Emerging Responses to the Science Journal Crisis

Duane E. Webster is Executive Director of the Association of Research Libraries, an organization of 119 major research libraries whose mission is to identify and influences forces affecting the future of research libraries in the process of scholarly communication. ARL programmes and services are intended to strengthen the capacities of its member libraries to provide equitable access to recorded information, and to promote national collaborative programmes for library development, technology, and information policy. Mr Webster received his MALS from the University of Michigan in 1964 and worked in research, public, and special libraries before joining ARL in 1970 to establish the ARL Office of Management Services. During his tenure as Director of the ARL/OMS he led the design for a variety of programmes to improve library management including: the Management Review and Analysis Program, the Academic Library Development Program, the Collection Analysis Program, the Preservation Planning Program, and the Public Services Study. He also established the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center and a broad-ranging management and leadership programme. He was awarded the University of Michigan, School of Library Science Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1982, the Association of College and Research Libraries Research Librarian of the Year Award in 1987, and the Australian Information Management Association Certificate of Achievement in 1991. A widely published lecturer and consultant, Mr Webster has served on numerous committees of the American Library Association, the Council on Library Resources, IFLA, and other library and education associations. Mr Webster was appointed Executive Director of ARL in 1988, and since then has launched three major initiatives, the Office of Scientific and Academic Publishing, the Office of Education and Research, and the ARL/EDUCOM/CAUSE Coalition for Networked Information.