-·;.. ·

ASSOCIATION
OF AMERICAN
PUBL SHERS
July 25, 2016
Roman Kochan
Dean of Library Services
University Library
California State University
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, California 90840-1901
Dear Dean Kochan,
I am disappointed to learn that a librarian from California State University, Long Beach, Gabriel Gardner,
recently praised the notorious pirate site Sci-Hub and recommended that attendees at a session use the site.
Mr. Gardper was a panelist at the American Library Association's session "Resource Sharing in
Tomorrowland - a Panel Discussion About the Future ofinterlibrary Loan" at the association's annual
conference in Orlando. On the panel he said, essentially, "Try it, you'll like it."
Sci-Hub has been enjoined from further operation as an unlawful enterprise that has committed mass theft of
copyrighted material. Sci-Hub should not be equated with any legitimate interlibrary loan or open access
publishing practices.
Sci-Hub's methods are not benign; they include illegally accessing the secure computer networks of a large
number of major universities by, among other methods, hijacking "proxy" credentials used to facilitate offcampus remote access to university computer systems and databases. The techniques employed by it to defeat
security standards are similar to those employed by other cyber intrusions. These intrusions compromise the
security of colleges, universities, hospitals, database owners and individuals' personal computers, because SciHub could not only access scientific databases but potentially gain access to proprietary and confidential
information of researchers, staff and students at compromised universities.
As a member of the California State University system it is surprising that a CSU Long Beach librarian would
promote the activities of an adjudicated thief who has compromised university computer systems and
databases worldwide.
Unfortunately, Sci-Hub supporters invoke academic freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of scientific inquiry,
and encouraging universal access to the results of scientific research to justify the theft of intellectual
property. Such rationalizations do not in my opinion justify providing public encouragement for
unquestionably illegal activity to institutions and the scholarly communication system. I believe such public
encouragement from one of your librarians is inconsistent with the university library's mission and its
leadership in support of scientific research.
Sincerely,

THOMAS H. ALLEN

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

455 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW, SUITE 700 WASHINGTON, DC 20001 PHONE {202) 347-3375 WWW.PUBLISHERS.ORG
71 FIFTH AVE, 2ND FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10003 PHONE {212} 255-0200 WWW.PUBLISHERS.ORG