of digital resources.
Sincerely,
(Ms.) Ann Okerson
Coordinator, NERL (NorthEast Research Libraries consortium)
On behalf of the following consortia whose members are signatories to this letter:
Alliance for Innovation in Science and Technology Information
Amigos Library Services
AULC (Arizona Universities Library Consortium)
Big 12 Plus Libraries Consortium
Boston Library Consortium
British Columbia Electronic Library Network (ELN)
California Digital Library
Canadian National Site Licensing Project
CAUL (Council of Australian University Librarians)
CIC (Committee on Institutional Cooperation)
Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries
CONsortium on Core Electronic Resources in Taiwan (CONCERT)
CONZUL (Council of New Zealand University Librarians)
CREPUQ (Sub-committee on Libraries of the Conference of Rectors and
Principals of Quebec Universities)
CURL (Consortium of University Research Libraries -- UK)
FCLA (Florida Center for Library Automation)
Danish National Library Authority
GALILEO (Georgia Library Learning Online)
HEAL-Link (HEllenic Academic Libraries Link)
Joint Information Systems Committee of the UK (JISC)
KYVL (Kentucky Virtual Library)
MALMAD - Israel Center for Digital Information Services
MINITEX Library Information Network
MIRACL (Missouri Research Consortium of Libraries)
MLC (Michigan Library Consortium)
MOBIUS (Missouri Bibliographic Information User System)
NELINET, Inc.
NERL (NorthEast Research Libraries consortium)
Network of Alabama Academic Libraries
Nevada Council of Academic Libraries
New England Law Library Consortium
New York Consortium of Library Consortia
NYLINK
OhioLINK
Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL)
Orbis
PALCI (Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc.)
PALINET
Pioneer, Utah's Online Library
PORTALS (Portland Area Library System)
SCONUL (Standing Conference of National and University Libraries)
SUNYConnect
Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN)
University of Texas System Digital Library
Utah Academic Library Consortium
VALE (Virtual Academic Library of New Jersey)
VIVA (Virtual Library of Virginia)
Washington Cooperative Library Project
WRLC (Washington Research Library Consortium)
Further information about the ICOLC and its participating consortia
can be found at its public World Wide Web site: http://www.library.yale.edu/consortia.
Copy to:
Norman Paskin
Director, International DOI Foundation
PO Box 233
Kidlington, Oxford
OX5 1XU U.K.