Member News & Announcements, August IO 2021

Partnerships & Collaborations

Scientific Publishing Organizations and National Laboratories Partner on Transgender-Inclusive Name-Change Process for Published Papers
John Wiley & Sons, Voting Member, Press Release, July 28, 2021

All seventeen U.S. national laboratories and many prominent publishers, journals, and other organizations in scientific publishing announced today the beginning of a partnership to support name change requests from researchers on past published papers. Global research and education leader Wiley is proud to be among the participating institutions. Publishing 1,900+ academic journals, Wiley was one of the first publishers to implement an inclusive author name change policy in December 2020, which has since been used by more than 65 authors.

This agreement will allow researchers who wish to change their names to more easily claim work from all stages of their careers; it specifically addresses the administrative and emotional difficulties some transgender researchers have experienced when requesting name changes associated with past academic work.

Previously, individual researchers shouldered the burden, administratively and emotionally, of initiating name change requests with each publisher of their past papers. Many publishers have been independently updating their own policies to address an increasing number of name change requests.

ARL, CARL, and Ithaka S+R Launch Joint Project to Advance the Research and Learning Mission
Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and ITHAKA/JStor/Portico, Voting Members, News Announcement, July 23, 2021

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) launched a joint project in June 2021 to explore how libraries advance the higher education sector’s strategic priorities. This is an important time to reflect on the role of research libraries as the research community in Canada and the US confronts such unprecedented global challenges as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and widening economic inequality, and our commitment to addressing structural inequities and systemic racism.

ARL and CARL together commissioned Ithaka S+R to conduct the research and analysis for this project. Throughout 2021, Ithaka S+R is interviewing key stakeholders—provosts, presidents, vice presidents of research, leaders in the scholarly community, chief information officers, chief financial officers, and federal agency leaders—to identify their priorities and recommend opportunities for research library alignment. Ithaka S+R’s work will include a set of indicators that signal changes related to stakeholder strategic intentions.

Lean Library Partners with Ex Libris to Bring Primo and Summon Discovery Further into the Patron Workflow
Ex Libris, Inc., Voting Member, Press Release, July 21, 2021

Lean Library, a SAGE Publishing company, is pleased to announce its partnership with Ex Libris, a ProQuest company and the provider of the Ex Libris Primo® and Summon® library discovery services. The Lean Library–Ex Libris collaboration enables users to query their library’s Primo or Summon service from wherever they start their search online, on sites such as Google, Google Scholar or Wikipedia. For example, when a patron is using Google Scholar to search for content, the Lean Library browser extension enables them to surface relevant results from their library’s instance of Primo or Summon, directly alongside the Google Scholar results.

Lindsay Roberts, Library Team Leader at Cardiff University, said: “We signed up to Lean Library Futures recently as a development partner and are excited to work with them on initiatives like this, that bring the library resources we’ve invested in into our patrons’ workflow for greater discoverability and convenience. This latest integration with Ex Libris has exciting potential to improve the quality and efficacy of our patron’s discovery process. It will enable us to surface our library search and collection wherever patrons are beginning their discovery process, increasing the usage of our collection, including print, and helping improve the accuracy of patron search.”

ASH Chooses Wiley to Publish ASH Clinical News Starting in 2022
John Wiley & Sons, Voting Member, Press Release, July 14, 2021

The American Society of Hematology (ASH), the world's largest professional society concerned with the causes and treatments of blood disorders, and global research and education leader Wiley today announced that, starting in January 2022, Wiley will publish ASH’s industry-leading newsmagazine, ASH Clinical News.

First published in October 2014, ASH Clinical News is a leading source of news and opinion content for the hematology and oncology community, reaching a global audience of more than 75,000 professionals each month in print and online. With more than 300 articles published per year, the magazine has an unparalleled impact on the industry, providing ASH members and hematology professionals alike with news and insights tailored to their needs, with a focus on the latest advances in the field.

National Library signs historic agreement with Internet Archive
Internet Archive, L.S.A. Member, News Announcement, July 13, 2021                         

Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa National Library has reached an historic agreement with Internet Archive. All books left at the end of the Overseas Published Collections (OPC) review process will be donated to Internet Archive, so they can digitise and preserve them, ensuring future access for New Zealanders.

National Librarian Te Pouhuaki Rachel Esson says the National Library has listened to the views of the public and staff who were concerned about losing access to the knowledge contained in the books.

Infrastructures and Platforms

Library launches future with FOLIO
Cornell University Library, L.S.A. Member, News Announcement, July 19, 2021  

At the start of July, Cornell University Library made a giant leap to the future by implementing an innovative integrated library system (ILS) called FOLIO, becoming the first large research library in the world to migrate to the platform. 

Since 2016, Cornell University Library has been collaborating with institutions around the world to develop the new ILS, which is a complex suite of software for running services and operations—from ordering, paying for, cataloging, and lending out materials to analyzing resource use across physical, digital, local, and remote collections. An acronym for “The Future of Libraries Is Open,” FOLIO is envisioned as a sustainable, community-driven alternative to proprietary ILS products that are costly to purchase and maintain and are subject to vendor control. 

The open source and collaborative nature of FOLIO aligns with Cornell University Library’s commitment to open access and the wide sharing of knowledge, according to Simeon Warner, associate university librarian for information technology.

Silverchair Analytics Launches, Providing Flexible, Real-Tme insights to Silverchair Publishers
Silverchair, Voting Member, Press Release, July 14, 2021

Silverchair today announced the launch of Silverchair Analytics, the platform’s new streaming analytics and data analysis solution. Silverchair Analytics offers access to real-time data captured from publisher sites, traditional canned reports, and the ability to create customized reports to meet unique reporting needs. Publishers may also access these metrics and reports through a data visualization dashboard, or they can easy pull platform data into their own storage and reporting environments.

The Silverchair Platform’s reporting and analytics offering is not merely a collection of pre-compiled usage reports delivered via the web—it is a multi-layered solution that is designed for both basic and advanced users. Silverchair’s strategy is focused on unlocking the Silverchair Platform usage data and surfacing it quantitatively and visually to publishers via best-in-class solutions.

Leadership Announcements

UMass Amherst Libraries Announce New Interim Dean
UMass Amherst Libraries, L.S.A. Member, News Announcement, July 15, 2021

On behalf of Provost John McCarthy, the University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries is pleased to announce that Sarah Hutton, Head of Student Success and Engagement, has been appointed interim Dean of Libraries, effective August 22, 2021. To assist with the leadership transition process, the Provost has appointed Jennifer Friedman, Associate Dean for Research and Learning, to serve as acting dean from July 25 to August 21, 2021.

Sarah Hutton has held a number of positions at the UMass Amherst Libraries.  In her current role, Ms. Hutton oversees the Learning Commons, Digital Media Lab, the Libraries’ Assessment and Planning program, and numerous campus-wide partnerships in support of student success and outreach. She also serves as an adjunct in the College of Education. Ms. Hutton has been instrumental in positioning the Libraries as a key partner in UMass’ strategic goals of creating an exceptional student experience on campus. 

Alison McGonagle-O’Connell joins HighWire as Senior Director of Marketing
HighWire Press, Voting Member, News Announcement, June 30, 2021

Alison McGonagle-O’Connell is now Senior Director of Marketing at HighWire. O’Connell’s nearly 20 years of experience in scholarly communications include 10 years working for commercial publishers, and more recently, leading marketing and community initiatives for software as a service providers in the space including Ebsco Information Systems, Aries Systems, and Coko.

O’Connell leads HighWire’s Marketing team, and has full responsibility for increasing HighWire’s engagement in the space, in addition to participating on the Executive Leadership Team. O’Connell is well positioned with experience successfully developing community around platform tools supporting editorial and production workflow management, as well as dissemination and discovery technologies. She is a skilled community facilitator, and an active participant in industry initiatives and professional development organizations including the NISO CRediT initiative, Council of Science Editors, Peer Review Week, and more.

Policies and Procedures

GPO Implements New Telework And Remote Work Policy
U. S. Government Publishing Office (GPO), Voting Member, Press Release, July 15, 2021

The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) is implementing 100 percent telework and remote work options for eligible teammates. The new policy comes after the success of maximum teleworking during to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, about one-third of the GPO workforce has been teleworking at 100 percent capacity. Teammates who are eligible for telework will work with their supervisors on choosing the best option that ensures continued productivity for GPO. With supervisor approval, the policy also allows teammates to work remotely from a geographic area outside of the Washington, DC metro area.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, GPO productivity levels increased, proving that both telework and remote work are successful for GPO,” said GPO Director Hugh Nathanial Halpern. “This new policy is the most ground-breaking change to GPO operations since we started putting Government information online in the 1990s. It is a win for both GPO and our teammates, and I am thrilled that we can modernize the way we work.”

GPO production staff remain working 100 percent of the time at agency facilities. These teammates continue to produce the Congressional Record, Federal Register, the U.S. passport, and other information products for Congress, the White House and Federal agencies.

Collections and Archives

Notre Dame launches platform for online access to library, museum holdings
University of Notre Dame, L.S.A. Member, News Announcement, July 21, 2021

The Hesburgh Libraries and the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame have launched Marble (Museums, Archives, Rare Books and Libraries Exploration) — an online teaching and research platform designed to make distinctive cultural heritage collections from across the University accessible through a single portal.

The development of Marble was made possible, in part, by a three-and-one-half-year grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to create an open-access, unified software solution that would enable universities to access museum and library holdings through a single online platform.

University libraries, archives and museums nationwide have been digitizing collections for well over a decade and have long sought collaborative solutions that would enable their respective holdings to be easily discovered online and used for teaching and research. However, there have been many obstacles preventing efficient and expansive research across collections, including disparate technical systems, discipline-specific practices and descriptive metadata norms.

EBSCO Information Services Releases Art Magazine Collection Archive
EBSCO Information Services, Voting Member, Press Release, July 15, 2021

An extensive, searchable digital archive of three essential art magazines, The Magazine ANTIQUES, ARTnews and Art in America is now available through EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO). Art Magazine Collection Archive is a valuable resource that offers a broad view of contemporary art, visual art and fine arts. The archive enables libraries to expand its special collections and support art research.

Art Magazine Collection Archive is a fully searchable full-text archive that assists researchers and those interested in topics such as ancient art, architecture, art preservation, contemporary art, contemporary American art, decorative arts, fine arts, interior design, international art and visual arts. Coverage of the digital archive includes 1,200 issues of The Magazine ANTIQUES (1922-2016), 2,100 issues of ARTnews (1902-2006) and 650 issues of Art in America (1913-2015).

In the digital archive, each issue is presented in its entirety as originally published. All articles and cover pages are fully indexed, and advertisements are individually identified, so researchers can quickly and easily find the information they need using EBSCOhost® and EBSCO Discovery Service™. Like all of EBSCO’s magazine archives, Art Magazine Collection Archive is available as a one-time purchase.

Financials, Mergers, and Acquisitions

Oxford University Press sees strong shift to digital in a year of disruption
Oxford University Press, Voting Member, Press Release, July 15, 2021

Oxford University Press (OUP)—the world’s largest university press—has released its annual report 2020-21 showing that, despite the challenges of the pandemic, it delivered a solid financial performance and responded to meet the rapidly shifting needs of learners and researchers globally.

OUP recorded a Group turnover of £754.5 million (10.7 per cent decrease on 2019-20), with a surplus of £70.5 million (down 35 per cent on the prior year). The Academic Division achieved turnover growth as the demand for high-quality research content increased, particularly in digital formats. The Education and English Language Teaching (ELT) Divisions both saw turnover declines due to lower levels of digitization in their markets and a larger exposure to less resilient emerging economies, but there were some outstanding performances in some markets, including the UK and China.

The Academic Division added more than 2,000 works to Oxford Scholarship Online, while open access publishing continued to flourish, with a 32 per cent increase in articles published in 2020. 

ALA applauds FY 2022 federal funding for libraries in House Appropriations bill, looks to Senate for support
American Library Association (ALA), Voting Member, Press Release, July 15, 2021

The American Library Association (ALA) welcomed substantial increases in federal funding for libraries approved today by the House Appropriations Committee. The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, saw an increase of $9 million, raising a total of $206.5 million for the nation’s primary source of federal funding for libraries. The increase for LSTA, if it holds in the final bill, would be the eighth-consecutive increase for libraries. Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL), a program designed to support effective school library literacy initiatives, saw a $3 million increase, making for a total $31 million for the Department of Education program.  

This full spending package heads to the House floor in the coming weeks. The Senate will begin taking up its funding bills later this summer.

Open Access, Open Science

Emerald Publishing collaborates with the China Centre for Internet Economy Research to launch new open access journal
Emerald Group Publishing, Voting Member, Press Release, July 13, 2021

Emerald Publishing has collaborated with the China Centre for Internet Economy (CCIE) Research to launch the Journal of Internet and Digital Economics.

The journal is dedicated to become the first comprehensive open-access economic journal focusing on the basic theories, empirical applications, and policy implications of internet and digital economics, an emerging field of economics that has been expanding rapidly since the late twentieth century.

It’s first issue will be published in mid-September and will include original research papers relating to all aspects of internet and digital economics, including but not limited to the principles and basic mechanisms of the digital economy, new economic phenomena and activities in the digital age, economic and social impacts of internet and digital technologies, evolving consumer behaviours, firm dynamics and government supervision in the new economy, and industrial organisation in both ICT-centred and ICT-enhanced sectors of the economy.