Raised by Feral Librarians
A short story about what happens when a library closes.
What is an Academic Journal?
We spend much time these days wondering when the academic journal as we know it will cease to exist. Robert Harington discusses the role of the journal in light of a fascinating new venture in the field of mathematics – the overlay journal Discrete Analysis.
Guest Book Review: Disaster Planning for Libraries: Process and Guidelines
University of Utah Preservation Librarian Randy Silverman reviews Guy Robertson’s “Disaster Planning for Libraries: Process and Guidelines”.
Scholarly Kitchen Podcast: The New Growth Engines
Michael Clarke looks at some of the growth avenues in scholarly communications.
A New Century of Libraries
A whirlwind tour of the fascinating architecture of the modern library.
Putting Publishers’ Views of Libraries into Context
A presentation delivered to the International Coalition of Library Consortia, the thesis of which is that libraries and consortia have adopted policies that inadvertently marginalize smaller publishers, to the advantage of the largest publishers.
Ethnography: A Scientist Discovers the Value of the Social Sciences
What do we mean by ethnographic research? In essence we are talking about a rich, multi-factorial descriptive approach. While quantitative research uses pre-existing categories in its analysis, qualitative research is open to new ways of categorizing data. We take a look at how we can use this technique to delve into the subtleties of online user behavior – a must for publishers and societies involved in new product development
Advancing Research Communication & Scholarship – An Interview with Robin Champieux and Jill Emery about this New Conference
April sees the first Advancing Research Communication & Scholarship conference, described by the organizers as providing a “broad and collaborative forum for addressing and affecting scholarly and scientific communication. Find out more about this new meeting in our interview with two ARCS 2015 Board members, Robin Champieux and Jill Emery
Search Is So 2014
As user expectations on digital experiences change, flat-out “search” is no longer good enough. The up-and-coming users of digital content expect you to know what they want and when they want it, without having to ask for it. These thoughts and more from the recent NFAIS Conference are discussed here.
When Is a Feature a Product, and a Product a Business?
Publishers have to distinguish between features, products, and businesses. Not all features can become full-fledged businesses. Sometimes the best business case for a feature is to link it to an established business, where it adds value to assets that are already in place.
Compliance: The Coming Storm
The administrative burden stemming from funding agency and institutional access policies is just beginning. Can we reduce the severity of this storm with careful planning and collaboration?
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.
Building a 21st Century Library
Another look at the fascinating evolution of the library.
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