APS Extends Free Journal Access And Membership To Argentina

Acting quickly in response to the financial turmoil in Argentina, APS Treasurer and Publisher Thomas McIlrath announced that, for institutions holding subscriptions to APS journals in that country in 2001, the APS will continue on- line access without charge for calendar year 2002.

This move comes in the wake of a report to APS that "due to the virtual bankruptcy of the Argentinian banking system, a decree has been set, on January 1, 2002, by which no holder of an account (be it an individual or a business) is allowed to extract more than the equivalent of US $1000 per month, nor can the holder conduct money transfers overseas."

McIlrath has e-mailed the Argentinian subscribers to APS journals, taking note of the financial hardship and making the offer of free on-line access to the same journals that had previously been accessed via paid subscription. At this point, only five or six institutions are involved. The number of subscriptions in Argentina has declined dramatically in recent years in response to the worsening economic conditions there.

"Helping our Argentinian colleagues in this way is the least we could do," says McIlrath. "We hope that the situation will improve by next year, and that at least some of these institutions will be able to resume their status as paying customers at that time."

In addition, APS is also helping its 102 individual members in Argentina, by extending their memberships for six months beyond the expiration date. In an e- mail to all Argentinian members, Executive Officer Judy Franz stated that "APS does not want a temporary downturn in the Argentinian economy or a freeze on individual assets to be the cause for severing the collegial ties that we all depend upon."

This initiative has been very favorably received, says Trish Lettieri, APS Director of Membership. "There have been a number of responses from our members who are very grateful for APS' sensitivity to the current crisis in Argentina."