(Re)Defining the Library, Part 1: Why?
With changes in the scholarly communications world, many old questions for the library are unsettled once again, and many news ones arise. In this first part of a two-part post, we’ll ask the questions.
A Little Library Can Make a Big Difference — With Your Help
A little library has big plans, and you can help.
Achieving the "Golden Age of Librarians" — An Ambitious Project of Deep Redefinition
Are you a library or a librarian? How you answer that question may have a direct bearing on your ability to adapt to the digital age, T. Scott Plutchak tells us in a recent paper based on a 2011 lecture.
"Librarians" — An Endangered Species?
A recent analysis suggests some worrisome trends for librarianship.
Will a Renewed Re-examination of the Big Deal Itself Be a Big Deal?
As budgets make librarians look for better deals, the Big Deals fall under close scrutiny.
The Rhetorical Consequences of STM "Madlibs" — Saving [ __________ ] from [ ____________ ]
Instead of filling in the blanks of attribution with the same old agents, maybe we need to go beyond the usual suspects.
What Patron-Driven Acquisition (PDA) Does and Doesn't Mean: An FAQ
Patron-driven acquisition — what does it mean? This FAQ deals with how PDA approaches books, journals, and libraries.
HarperCollinsGate: Some Thoughts
The HarperCollins e-book lending limitations provide lessons in how both sides typically deal with change.
Prices, Models, and Fairness: A (Partly) Imaginary Phone Conversation
[Phone rings.] Librarian: Hello? Sales Rep: Hello! Robert from Acme Scholarly Journals here. As you know, for the past year we’ve been working on a new pricing model for our journal package, and now that it’s ready my boss and […]
Responding to One of Darnton's Three Jeremiads — the Google Books Settlement
An essay in the New York Review of Books about the Google Books Settlement is based on flawed reasoning. Here’s why.
Libraries and Netflix — Questionable Borrowing Practices From People Who Know From Borrowing
Libraries publicize their use of Netflix to save money on acquiring digital video for patrons, opening a potentially costly can of worms.
The Mismeasurement of Public Libraries — via FedEx, Netflix, Starbucks, and VISA
A recent infographic from OCLC shifts the value considerations for libraries into a potentially risky realm, a mismeasure of value that’s just not necessary.
Librarians Do Gaga: Is “Glee” a New Business Model for Librarianship?
Librarians make a video parody of a Lady Gaga song, with some memorable results.
STM Association Spring Conference: Are Publishers Listening?
The first day of the Spring STM Conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was filled with ideas, different perspectives, and an interactive crowd.
One Report, Two Findings: Library Roles Changing, Open Access Not Compelling
Ithaka S+R has published a report on libraries and open access. Libraries are still important in the lives of scholars, but the trends are not in their favor. Open access doesn’t seem to be meeting scholars’ needs.