Libraries frequently support their open access (OA) fund using money from their collections budget. Interest in assessment of OA funds is arising. Cost per use is a common method to assess library collections expenditures. This article examines a method and discusses the limitations and implications of using article level metrics to calculate cost per use for OA APCs.
The IFLA Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section sponsored, in collaboration with the IFLA Acquisition and Collection Development Section and the European Solidarity Center, a satellite meeting on Open Access: Action Required, which was held in Gdansk, Poland on 16-17 August, 2017.
The papers presented there, some of which are now in the IFLA Library, are thought-provoking examples not only of what Open Access means today from the librarians’ point of view, but of where it might lead us in the future.
The Library of Congress has launched labs.loc.gov as a new online space designed to empower exploration and discovery in digital collections. Library of Congress Labs will host a changing selection of experiments, projects, events and resources designed to encourage creative use of the Library’s digital collections. Labs will enable users at every level of technical knowledge to engage with the Library’s digital collections. Visitors will have the opportunity to try experimental applications; crowdsourcing programs will allow the public to add their knowledge to the Library’s collections; and tutorials will provide a stepping stone for new computational discovery.
The National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA) is sponsoring a survey of organizations in the United States who are actively involved in or planning to archive content from the web. The survey is the fourth in a longitudinal study to track the evolution of web archiving programs and activity in the United States, focusing on similarities and differences in programmatic approaches, types of content being archived, tools and services being used, access modes being provided, and emerging best practices and challenges. The results of the survey will be reported to NDSA members and summary results will be shared publicly in 2018. Results from the three previous surveys (2011, 2013, 2016) are available.
Dialog mit Bibliotheken is a specialist journal about the German National Library, its activities and its range of services. In this issue published just before the Frankfurt Book Fair, innovations in subject cataloguing in operation are presented. The expansion of collection activities with regard to open-access publications is also discussed. In addition, two historians describe aspects of their research into the history of the German National Library between 1933 and 1945 and 1945 and 1990. It also provides an insight into the Library’s internal public relations by casting an eye over the work of the Digital Services department.
The journal is also available online as a free download (in German).
The Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) is inviting nominations for a new global list of the most ‘at risk’ Digitally Endangered Species. The list will be reviewed by an international panel of DPC members and will be published as its contribution to the first International Digital Preservation Day (IDPD17) on 30 November 2017.
More than 500 speakers and 3100 delegates from 122 countries, not to mention 247sessions covering all aspects of the profession, makes IFLA’s World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) a unique experience of professional development and networking for librarians and information specialists. A summary of the most important events of this congress is now available.
Collections and collaboration, digital scholarship, the publishing revolution and the new dimensions of service to scholars and students are on the agenda.
The Library of Congress has announced the release of the 2017-2018 Recommended Formats Statement.
The goal of the Recommended Formats has always been to provide useful information furthering the shared goal of ensuring the preservation of and long-term access to creative works. By providing up-to-date information about the file types, physical and technical characteristics and associated metadata which support these goals, the Statement hopes to provide the building blocks upon which libraries can build their collections, now and for the future.
During WLIC 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland, IFLA launched a worldwide consultation about its global strategy. This strategy is the result of a series of workshops held on different continents which have focused on how to strengthen the ties within the library field, help identify future challenges and opportunities for the library field, and prioritize actions that the library environment could take in response to the fast-pacing changes in societies. In order to make the participation in the discussion easier, an online voting platform based on the outcomes of the regional meetings is available.
