Book Reviews Compilation: Open Access Books on Open Scholarly Communications

Communication, we explore the increasing number of open access books dealing, from a variety of perspectives, with the question of access to knowledge in a digital age in a composite book review. The books in this review article have been selected both for their broad relevance to scholarly communications and access to knowledge (A2K), as well as for practising what they preach in that they make their full texts available online for free download, alongside print versions provided for sale. They provide examples, therefore, not only of the increased access that can be provided by Open Licences (of particular importance in resource-starved African universities), but also demonstrate the success of new business models, in which openness and free access are perceived to be compatible with conventional print publication. It is particularly encouraging to note the presence of several leading academic presses now adopting this publishing model. As is argued in Adam Haupt's Stealing Empire, one of the books reviewed here, the exploration of the role of the Internet in providing access to knowledge involves a range of disciplines, including law, politics, philosophy, economics, technological engineering and communication studies. There are also lessons to be learned from what is happening across different media sectors. Equally, there is a need to address the question of intellectual property law and the power of the media from the perspective of the global South, where the question of access to scientific knowledge is likely to produce different answers to those that emerge from the dominant knowledge economies of the English-speaking North in particular. The first book reviewed deals with the importance of the public domain, and the battle over its erosion, as corporate media try to capture profits in a changing digital environment. Next, two books deal with the impact of new technologies on research, teaching and learning in universities, exploring the potential for open access and open educational resources. Finally, a book that uses examples from the media, music and film sectors, explores the dynamics of cooption and resistance to global corporate power from a South African perspective. Book Reviews Book Reviews BOOK REVIEWS COMPILATION