Aligning the Principles of Permaculture Design with

Sustainable Open Access Practice

Jennifer LahertyDigital Publishing LibrarianIU Libraries-Bloomington

Stacy KonkielScience Data Management Librarian

IU Libraries-Bloomington

Open Access Un/Conference: Promote, Impact, Assess San Jose State University || October 25, 2013

05/02/2023

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Handout: http://goo.gl/T9bR29:

Twitter:#PermOA and #OAW13

Stacy Konkiel

https://twitter.com/skonkiel

Research interests include data information literacy for graduate and undergraduate populations, as well as the application of altmetrics in academic library settings.

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• Why this topic now?• What is Permaculture?• The Scholarly Communication landscape• The 12 principles of Permaculture design• Creating sustainable Open Access

practice• Discussion

Overview

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Why this topic now?• Many years; effecting change; slowly

• Burnout, sure, but running through all our efforts is a positive vein

• Needed a boost of spirit; enter Permaculture Design Principles

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What is Permaculture?An ecological design system for sustainability.

buildgrow & restore

create community

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Bill MollisonPermaculture is a ‘Positivistic’ response to environmental crisis. It is about what we want to do and can do rather than what we oppose and want others to change. This response is both ethical and pragmatic, philosophical and technical.Mollison, B. C., & Holmgren, D. (1987). Permaculture one: a perennial agriculture for human settlements. Tyalgum, N.S.W.: Tagari.Holmgren, D. (2002). Permaculture: principles & pathways beyond sustainability. Hepburn, Vic.: Holmgren Design Services.

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The Scholarly Communication Landscape

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Reality #1: We live in a capitalist society.Big Ag Big Pub

The Scholarly Communication Landscape

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Reality #2: Our current systems are based on the assumption of unlimited resources.

Big Ag Big Pub

The Scholarly Communication Landscape

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Reality #3: New technologies and philosophies are upending the dominance of traditional systems.

Big Ag Big Pub

The 12 PermaculturePrinciples & 3 Ethics

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Observe & Interact (Holmgren)

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Observe Continuously | Evolve | Adapt | Avoid Copying Gimmicks

Observe & Interact (Libraries)

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Listen | Build Relationships | Observe | Design | Reply

Win:Win

Catch & Store Energy (Holmgren)

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Collect at peak abundance;build assets for future generations.

Catch & Store Energy (Libraries)

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We do this.

Question today: how to do thiscooperatively while servinglocally?

Obtain a Yield (Holmgren)

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Move from demandingconsumer to responsibleproducer

Obtain a Yield (Libraries)

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Info consumerscan understandeconomic, IP,access/preservationissues especially whenthey become infoproducers

If something we’re doingIsn’t benefiting the librarycommunity, or largercommunity, change/stop.Example: storing data.

Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback (Holmgren)• Discourage inappropriate activity to ensure that

systems can continue to function well.• By empowering ourselves, we contribute to a

more balanced world.

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Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback (Libraries)

• If a user tells us our IR is difficult to use, accept it and plan to incorporate change in future design.

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Use and Value Renewable Resources & Services (Holmgren)

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Use and Value Renewable Resources & Services (Libraries)

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Produce No Waste (Holmgren)

• Definition (Mollison) of a pollutant: “As an output of any system component that is not being used productively by any other component of the system.”

• Minimize/eliminate waste.• What looks like waste could be exchange.

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Produce No Waste (Libraries)

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Connectivity | Shared Resources | EfficienciesCOLLABORATION

SHared Access Research Ecosystem(SHARE)

Design From Patterns to Details (Holmgren)

• “Can’t see the forest for the trees.”

• Step back. Observe patterns in nature and society which can form the backbone of our designs. Fill in details as we go. Complex systems that work tend to evolve from simples ones that work.

• Need to develop a shared language for talking about scale because it is a constant source of error and misunderstanding in any collective action.

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Design From Patterns to Details(Libraries)

• Based on the “patterns” you see in others’ practices, adapt to your own needs, then figure out the details later.

• Make generalizations based on observed disciplinary needs, tailor to individual needs later.

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Integrate Rather Than Segregate (Holmgren)

• By putting the right things in the right place, relationships develop between those things and they work together to support each other.

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Integrate Rather Than Segregate(Libraries)

• Many cooperative relationships go into designing successful systems.

• In favor of partnerships across campus, and offering diverse services.Copyright advice from lawyers in the

libraryDesigning data repositories that

connect with Dropbox

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Use Small & Slow Solutions (Holmgren)

• Systems should be designed to perform functions and the smallest scale that is practical and energy-efficient for that function.

• Working to produce anything of value can be a painstaking experience when we are used to seeing things apparently appear from nowhere.

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Use Small & Slow Solutions (Libraries)

• We are indeed moving slowly and making small changes.

• Working with 1 researcher at a time allows us build capacity to help whole departments.

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2012

1998

Use & Value Diversity (Holmgren)• Diversity values vulnerability to a variety of threats and

takes advantage of the unique nature of the environment in which it resides.

• Think systematically, accept diversity.

• Innovators doing interesting things – which may or may not be worthy of further development – can provide information that others may find useful in developing their own unique sustainable solutions.

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Use & Value Diversity (Libraries)• Disciplinary differences call

for disciplinary solutions.• Diversity in hiring keeps

organizations changing for the better.

• Freely exchanging information with other libraries allows you to learn and adapt new solutions to your own needs.

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Use Edges & Value the Marginal(Holmgren)• Design that sees an edge as opportunity rather than a

problem is more likely to be successful and adaptable.

• The interface between things is where the most interesting events take place. These are often the most valuable, diverse and productive elements in the system.

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Use Edges & Value the Marginal(Libraries)

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• Find the “edges” in your library and leverage for outreach and connection.

• Build relationships across all of campus.

Creatively Use & Respond to Change (Holmgren)• We can have a positive impact on inevitable change by

carefully observing, and then intervening at the right time.

• While stability is important, evolutionary change is essential. Durability, depends, paradoxically, on flexibility and change.

• 4 phases of ecosystem change:o Conservationo Releaseo Reorganizationo Exploitation

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Creatively Use & Respond to Change (Libraries)

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• Stay engaged in the conversation

• Changes are happening in the scholcomm “ecosystem”; how can we use them to our advantage?

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Creating Sustainable OA Practice

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We are all designersDesign maxims that everyone benefits from:• All observations are relative• Top down thinking, bottom up action• The landscape is the textbook• Failure is useful so long as we learn• Elegant solutions are simple even invisible• Make the smallest intervention necessary• Avoid too much of a good thing• The problem is the solution• Recognize and break out of design cul-de-sacsSource: Holmgren, D. (2002). Permaculture: principles & pathways beyond sustainability. Hepburn, Vic.: Holmgren Design Services. Page 15. 05/02/2023@skonkiel; @jlaherty; #PermOA; CC-BY

References

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Holmgren, D (2012). The Essence of permaculture: a summaryOf permaculture concepts and principles taken from‘Permaculture principles & pathways beyond sustainability.’http://holmgren.com.au/downloads/Essence_of_Pc_EN.pdf

Holmgren, D. (2002). Permaculture: principles &pathways beyond sustainability. Hepburn, Vic.: Holmgren Design Services.

http://www.permaculture.org/

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Questions - Discussion

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Thank you!Jen: jlaherty@indiana.edu // @jlahertyStacy: skonkiel@indiana.edu // @skonkiel

Download this presentation:http://hdl.handle.net/2022/16976SlideSharehttp://openlibrarian.org

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