Econport: Creating and Maintaining a Knowledge Commons

Abstract

The paper presents an example of the blurring of the boundaries and stakeholders in the knowledge commons. The authors describe a digital library that they built as a teaching facility, independently of the university's library. At center stage is EconPort, an open access digital library for students, instructors, and researchers in economics, in essence, a new knowledge commons. The authors describe the content of EconPort and the educational philosophy that underlies its creation. From an economist's perspective, they present a case study of the incentives, risks, and possible negative externalities of creating and maintaining a locally-based, discipline-focused digital library and virtual experimental laboratory. They also discuss issues of preservation of such an individualized resource.