2019 Charleston Library Conference

This will be another in our irregular series of Hyde Park Debates. The proposition to be debated this year is "Resolved: Preprint servers have improved the scholarly communication system."

The structure of the event follows roughly the outline of a formal Oxford Union debate: we begin the proceedings by polling the audience to determine how many agree and how many disagree with the proposition. Then our debaters take the stage: Each delivers a prepared, ten-minute statement, one arguing against the proposition, and the other in favor. Then each gives a three-minute response to the other’s statement. Then we open the floor to discussion with the audience. Following the discussion, we poll the audience again, and whichever debater has moved the most votes is declared the winner.

Oya Rieger (Ithaka S+R, formerly of arXiv) has agreed to argue in favor of the proposition, and Kent Anderson (Caldera Publishing Solutions) will argue against it. Rick Anderson will serve as moderator and timekeeper.