INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE - International Committee Announces New Policy

The International Committee has been getting the requests for free or subsidized online or print journal subscriptions and free or subsidized copies of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plants textbook in recent years. The committee has now formulated a specific policy for submitting and reviewing these requests which has also been approved by the Executive Committee. The policy follows:

NEED-BASED POLICY FOR JOURNAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AND THE TEXTBOOK

1. The donation must benefit a significant group of researchers and students, not just a single individual or laboratory.

2. The donation should be for institutions with documented inability to pay for the subscription or the book. Each request is to be sponsored by two ASPB members, preferably both resident in the country in which the request originated.

3. Each request is to be presented to the full membership of the International Committee for discussion and vote by email quarterly. The deadline for requests is to be widely circulated in ASPB News and on the Society website. A database is to be created for all requests. The recommendation of the International Committee will be final. The International Committee is authorized to commit to up to 20 subsidized or free casebound textbook requests annually and up to 20 subsidized or free journal subscriptions (print, online or print + online) on a cumulative basis. The active and ongoing subidized or free journal subscriptions should be reviewed by the committee annually.

4. Free on-line subscriptions are to be restricted to selected electronic addresses. This restriction is necessary to prevent unauthorized use of free subscriptions.

The International Committee welcomes the submittal of valid requests for institutions in countries that are truly in need of such assistance. The requests and supporting information should be sent to ASPB headquarters.