Worldwide Rural Research & Education Network (WRREN)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Rural Sociology Online (RuSOL) is an innovative, digital venture of the Rural Sociology Society (RSS), Penn State Press, Pennsylvania State University Libraries and Pennsylvania State University Library Computing Services to create an online source for scholars, students and policy experts who specialize in rural issues. RuSOL will provide useful resources to the scholarly community while offering insight into the role that digital technology can play in the world of scholarly communication. The portal will provide digital access to current and past issues of Rural Sociology, the flagship journal of RSS, working papers of the Society, books in the Rural Study Series, conference proceedings, data, bibliographic information, collections of scholarship not publishable in today's economic environment, policy briefs, links to relevant web sites, and additional content as appropriate. Each of the partners brings special strength to this venture: Pennsylvania State University is a public, land-grant university; Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has a strong Rural Sociology Program; University Libraries has strengths in agricultural and rural issues; and Penn State Press has an ongoing relationship with the Rural Sociological Society through publication of the Society's Rural Studies Series. SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition), an alliance of research libraries, library organizations and research institutions, is another critical partner in its support of projects such as RuSOL that promote a more competitive scholarly publishing marketplace.