Can Open Access Save Us?

Just about every time I open a journal or read a blog online, I see something about e-books saving newspapers and magazines. Both magazines and newspapers–and really all scholalry communication–are going the way of all flesh, we’re told, but e-book reading may provide a stay of execution, however short that may be. It got me to thinking if there might be something else that would provide a similarDies Irae proroguement for scholarly communication in general. That’s when it occurred to me it could well be open access (OA), or at least as I envision it here.

Matt Christopher Papers - Accession 1092

The Matt Christopher Papers consist of published manuscripts, published short stories (1943-1994) (drafts, synopses, plot outlines, and magazines, comics, and newspapers with articles and short stories), galleys (1954-1990s), leather bound author’s editions (1954-1991), and publisher’s editions of Matt Christopher’s children’s books (1954-2004). The collection contains many unpublished manuscripts and drafts outside the children’s book field (1954-1997), unpublished poems (1938-1993), unpublished screenplays (1940-1997), and unpublished short stories (1954-1997). Also included are taped (audio and video) interviews of Matt Christopher, as well as, puzzles for children (1988-1992), research materials and notes (1954-1997), sports rule-books (1954-1995), and writing guides (1909-1995), personal (1949-1997) and business correspondence (1952-2002), contract agreements (1952-1993), royalty statements (1954-1999), and biographical information (1917-2004), memorabilia (personalized baseball bat, framed pictures and award certificates, etc.), fan mail (1964-1999) and his personal book collection (1847-1995) (some signed by authors).

Rock Hill Music Club Records - Accession 535

The Rock Hill Music Club Records consist of correspondence, an annual report, numerous awards, news clippings, yearbooks, conventions programs, musical programs, scrapbook pages, presidents’ reports, and magazines relating to the Rock Hill, SC Music Club.

Bond Family Papers - Accession 809

The Bond Family Papers includes biographical and genealogical information, correspondence, legal documents, financial papers, records relating to the Bond Bicycle shop, photographs, certificates, scrapbooks, memorabilia, maps, newspapers, magazines, and music sheets. There are also papers relating to the Cantwell family, deaths of various family members, travel, Winthrop College, the Internal Revenue Service, interior decorating, clubs and organizations, and the Roman Catholic Church.

Outlook Club of Rock Hill Records - Accession 210

Organized in 1904 as the Monday Afternoon Club and later the Monday Club, it became the Outlook Club in 1916. The original purpose of the book club (later the interests of the club were literary, social, and philanthropic) was to affect a better relationship between the wives of the Winthrop College faculty, and the women of Rock Hill, SC. The club was federated by the South Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1907 and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1933. Minutes, reports, correspondence, financial records, program notes, newspaper clippings, membership records, publications, constitutions and bylaws, historical data, yearbooks, bulletins, convention records, magazines, catalogs, memorabilia, and a scrapbook. The records provide information, not only on the club but also on other subjects, including the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, the South Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs, the role of women’s clubs during World War II, and the relationship between the wives of Winthrop College faculty and the women in the Rock Hill community.