What’s Going on in the Library? Part 1: Librarian Publishers May Be More Important Than You Think

Librarians have been acting in a limited way as publishers since well before the internet, but over the last 5 years or so, a revitalized librarian-publisher movement has emerged. This new wave of library innovation may have had its origins partly in a desire to disrupt traditional publishers, but it’s beginning to make a positive impact on the landscape of scholarly communication in some unexpected ways.

Open Access: Meaning(s) and Goal(s)

Are we all talking about the same thing when we say “open access” — and do we all mean the same thing when we talk about an “open access future”? Short answers: “yes (kind of)” and “no way.”

Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3

There are many reasons to be cheerful in the world of scholarly publishing. Taking a cue from Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and his song, Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3., this post describes an example of good things afoot in the library community. It is up to you to provide parts 1. and 2.

The Role of Scholarly Societies

Is there hope for scholarly societies? Where once perhaps membership benefits from publications were key, now the emphasis will move to the character of academic life and independence from commercial forces. This post aims to engage the reader in thinking through what it means to be a member of a scholarly society