Latin America and the Caribbean Social Science Virtual Libraries Network. (Open access to full-text social science publications from Latin America and the Caribbean: the case of CLACSO´s virtual libraries network)

Abstract

Emerging trends in academic e-publishing and e-libraries in Latin America and the Caribbean are more related to particular problems in the region -reduced number of copies printed, inter-library loans nearly nonexistent among cities and countries due to postal costs, discontinuity in library collections- than to the dynamics of the international academic editorial business. This presentation describes how CLACSO, an academic network gathering 168 social science research institutions from 21 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, is working towards a cooperative portal for open access to full-text publications of CLACSO´s network in support of education and research.