Torte Reform: Elsevier Cuts Library Dessert Reception
Elsevier cancels its vaunted dessert reception for 2013 ALA Midwinter. Public relations director cites “conspicuous lack of appreciation” from librarians.
Tea Party-led Super PAC Coalition Seeks to Limit US Research to US Taxpayers
A surprising new coalition of Tea Party and US-first activists begin an effort to limit US taxpayer-funded research to US taxpayers. Will it succeed?
A New Protest Erupts: Now, the Calendar Wants to Be Free
A sibling of the “information wants to be free” movement advocates freeing the calendar in the progressive town of Santa Cruz, CA.
Why Is Science Both More Important and Less Trusted?
Science has always been politicized, but its political involvement and use is different these days. What is happening? And what can we do about it?
The 2012 Tools of Change Keynote — LeVar Burton Uses the Two Most Important Words
LeVar Burton’s keynote from Tools of Change is amusing, interesting, and inspiring.
The Article — Not Quite Dead Yet
UKSG Coverage – The Future of Scholarly Journals: slow evolution, rapid transformation – or redundancy? @CameronNeylon and @Michael_Mabe debate at #UKSGlive
The Problems With Calling Comments "Post-Publication Peer-Review"
There’s much more to making “post-publication peer-review” work, much less a valid form of peer-review. Rebranding comments and letters isn’t sufficient. Maybe it’s time to recognize over-reach.
Publishing in a Weak Peer-Review Culture — Russian Academics and Paid Publication Practices
A survey of Russian researchers shows a burgeoning paid publications environment in a weak peer-review culture, with a level of cynicism about the process which makes publication less valuable. Are there lessons to be learned?
Innovation — A Word Cheapened
Scott Berkun challenges a common assumption — that being innovative is desirable. Instead, he suggests other things to be, including clear, smart, and savvy.
Comments — The Weakest Part of Blogs, the Weakest Part of Online Journals
Post-publication peer-review systems are still something fancied here and there. But with comments failing on blogs everywhere, especially as traffic grows, more bloggers are talking about new approaches — ones that focus on invited experts, quality opinions, and high standards. Where have we heard that before?
Do Search Engines Owe Publishers? A German Proposal Raises the Question
Should search engines license content for crawling? A potential German law thinks so.
The Story of "Keep Calm and Carry On" — An Iconic Poster Almost Lost Forever
A now-famous poster was printed in large quantities but almost lost to history. Here’s what happened.
A Little Library Can Make a Big Difference — With Your Help
A little library has big plans, and you can help.
E-journal Preservation and Archiving: Whether, How, Who, Which, Where, and When?
A recent study of preservation practices for digital materials raises fundamental questions that aren’t so easy to answer.
Fleshing Out the World Dreamed Of — What If the Idealistic Recommendations Passed?
A new report for the Center of Economic Development suffers from a strong bias in its authorship. But beyond that, its implicit complaints, if addressed completely, would lead to a trainwreck in the world of scholarly communication. Is nobody thinking these things through?