Member News & Announcements, October IO 2026
Open Science & Strategic Partnerships
Renewing our partnership to advance open science across Africa
Public Library of Science (PLOS), Voting Member, Blog Post, September 4, 2026
Since 2021, PLOS and TCC Africa have worked together to make open science more inclusive, locally grounded, and meaningful for African researchers. This began from a core desire to ensure African research communities’ interests and values were better represented in PLOS publications and to co-create pathways to a more equitable open science future. Since then, we’ve built networks, relationships and further partnerships based around open science awareness and education, regional capacity building, and policy engagement across the continent.
With the partnership now renewed through 2027, PLOS and TCC Africa will continue to build on established work across multiple countries, with a focus on long-term, sustainable outcomes. This includes expanding national and regional open science dialogues, supporting institutional and national policy review and monitoring, deepening capacity-building efforts, and strengthening engagement with early career researchers.
Expanding Research Initiatives Toward Open Access Publishing
Knowledge Unlatched and University of Michigan Press Formalize Collaboration to Globally Advance Open Access Book Publishing
Knowledge Unlatched (A Division of Annual Reviews), Voting Member, and University of Michigan, LSA Member, News Announcement, September 24, 2026
Knowledge Unlatched (KU), part of the Annual Reviews organization, is pleased to partner with the University of Michigan Press (UMP) on its Fund to Mission initiative, further strengthening the growing network of publishers, librarians, and scholarly organizations working to expand global access to research.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to building a more transparent and collaborative approach to open access publishing. Both KU and the UMP work closely with librarians to increase support of sustainable open access models and create opportunities for collective participation. By bringing institutions together around common objectives, they help strengthen the global infrastructure that supports open scholarship.
AI Ethics & Research Integrity
Supporting researchers to disclose AI use with confidence
Oxford University Press, Voting Member, News Announcement, September 10, 2026
We have updated our author and editor guidelines on the responsible, appropriate, and transparent use of AI, including a policy outlining what AI use should be disclosed when preparing manuscripts for our journals.
In a recent global survey of more than 2,600 researchers, nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents revealed they were unclear what AI use they should disclose, despite there being strong support for disclosure.
Springer Nature Announces Updated Policy for Responsible AI Use
Springer Nature, Voting Member, Press Release, September 10, 2026
As AI continues to evolve, researchers, reviewers and editors are increasingly looking for clear, practical guidance on AI use, with more than 70% seeing publisher guidance as increasingly important. In response, Springer Nature has updated its AI editorial policies and is providing practical guidance to support the responsible and transparent use of AI across the research publishing lifecycle.
Building on the publisher’s AI principles of accountability, transparency and human oversight, alongside the core principle of confidentiality in editorial assessment, the new framework sets out a shared set of principles, supported by tailored guidance to help each group apply them in their day-to-day research and editorial activities.
From Author to Audience: Publishing Diverse Perspectives
Introducing Uncovered: An AUPresses & PBS BOOKS Partnership
Association of University Presses, Voting Member, News Announcement, September 10, 2026
The Association of University Presses (AUPresses), in partnership with PBS Books, is proud to introduce Uncovered https://www.pbsbooks.org/uncovered/, a year-long digital series that invites audiences to explore the outstanding books, distinguished authors, and compelling ideas published by its member presses. The first episode, devoted to Hispanic heritage and culture, will stream on the PBS Books website, YouTube, Facebook, and the PBS app on Tuesday, September 15, at the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Uncovered brings you into conversation with university-press-published authors and explores books connected to some important and fascinating themes shaping our world,” said AUPresses Executive Director Peter Berkery. “We hope that viewers will discover a new author, find their next great read, or encounter an idea that makes them see the world in a new and different way.”
Refined Data & Improved Publishing Workflows
CCC expands Ringgold Organizations with new funder data for scholarly communications
Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), Voting Member, News Announcement, September 10, 2026
Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) has announced the addition of funder data to Ringgold Organizations, a persistent identifier solution widely used by publishers, service providers, and funders. The update introduces more than 21,000 funder records, including a unique Ringgold Funder ID, funder hierarchies, and additional metadata.
The expanded dataset is designed to reduce manual reconciliation by providing standardized, high‑quality funder records, improve publishing workflows through more accurate data integration, and offer insights into the funding landscape to identify risks and opportunities.
Grants: Library Professional Development in AI
OCLC WebJunction awarded IMLS grant to update public library competency framework
OCLC, Voting Member, Press Release, September 10, 2026
OCLC WebJunction®, in partnership with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL), the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), and representatives from seven state libraries, has been awarded a grant to update a public library competency framework. The updated framework will help library staff strengthen their knowledge and skills in today's evolving environment of AI-driven digital transformation, increased community service demands, and expanded workforce development responsibilities.
The 24-month, $299,807 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services will be used to update WebJunction's Competency Index for the Library Field, and design a set of credentials mapped to the Index. The project team will first conduct a study of current library competencies and credentials and document how they are used across the public library field, especially in small and rural libraries. The project will also be informed by WebJunction's recently developed Library Foundational Training (LiFT) core library skills training series, also funded by IMLS.
AI Adoption & Implementation
Clarivate Pulse of the Library 2026 Report Reveals AI Adoption Gaps Across Geographies, Mainland China Advancing Fastest
Clarivate Analytics, Voting Member, Press Release, September 9, 2026
Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CLVT), a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, today released the Pulse of the Library 2026 report. Now in its third year, the global survey examines how libraries are responding to technological change, including AI, shifting priorities and growing demands on staff and resources.
The findings reveal that Mainland China recorded the highest level of AI implementation, with 28% reporting moderate to active implementation, more than double the rate in 2024 and well above the 16% global figure.
Dr. Paul Bate Appointed Chief Executive Director of the British Library
The British Library, LSA Member, Press Release, September 22, 2026
The British Library is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Paul Bate as its new Chief Executive. Paul will take up his new role on 4 November 2026, succeeding Interim Chief Executive Dr Jeremy Silver. Paul brings with him an exceptional record of strategic leadership, innovation and global partnership-building across government, technology, healthcare and the UK space sector. He began his career as a particle physicist, and holds an advisory role as Professor in Practice at the University of Surrey Space Institute.
From 2021-2026, Paul was CEO of the UK Space Agency. During his tenure, national civil space funding increased to unprecedented levels, catalysing private investment and economic growth, and expanding discovery research and infrastructure across the UK. He led two successful negotiations with the European Space Agency, securing record investment and UK mission leadership, and bolstered the UK's global reputation through bilateral programmes and chairing the international Committee on Earth Observation Satellites.
PALNI Announces Retirement of Executive Director Kirsten Leonard
PALNI (Private Academic Library Network of Indiana), Voting Member, Press Release, September 21, 2026
The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) has announced that Executive Director Kirsten Leonard will retire from PALNI in December 2026 after 16 years of leadership. Following a national search, PALNI Associate Director Noah Brubaker has been named the organization’s next Executive Director and will assume the role upon Leonard’s retirement.
“Kirsten is a driven, visionary, strategic leader with the rare ability to also care deeply for those she leads and serves,” says Tonya Fawcett, Grace College Director of Library Services and PALNI board member. “You knew she wanted the PALNI libraries to thrive so they could serve their students well, but she also cared for and supported the people of PALNI. For me, both professionally and personally, working alongside her has been a highlight of my career.”
Coherent Digital Names Andrea Eastman-Mullins Chief Executive Officer
Coherent Digital LLC, Voting Member, Press Release, September 14, 2026
Coherent Digital today announced that Andrea Eastman-Mullins will succeed Stephen Rhind-Tutt as Chief Executive Officer. Rhind-Tutt will continue with the company as Chair and Publisher.
Since its founding in 2018, Coherent Digital has grown from a startup focused on preserving and disseminating underrepresented research and policy content into a growing provider of real-world knowledge, research impact, and information trust services. Under Rhind-Tutt’s leadership, the company has developed more than 80 databases, grown to more than 40 staff, completed multiple acquisitions, and established itself as a leader in preserving, tracking, and amplifying knowledge created outside traditional publishing channels.
Eastman-Mullins brings 30 years of experience in digital publishing, higher education, educational technology, product strategy, and organizational leadership. She has worked closely with many of the institutions and communities Coherent Digital serves and has helped organizations navigate periods of growth and change. Most recently, she led Clarivate’s teaching and learning portfolio and helped establish the foundation for a new AI-enabled learning business. Earlier in her career, she was part of the leadership team that grew Alexander Street Press into a globally recognized digital publisher before its acquisition by ProQuest.
Research Initiatives
IEEE Unveils the IEEE Xplore AI Research Suite™: A New AI Assistant Built on Verified, Expert-Vetted Research
IEEE, Voting Member, Press Release, September 10, 2026
IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, today unveiled the IEEE Xplore AI Research Suite™ built to read and reason over the full text of millions of peer-reviewed IEEE publications, not just abstracts. That means researchers get answers grounded in complete, verified science, delivering a significantly high level of accuracy and trust.
A smarter way to search and understand STEM research
Powered by a proprietary AI system expertly tuned and optimized for STEM literature, the IEEE Xplore AI Research Suite introduces powerful, intelligent features within the IEEE Xplore digital library, which provides full-text access to IEEE standards, journals, magazines, conference proceedings, and more, to transform the research experience. The suite enables users to seamlessly search and discover articles, accelerate their comprehension of complex technical papers, and surface deep insights, replacing rigid keyword queries with natural, conversational research workflows.
Scholarly Publishing Infrastructure
ROR Now Available in Editorial Manager
Crossref, and Aries Systems Corporation, Voting Members, Blog Post, September 3, 2026
The scholarly publishing landscape is a vast, diverse community made up of researchers, organizations/societies, publications, vendors, and more. It can be difficult to disambiguate all the individual data contributors associated with a specific manuscript as it navigates the publishing process. Inconsistent data markers can pose risks to quality, accuracy, and tracking – resulting in costly delays and corrections. To create consistency across these different layers of metadata during the publishing workflow., recommended and standardized persistent identifiers (PIDs) can be leveraged for people, institutions, and funders.
Editorial Manager® (EM) and ProduXion Manager® (PM), the leading peer review and production tracking systems, now support the Research Organization Registry (ROR) as a funder identifier! Once enabled, authors can select funding sources linked to the ROR database from a typeahead picklist during the submission workflow in EM. The auto-suggest menu shows up to thirty highest-ranked matches and narrows as the search term is refined, and it account for acronyms, aliases, and name variants in other languages. Assigning a unique ID to funding information rather than relying on free-text entry fields enables confidence in the reliability of submitted metadata from Authors and it can also be carried downstream to peer review, final disposition, and production. However, authors can still enter the funder as free text when a funder is not found in suggested menu of sources.