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

[Richard Anderson]

Dear Professor Ferreiro,

I agree that this is quite sad. How can the organization call itself 
the International Reading Association and publish only journals in 
English  slanted toward U. S. educators? I know money is a problem at 
the present time but I would hope that savings could be made 
elsewhere. This is an issue on which the Reading Hall of Fame should 
take a stand.

Sincerely,

Dick Anderson


At 01:21 AM 5/1/2009, you wrote:

>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)
>
>
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Richard C. Anderson
Professor, Department of Educational Psychology , University of Illinois
Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois
Director, Center for the Study of Reading, University of Illinois
Professor, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University
Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong 
Polytechnic University
President, China Children's Books

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