U.K. Libraries Offer Free Article Access to Walk-Ins

"Public libraries in the United Kingdom are set to play a role in expanding public access to academic research via the recently announced “Access to Research” plan. Thousands of research journal articles will be made available for free: but only on computers located physically within a public library, not remotely. The plan implements one of the key recommendations of the Finch Group, which was commissioned by the U.K. government to investigate how access to publicly funded research could be expanded. The group recommended providing walk-in access to 'the majority of journals in public libraries across the UK.' As the report observed: 'At a time when public libraries are under severe pressure such a move will help to strengthen their position in the communities they serve, and lead to increased usage and value. It would have an immediate effect in extending access to the great majority of journals for the benefit of everyone in the country.' Many U.K. public libraries are experiencing a crisis of funding leading to closures and severe reductions in service. Access to Research provides access to more than 8,000 journals from around the world, on topics such as health, biological research, engineering, and social sciences. It is a result of collaboration between publishers, through the Publishers Association, Publishers Licensing Society, and Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers; and librarians, through the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL). The search delivery software, Summon, was provided for free by ProQuest ..."