[Reading-hall-of-fame] Concerns about Spanish Journal of IRA

[ferreiro at cinvestav.mx]

Dear colleagues of the Reading Hall of Fame:

I guess that I am the only Latin-American member of the RHF.  As such, I
feel the need to share with you an astonishing action taken by IRA Board
without further discussion. To say it shortly, they decided to drop out
the only Spanish Journal of IRA (Lectura y Vida) taking into account only
financial reasons. This Journal has 30 years of continuous existence. It
reaches all the countries of the region and has also many USA readers.

I was a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of LyV (Lectura y Vida)
since the early years of this Journal. I can certify of the growing impact
this Journal had over the years. It started when reading and writing
research was at its beginnings in the region.  It was a time when military
dictatorships were alive in many countries (having well known consequences
in scientific and educational life). Little by little, LyV increased its
influence through Latin-America. Many (if not all regional subscribers)
knew about IRA through LyV.  Contributions from many researchers and
educators of various countries enhanced progressively the level of the
Journal. Nowadays, LyV is competitive, in academic terms, to other IRA
journals such as JAAL.

The present Editors were appointed end 2007, after a long and careful
competition process. The first 2008 issue of LyV represented a big
accomplishment since the Advisory Board included 52 names of leading
educators and researchers from 14 different Latin-American countries plus
USA, Israel and four European countries (Spain, France, Belgium and
Switzerland).

Of course, financial arguments need serious consideration. Probably the
Journal, in its present printing form, cannot survive. But there are
alternatives to reduce production and distribution costs (including an
on-line version),  The Board has put a deadline to LyV (December 2010),
taking this decision without hearing other voices and in a “secret”
procedure.

I am sharing these concerns with my colleagues of the RHF for two reasons.
First, because we are attached to IRA and, some way or another, we are
affected by the decisions made by the Board. Second, because IRA aims to
be, by its very name, International. There seems to be a contradiction
between the Obama’s policy towards LA region and the IRA Board’s policy.
We are in a period of financial crisis, ok. Could we ignore policy
reasons? Did IRA’s Board evaluate the political impact of their decision
on the Latin American members of IRA?

Unfortunately, I will not be able to join you at the Minnesota Meeting.
That is why I am sending this message. I am not suggesting that the RHF,
as such, take position. I am only sharing a concern. A major one.
Best regards,
EMILIA FERREIRO
(By the way, I inform you that I was recently appointed Emeritus
Researcher of the Mexican National System of Researchers)