Panel calls on US agencies to develop policies for better public access to research results - January 14, 2010
An expert panel of librarians, library scientists, publishers and university academic leaders has called on US federal agencies that fund research, to develop and implement a more robust scholarly publishing system. The policies ought to ensure free public access to the results of the research they fund ‘as soon as… Read More
Institute of Physics publishes briefing note on climate change - December 8, 2009
The Institute of Physics (IOP) has published a physics briefing note to help understand the science behind climate change as several world leaders have gathered in Copenhagen to discuss environmental issues. Prof. Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, President of the IOP, has expressed hope that world leaders… Read More
Research community members seek to resolve author name ambiguity issue - December 7, 2009
Various members of the research community have announced their intent to collaborate to resolve the existing author name ambiguity problem in scholarly communication. Together, the group hopes to develop an open, independent identification system for scholarly authors. This follows the first Name Identifier Summit held last month in Cambridge, MA,… Read More
Nobel laureates express support for open access to publicly funded research - November 18, 2009
A group of 41 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, including 16 chemists, are urging the US Congress to require the results of federally funded research to be made freely available online. In an open letter to lawmakers the Nobel laureates endorse the Federal Research Public Access Act of 2009. The legislation would… Read More
Open Book Alliance criticises Google’s revised book settlement proposal - November 17, 2009
Internet search services provider Google, Inc., the Authors Guild (AG) and the Association of American Publishers (AAP) recently released their revised book settlement proposal in an attempt to revise the existing legal agreement. According to Open Book Alliance co-chair Peter Brantley, the… Read More
ARL brings out E-book Collections, SPEC Kit 313 - October 6, 2009
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has announced the publication of the E-book Collections, SPEC Kit 313. The kit examines the current use of e-books in ARL member libraries; their plans for implementing, increasing, or decreasing access to e-books; purchasing, cataloging and collection management issues; and… Read More
Chief academic officers at 18 US varsities support public access legislation - October 5, 2009
The Chief Academic and Research Officers of 18 research universities in the US have declared their support for the Federal Research Public Access Act in a letter recently issued by the Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA). The officers represent public and private institutions across 10 states.… Read More
OCLC convenes council to study and develop new WorldCat Record Use Policy - September 16, 2009
Global library cooperative OCLC, US, has announced that its board of trustees has convened a Record Use Policy Council. The council will draw upon the fundamental values of the OCLC cooperative and engage with libraries worldwide to develop the next generation of the WorldCat Record Use… Read More
Association of Research Libraries publishes Public Engagement, SPEC Kit 312 - September 1, 2009
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has published Public Engagement, SPEC Kit 312, which explores the ways in which traditional ‘outreach’ programmes in academic libraries are evolving to address the emergent concept of ‘public engagement’ at the institutional level. It also looks at the degree to… Read More
Nielsen Book issues e-book listings policy statement - August 17, 2009
Nielsen Book, operator of the UK ISBN Agency and provider of product information, transaction and sales measurement services for the English language book industry worldwide, has announced its listings policy for e-books. This is in response to the International ISBN Agency recently issuing a policy statement… Read More
