Off to the Printer! – OER + ScholComm

“Folks, this is a big moment! We’ve been working towards an open textbook about scholarly communication librarianship for a long time. It was the core of our initial collaboration, which goes all the way back to 2016. A lot has happened (ahem) in the interim. Last fall we submitted the complete manuscript of Scholarly Communication Librarianship and Open Knowledge to ACRL. In May, we got the copyedited manuscript back and spent most of the summer working through changes. Recently, we reviewed two rounds of proofs, shared cover ideas with our designer and gave design feedback. Last week the formatted book went to the printer! Yesterday, we were in the September issue of The Syllabus from ACRL newsletter, and on Monday, we shared the beautiful cover, which we’re thrilled with.”

Off to the Printer! – OER + ScholComm

“Folks, this is a big moment! We’ve been working towards an open textbook about scholarly communication librarianship for a long time. It was the core of our initial collaboration, which goes all the way back to 2016. A lot has happened (ahem) in the interim. Last fall we submitted the complete manuscript of Scholarly Communication Librarianship and Open Knowledge to ACRL. In May, we got the copyedited manuscript back and spent most of the summer working through changes. Recently, we reviewed two rounds of proofs, shared cover ideas with our designer and gave design feedback. Last week the formatted book went to the printer! Yesterday, we were in the September issue of The Syllabus from ACRL newsletter, and on Monday, we shared the beautiful cover, which we’re thrilled with.”

2023 ACRL/SPARC Forum: Editorial Board Resignations to Align Journals with Community over Commercialization – SPARC

“The past year has seen a resurgence of journal editorial boards resigning in protest over commercial publisher policies. With a track record stretching back over a decade, these collective resignations are an effective strategy for creating immediate change and empowering researchers to take back control of their publication.

As in years past, many resignations center on objections to high publishing fees, but an increasing number are also driven by pressure to vastly expand publication volume and a dismissive attitude toward scholars’ visions for their journals. The common thread through each is the prioritization of commercialization over the best interests of the communities each journal seeks to serve.”

Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News – Beth McNeil Assumes ACRL Presidency

“Beth McNeil, dean of Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, has assumed the role of president of the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL)….

Since becoming a member of ACRL in 1989, McNeil has held a variety of roles within the organization, most recently she served as vice-president. Building on her predecessors’ achievements, McNeil aims to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in the institution and its member libraries as well as recognize and promote sustainable and open scholarship during her one-year tenure. “The move to open science/open scholarship will lead to fundamental changes for higher education and our libraries, and I believe that college and university librarians have a role and a responsibility in changing the model. I trust ACRL can continue to build its support and advocacy in this area, and I look forward to the challenge of helping to shift academic culture towards a more equitable, open future.”…”

Using Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Justice – ACRL Insider

“ACRL announces the publication of Using Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Justice, edited by CJ Ivory and Angela Pashia, which explores the opportunities and challenges of moving the discussion about open educational resources (OER) beyond affordability to address structural inequities found throughout academia and scholarly publishing.

Learn more about Using Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Justice in this Introduction from the editors, licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. …”

Open Access, Publics, and the Plunder of the Commons | ACRL 2023 Conference, March 17 | Pittsburgh, US

Abstract: “Are transformative agreements really transformative? Is open access (OA) more than a PR tool for commercial publishers, an ornament on an otherwise impenetrable firewall, an air freshener in the landfill of corporate profiteering and shrinking library budgets? Is OA actually open, is it accessible? Where is “the public” in this? Where also is the “public” in “public library”? We pose these questions as the occasion for a critical analysis of the political economy of OA, as well as an opening to a more radical practice. Our panel presents the perspectives of librarians involved in scholarly-communication advocacy and library publishing, alongside that of a scholar-led OA publisher….”

Participants: EIleen Joy, punctum books; Dolsy Smith, The George Washington University

Intersections of Open Educational Resources and Information Literacy – ACRL Insider

“ACRL announces the publication of Intersections of Open Educational Resources and Information Literacy, book number 79 in the Publications in Librarianship series. Edited by Mary Ann Cullen and Elizabeth Dill, the book captures current open education and information literacy theory and practice and providing inspiration for the future. …”

Call for Proposals: College & Research Libraries Topical Issue on Open and Equitable Scholarship | deadline: October 3, 2022 | Association of College and Research Libraries, US

“ACRL’s Research and Scholarly Environment Committee is planning a topical issue of College & Research Libraries (C&RL) around new research on how the academic and research library workforce has accelerated change in the scholarly communications environment. We are particularly interested in articles on recent research that advances the three priority areas established in ACRL’s 2019 report Open and Equitable Scholarly Communications: Creating a More Inclusive Future (available for download or purchase): people, content, and systems. In that report, the first section on people addresses embracing diversity and inclusion, improving the working lives of people engaged in scholarly communications, and increasing awareness concerning creators’ rights. The second section, content, acknowledges the opportunity for greater inclusion and openness by rethinking what scholarship “counts” and creating more representative and open collections. The third section on systems identifies several avenues to explore: supporting sustainable technological infrastructure, creating systems that permit more access to more people, building mission-aligned organizational and financial systems, and advancing innovation in academic libraries. To learn more about the report, view a recorded webinar from when it was first released. For this C&RL topical issue, the research may use any investigative methods appropriate to addressing the research question(s). These include but are not limited to: standard quantitative and qualitative approaches, as well as critical evaluations, case studies, reflective essays, and (auto)ethnography. Articles resulting from collaborative research involving librarians and other higher education stakeholders, such as institutional researchers, faculty, administration, students, or community partners are particularly welcome. Given the focus of Open and Equitable Scholarly Communications on valuing different ways of knowing, the committee particularly welcomes adventurous scholarship, and we encourage work on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion as they relate to academic libraries and scholarly communication. Proposals Proposals should be a maximum of 750 words. They should clearly outline the methodology and findings of the research, as well as its relevance to this topical issue, specifically its connection to the ACRL report Open and Equitable Scholarly Communications: Creating a More Inclusive Future, as described above. Prospective authors should submit a proposal by 5 p.m. Central on Monday, October 3, 2022, for open peer review. Submit via C&RL’s submission system (login required) and please note in your cover page that your submission is a proposal for the Open and Equitable Scholarly Communications topical issue….”

Transforming Library Services for Computational Research with Text Data: Environmental Scan, Stakeholder Perspectives, and Recommendations for Libraries – ACRL Insider

“ACRL announces the publication of a new white paper, Transforming Library Services for Computational Research with Text Data: Environmental Scan, Stakeholder Perspectives, and Recommendations for Libraries, from authors Megan Senseney, Eleanor Dickson Koehl, Beth Sandore Namachchivaya, and Bertram Ludäscher.

This report from the IMLS National Forum on Data Mining Research Using In-Copyright and Limited-Access Text Datasets seeks to build a shared understanding of the issues and challenges associated with the legal and socio-technical logistics of conducting computational research with text data. It captures preparatory activities leading up to the forum and its outcomes to (1) provide academic librarians with a set of recommendations for action and (2) establish a research agenda for the LIS community….”

Stories of Open: Opening Peer Review through Narrative Inquiry – ACRL Insider

“ACRL announces the publication of Stories of Open: Opening Peer Review through Narrative Inquiry by Emily Ford, book number 76 in ACRL’s Publications in Librarianship series, which examines the methods and processes of peer review as well as the stories of those who have been through it. Stories of Open is the first book to go through the Publications in Librarianship open peer review process. …”

COMMENTS OF THE LIBRARY COPYRIGHT ALLIANCE REGARDING COPYRIGHT AMENDMENT BILL

“IIPA [International Intellectual Property Alliance] attacked subsection 12D7(a) as a threat to “academic freedom” because it gives the author of a scientific article that is the result of a research activity primarily funded by the government the right to make the article available on an open access basis. This is a truly Orwellian argument. How does preserving a scientist’s right to make her research publicly available undermine her academic freedom? The statute doesn’t obligate her to provide open access, although the Government certainly has the authority to do so as a condition of its providing the research funding. Indeed, the United States government conditions it research grants on making the resulting articles available on an open access basis. So do the EU and many other research funders around the world.

College & Research Libraries News to Move to Online-Only Publishing Model – ACRL Insider

“College & Research Libraries News (C&RL News), the official newsmagazine and publication of record of ACRL, will adopt an online-only publication model beginning in January 2022. The December 2021 issue will be the final print issue of the magazine. C&RL News is freely available as an open access online publication….”

ACRL 2021 Environmental Scan

“Every other year, the ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee provides a scan of higher education, detailing the current environment and its anticipated impact on libraries. While this year’s Environmental Scan is no different in terms of scope, we are now facing challenges to higher education on a scale not seen in decades. Across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives and livelihoods of millions of people, and in the United States, this disruption has been compounded by the eruption of protests surrounding civil rights and other social justice issues. While the 2021 Environmental Scan covers developments over the last two years (2019 and 2020), the events of 2020 are anticipated to have lasting repercussions, and, while not the primary focus, are a common thread throughout the document….

After years of debate, more academic libraries have begun to rethink the big deal, often with support from their faculty. Florida State University, Iowa State University, the State University of New York (SUNY), the University of California, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill have all cancelled big deal packages in recent years. These decisions have been driven by evolving licensing principles, increased open access content, cost considerations, and new tools to analyze the impact of more targeted subscriptions.91 With current and inevitable future budget cuts taking place across the country, one can expect this trend to continue. Colleges and universities are facing difficult times that will impact academic library budgets, prompting major transformations in collection management, including the consideration of how to manage big deal packages.

ACRL’s Publications in Librarianship Monograph Series Launches Open Peer Review for Intersections of Open Educational Resources and Information Literacy – ACRL Insider

“ACRL’s Publications in Librarianship (PIL) series—a peer-reviewed collection of books that examine emerging theories and research—is launching its third open peer review, for Intersections of Open Educational Resources and Information Literacy, edited by Elizabeth Dill and Mary Ann Cullen….”

ACRL’s Publications in Librarianship Monograph Series Launches Open Peer Review for Intersections of Open Educational Resources and Information Literacy – ACRL Insider

“ACRL’s Publications in Librarianship (PIL) series—a peer-reviewed collection of books that examine emerging theories and research—is launching its third open peer review, for Intersections of Open Educational Resources and Information Literacy, edited by Elizabeth Dill and Mary Ann Cullen….”