[Mla-cds] US Citizens: Please Contact Your Senator To Support the NIH Open Access Mandate

[Julie Schneider]

Another plea for people to contact their Senators prior to September 28. 
Comments by Peter Suber are at the end of the message.
Thanks so much and, if you have questions about this, please contact me.
Julie

Stevan Harnad wrote:
> Here is a important message from the American Alliance for Taxpayer 
> Access, posted in Peter Suber's Open Access News, about the need for 
> US citizens to contact their senators in order to support the NIH 
> Green OA Self-Archiving Mandate against the anti-OA publishing 
> lobby:http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/2007/09/time-to-contact-senate.html 
>
>
>  *Time to contact the Senate
> *
> /An alert from the Alliance for Taxpayer Access:
> As the Senate considers Appropriations measures for the 2008 fiscal 
> year this fall, please take a moment to remind your Senators of your 
> strong support for public access to publicly funded research and ­ 
> specifically ensuring the success of the National Institutes of Health 
> (NIH) Public Access Policy by making deposit mandatory for researchers.
>
> Earlier this summer, the House of Representatives passed legislation 
> with language that directs the NIH to make this change.  The Senate 
> Appropriations Committee approved a similar measure.  Now, as the 
> Appropriations process moves forward, it is critically important that 
> our Senators are reminded of the breadth and depth of support for 
> enhanced public access to the results of NIH-funded research. Please 
> take a moment to weigh in with your Senator now.
>
> Contact information for your Senator is here. Please fax a letter with 
> your support *no later than Friday, September 28, 2007*.
>
> Feel free to draw upon the following talking points:
> • American taxpayers are entitled to open access on the Internet to 
> the peer-reviewed scientific articles on research funded by the U.S. 
> government. Widespread access to the information contained in these 
> articles is an essential, inseparable component of our nation's 
> investment in science.
> • The Fiscal Year 2008 Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill reported out of 
> committee contains language directing the National Institutes of 
> Health (NIH) to change its Public Access Policy so that it requires 
> NIH-funded researchers to deposit copies of agency-funded research 
> articles into the National Library of Medicine's online archive.
> • Over the more than two years since its implementation, the NIH's 
> current voluntary policy has failed to achieve any of the agency's 
> stated goals, attaining a deposit rate of less than 5% by individual 
> researchers. A mandate is required to ensure deposit in NIH's online 
> archive of articles describing findings of all research funded by the 
> agency.
> • We urge the Senate to support the inclusion of language put forth in 
> the Labor/HHS Appropriations bill directing the NIH to implement a 
> mandatory policy and ensuring free, timely access to all research 
> articles stemming from NIH-funded research without change in any 
> appropriate vehicle.
> (We'll be making additional resources for patient advocates ­ 
> including the recording of our August 30 Web cast and specific talking 
> points available shortly as well. Watch the ATA Web site or email me 
> directly for updates.)
>
> /A/gain, please take a moment to express your support for public 
> access to research to your Senator as soon as possible and no later 
> than September 28. As always, we'd appreciate it if you'd let us know 
> of what action you're able to take, or send a copy your letter to the 
> ATA through (202) 872-0884 (fax). Thank you!
>
> /*Comments* by Peter Suber:
>
> Publisher associations are lobbying hard against this bill.  For 
> example, the AAP/PSP launched PRISM, the behemoth Copyright Alliance 
> weighed in, and Elsevier hired another lobbying firm.  It's critical 
> that we show the Senate our support for a stronger OA policy at the 
> NIH.  If you're a US citizen, please contact your Senators and spread 
> the word to others who could do so.
>
> I've omitted the list of Senators with their fax numbers, but it's in 
> the ATA message if you need it.  For other kinds of contact info for 
> your Senators (DC office, DC phone, local offices, local phones, 
> email), use CongressMerge.  Remember to act before September 28!
>
> Peter Suber
>