DEIA Initiatives
Senate Report 2022/2023
University of British Columbia, L.S.A. Consortia Member (CRKN), News Announcement, August 17, 2023
2022/2023 has been an important year and allowed the library to make significant headway in alignment with the university's priorities of equity, diversity and inclusion outlined in the Inclusion Action Plan and the Indigenous Strategic Plan.
In October 2022, 109 library faculty and staff join one of twelve live reading sessions of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s Calls to Action. Organized and facilitated by the Library Indigenous Strategic Plan Implementation Team, these 90-minute gatherings give library employees from across both campuses the opportunity to read the 94 Calls to Action out loud. Giving voice to the Calls to Action is an intense and powerful experience for many and are part of an ongoing project to provide the time and space for all library employees to focus on these critical documents so that we can proceed with a shared awareness and understanding.
Open Access, Open Science
AGU Celebrates the Year of Open Science
American Geophysical Union (AGU), Voting Member, Press Release, August 17, 2023
For more than 100 years, AGU has committed itself to the concept of opening science, from fostering new pathways for discovery to championing diversity, equity and inclusion within the scientific community.
With the White House having declared 2023 the Year of Open Science, AGU reaffirms its commitment to these principles while recognizing the need for further efforts to increase participation in science and access to scientific research for people and communities everywhere.
Partnerships & Collaborations
CCC & GO FAIR Foundation Host Forum on Building AI Strategies with FAIR Data
Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), Voting Member, Press Release, August 24, 2023
CCC, a leader in advancing copyright, accelerating knowledge, and powering innovation, in partnership with the GO FAIR Foundation, will host its inaugural FAIR Forum on “The Evolving Role of Data in the AI Era” on 18 September at Poortgebouw, the University of Leiden, the Netherlands.
With new AI services being introduced on an almost daily basis, the adoption of FAIR Data Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) is more important than ever. This one day in-person forum will provide leaders in research-intensive businesses with expert insights on the importance of FAIR data to successful AI initiatives. Participants will also benefit from practical advice and best practices related to FAIR implementations
Elsevier Partners with The Iraq Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to Enhance Scholarly Communication and Access to Research
Elsevier, Voting Member, Press Release, August 15, 2023
Elsevier, a global leader in scientific information and data analytics, has entered into a groundbreaking agreement with Iraq’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to foster academic excellence and facilitate access to high-quality research publications for students, faculty and researchers throughout institutions of higher education in Iraq. This strategic partnership encompasses two significant initiatives: granting access to Scopus, a comprehensive research database, and hosting scholarly journals published by Iraqi institutions on Digital Commons Premier Services.
Under the terms of the agreement, students and academic staff from universities across Iraq will have access to Scopus, one of the most renowned research databases globally, for a period of three years. Scopus offers access to over 87 million peer-reviewed articles, conference papers and book chapters. This access will enhance the quality of research conducted in Iraq by providing researchers with a wealth of valuable resources, facilitating collaborations and fostering an environment of knowledge sharing.
Emerging Trends & Technologies
Leveraging machine learning technology as part of ongoing WorldCat quality measures
Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), Voting Member, News Announcement, August 14, 2023
OCLC Metadata Quality teams implement a variety of measures—both manual and automated—to improve the quality and usefulness of WorldCat data. These extensive and ongoing efforts ensure that WorldCat data supports the needs of our membership and our global network of thousands of libraries across a wide range of services. As the technologies and tools that allow us to do this important work evolve, we are continually exploring new methods for enriching, repairing, and de-duplicating WorldCat records—data that powers the global discovery and sharing of library resources.
Cleaning up duplicate records is one of the most impactful ways to improve the quality of WorldCat. Manual efforts by metadata professionals—and technology like our duplicate detection software—have had significant success in reducing the number of duplicates. And now we’re leveraging machine learning to accelerate that progress.
Elsevier takes Scopus to the Next Level with Generative AI
Elsevier, Voting Member, Press Release, August 1, 2023
New generative AI feature will power Scopus, world’s leading abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature, so researchers can get deeper insights faster.
Elsevier, a global leader in scientific information and data analytics, today releases an alpha version of Scopus AI for researcher testing – a next generation tool that combines generative AI with Scopus' trusted content and data to help researchers get deeper insights faster, support collaboration and societal impact of research.
Letter from Martha Whitehead: Initial Guidelines on Generative AI
Harvard University Library, L.S.A. Member, News Announcement, July 13, 2023
Earlier today, the University published initial guidelines for the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT and Google Bard.
Generative AI and research libraries share a fundamental promise: the ability to draw upon a broad corpus of existing information to answer questions and generate new information. In this equation, Harvard Library brings the fundamental value of access to information, and by that we mean access to trustworthy information spanning centuries, regions, and voices around the globe.
Also from the Provost’s Office of Harvard on Generative AI:
Guidelines for Using ChatGPT and other Generative AI tools at Harvard
Libraries, Collections, & Archives
University Libraries joins Digital Preservation Coalition
University of Arizona Libraries, L.S.A. Consortia Member (Amigos), News Announcement, August 23, 2023
On August 18, the Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) announced its newest associate member: the University of Arizona Libraries.
Founded in 2002, DPC is an international charitable foundation whose vision is “a secure digital legacy.” DPC supports digital preservation by helping its members provide long-term access to digital content and services through community engagement, targeted advocacy work, training and workforce development, capacity building, good practice and standards, and through good management and governance.
Peabody Library unveils renovated Fireside Reading Room
Vanderbilt University, L.S.A. Member, News Announcement, August 2, 2023
The Fireside Reading Room on the first floor of Peabody Library recently has reopened after undergoing an extensive renovation. The reimagined space features new furniture and flexible seating arrangements, including several smaller private rooms, to accommodate the various study and meeting space needs of library visitors.
Tiffeni Fontno, director of Peabody Library, and Scott Martin, director of logistics and access services, incorporated feedback from Peabody College faculty, staff and students about ideas for improvements to the space. Input also was gathered from first-year representatives in Vanderbilt Student Government since many of the Martha Rivers Ingram Commons residents on Peabody’s campus use the Fireside Reading Room as well.
Industry Leadership
Boughida Named Chair of National Information Standards Organization
Stony Brook University, L.S.A. Member, News Announcement, August 8, 2023
Karim Boughida, dean of Stony Brook University Libraries, has been selected as the incoming chair of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO), transitioning to the role after serving as vice chair of the organization. NISO develops, maintains and publishes technical standards related to publishing, information, and library applications.
Boughida joined Stony Brook in September 2022, and is working with his team to reimagine the vision, mission, and strategic plan for the library to be bold, innovative, and leaders in advancing research and learning; to think beyond of the library as a means of support and to introduce the concept of the library as the interdisciplinary hub of the university.
Product Innovation
Clarivate Integrates Dialog Solutions Products and Services into Life Sciences & Healthcare Portfolio
Clarivate Analytics, Voting Member, Blog Post, August 1, 2023
Today, the Dialog Solutions brand has been integrated into Clarivate. Following the acquisition of Dialog Solutions as part of the ProQuest M&A in December 2021, Dialog Solutions products and services will be folded into the Clarivate portfolio of offerings for Life Sciences & Healthcare.
The versatile capabilities of Dialog Solutions cater to various industries and use cases including a modular, end-to-end approach to surveillance solutions makes it a valuable asset for pharmacovigilance (PV) literature monitoring. It also supports intellectual property research, facilitates systematic reviews with comprehensive literature analysis and provides actionable insights for strategic decision-making in business intelligence.