INFORUM 2006 - 12. Annual Conference On Professional Information Resources

Open Access: an Overview from the UK

Author: Allan Foster,  Information Industry Consultant & Writer, United Kingdom

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About the author

Allan Foster has had a 36 year professional career which has taken him across public library, polytechnic, university and special library sectors. He took early retirement from his post as Director of Information Services (and University Librarian) at Keele University at the end of October 2005 where he had responsibility for libraries, IT and media services since 1994. He was previously Librarian and Information Services Manager at Manchester Business School, part of the University of Manchester (1988-94), and has had spells at Lancashire Polytechnic (as Chief Librarian), Sheffield City Polytechnic, the British Institute of Management & Somerset County Library.

His main areas of interest include strategic information planning, the use of networked information, electronic database provision, business information and information/knowledge management. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, seminars and professional meetings nationally and internationally, and he has written many books, reports and journal articles on these subjects.

He has been a consultant to a number of companies and public sector organisations in the UK, mainland Europe, Asia and South America, and is external examiner at two UK universities. He has a degree in social sciences and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals.

From 1st November 2005 he has been undertaking a variety of information work including consultancy, training, PR and ad hoc applied research.