North American Institute for Conflict Resolution (NAICR), is developing a project to create a digital library of dispute resolution and peace-building books, articles and training materials, to be made available online by subscription and at modest cost.
Such a resource could put an outstanding collection into the hands of virtually every school and library and practitioner, in every corner of the world reached by the Internet.
THE BENEFIT TO THE FIELD: There is a huge increase in high quality books, articles, training materials and resources coming available in the field of conflict resolution and peace-building. Little of it reaches public and private bookshelves. Yet the need for wide dissemination of this information is growing exponentially. A readily accessible Online Library of conflict resolution and peace-building materials would sharpen our awareness of the far wider applications of our craft and open our field and our opportunities more to the critical agenda of increasing harmony and peaceable ways among the peoples of the world.
Anyone with a computer and Internet access can have access to these materials, plus the ability to research in, acquire and use such of them as are desired. Here is the model envisioned for this work:
A: USER ACCESS: Users access the materials through subscription and ad hoc use. Some of the materials will be freely available. All will be indexed and summarized and easily searchable. Section C: Document Management describes some of the varying levels of subscription services.
B: BENEFITS TO CONTENT CREATORS AND COPYRIGHT HOLDERS Content creators and copyright holders will be compensated in two ways: by individual document pricing (if they so choose) and by profit-sharing. Levels of participation can be established that give greater or lesser access to the materials. The profit-sharing relationship with
NAICR will create an incentive to keep document prices reasonable. Because copyright holders are relieved of publication, promotion and distribution costs for materials distributed through this Digital Library, they should see real advantages to it.
C. DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT: Through use of a sophisticated document management platform, distribution will be available in various levels of access, from partial and full viewing to downloading. Access can be controlled to allow (1) viewing only, (2) printing (with number of copies controlled), and (3) download. In addition, materials can be searchable by author, title, topics and keywords in summaries as well as in full-text.
____________________
NAICR has the expertise and support network to pull together a worthwhile collection. NAICR co-founder and project leader is Barbara Ashley Phillips, a mediation pioneer and author of two books in the field. As a nonprofit corporation based in the U.S. with offices in Oregon and in Alberta, Canada, NAICR is in a unique position to access North American and world-wide support.
____________________
This project needs resounding support from the conflict resolution community to get off the ground. Tell us what you would like to see in such a resource. And let us know if you are interested in and can constructively contribute to the work of the CR Advisory Committee for this Project.
Please reply to info@crtraining.org, Re: Online Dispute Resolution Library.
Thank you.
Barbara Ashley Phillips
Executive Director
