The Authority File

In the third episode of our four-part series with information resources management (IRM) consultant Barbie Keiser, she highlights new opportunities for libraries in scholarly communication. First, Barbie walks through the benefits of establishing both short-term and long-term library projects, targeting specific disciplines in messaging, and updating language to appeal to patrons and administration. In addition, she reveals common issues librarians run into when trying to integrate into the ScholComm workflow, such as failing to recognize when a time-consuming activity misaligns with the library’s goals. Addressing the rapidly shifting research environment, Barbie closes with her thoughts on how the library can assist scholars through publication by staying up-to-date on research assessment methods and approaching these changes with a willingness to learn and share this knowledge.

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In the second episode of this four-part series, Jenny Townes, Open Access Librarian at Emory University, walks through the librarian’s role in supporting open access resources. She shares how librarians must act as facilitators for OA research—not gatekeepers—and can buttress this work through intentional budget management and keeping up with external OA projects. Jenny also predicts that librarians will need to act as advocates for open access through consistent communication with higher education stakeholders and a strong commitment to an equitable scholarly communication ecosystem. Next, Emily Farrell, Global Commercial Director for Open Research at Taylor & Francis, discusses how the environment has shifted so that librarians now take on responsibilities that used to fall under a research office. Emily explains why this transformation affects publisher relationships with libraries and researchers, and how publishers are working to counter misinformation surrounding open access materials.

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In the second episode of this four-part series, Barbie Keiser, information resources management (IRM) consultant and Reference and Instruction Librarian at Northern Virginia Community College, considers broader market forces impacting scholarly communication. To start, she discusses the evolution in dissemination and promotional strategies by vendors, publishers, and technology companies. Spotlighting current examples in publishing and educational tech, Barbie chats about initiatives like advancing web design, incorporating multi-media formats, and enhancing data analytics services. In addition, Barbie reflects on how authorship has transformed and the ways in which librarians have worked to meet those changes. She highlights the library’s role in ScholComm by helping researchers choose a publisher, find open access options, and make content accessible for the general public through infographics and press releases.

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In this four-part series, we speak with Emily Farrell, Global Commercial Director for Open Research at Taylor & Francis, and Jennifer Townes, Open Access Librarian at Emory University, about current and future open access resource trends. Our guests bring the librarian and publisher perspectives to the OA discussion, parsing through questions of how librarians and publishers can support open resources and the main challenges to OA funding and sustainability. Emily and Jenny also chat about the growing concern of research integrity—in particular, ChatGPT and paper mills—and important OA milestones in the future, such as new partnerships between libraries and publishers and developments in open monograph publishing models.

In this first episode, Jenny and Emily provide background on how their roles and responsibilities support open access. Next, they discuss the core benefits of OA, highlighting factors like the rapid dissemination of scholarly research and broader, more accessible access for scholars and the general public. Finally, they close with current roadblocks impacting OA adoption for all members of the scholarly ecosystem—researchers, publishers, librarians, readers—and where they see the opportunity for change.

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In this four-episode series, we’re joined by Barbie Keiser, information resources management (IRM) consultant and Reference and Instruction Librarian at Northern Virginia Community College. Barbie highlights broader market forces at play in scholarly communication, including the transformations made by platform vendors, academic publishers, and educational technology companies to support researchers and stay relevant in a rapidly shifting environment. In addition, she discusses library impacts, underscoring “new territory” opportunities libraries can take advantage of, such as aligning verbiage with the administration’s values and investing in both long-term projects and short-term wins. Finally, Barbie looks ahead to new horizons like open access and artificial intelligence. She spotlights several innovative (and useful!) AI tools that can benefit librarians and faculty in everyday tasks.

In this first episode, Barbie explains how ScholComm has evolved over the course of her career, offering insights into the effects of social media, increased teamwork, and the COVID-19 pandemic on library services. Further, she speaks to a key strength of librarianship—being quick to recognize and adapt to change—and why the academic community can fail to acknowledge this strategic asset.

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In the final episode of this four-part series, Nicole Gallo, Executive Vice President of Rittenhouse Book Distributors, chats about current business trends, leveraging data, and digital purchasing. First, she spotlights how indispensable data is to Rittenhouse’s operation, by informing sales reports for publishers and purchasing decisions by libraries. She also digs into Rittenhouse’s strategies for understanding library and publisher trends through curating special collections and bringing forth more flexible, granular options for content acquisition. Last, Nicole explains the decision to make purchased ebooks from Rittenhouse remain with the collection for the life of the edition—namely, to better support the unique budget challenges of libraries and to reflect the educational needs of the health sciences discipline.

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In the final episode of this four-part series, our guests discuss the pandemic’s impact on library, faculty, and publisher approaches to student success and evolving strategies for the future. First, Ceceilia Parnther, assistant professor in the Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership at St. John’s University, María Evelia Emerson, Student Success Librarian at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Amber Eakin, Instructional Librarian at Strayer University, underscore the import of accessible online learning by highlighting the flexibility of digital tools and the significance of building an online community. Next, Andrew Boney, executive editor in Sage’s Learning Resources Division, shares how the publisher has worked to meet students where they are by easing the authentication process and increasing resource discoverability. Finally, the guests examine “traditional” approaches to student success, and surface updated strategies like sustained collaboration between the library and faculty, functional and student-friendly texts from publishers, and recognition of the myriad learning styles and skills of today’s scholars.

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In this third episode of our four-part series with Nicole Gallo, Executive Vice President of Rittenhouse Book Distributors, she walks through the execution of Rittenhouse’s strategies to support library and publisher markets. First, she dives into how the distributor has updated its operational practices to better communicate with publishers and market their resources. In addition, Nicole chats about easing the buying experience for libraries through digital options, open educational resources, and free services to help keep content current. Last, Nicole shares how the distributor works to communicate library budget issues back to publishers, and the demand for Rittenhouse’s DEI collection since its recent launch.

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In the third episode of this four-part series, our guests chat about strategies for creating and maintaining partnerships with campus stakeholders to bolster student success. First, Ceceilia Parnther, assistant professor in the Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership at St. John’s University, María Evelia Emerson, Student Success Librarian at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Amber Eakin, Instructional Librarian at Strayer University, explain the benefits of forming relationships with academic advisors, student services, and teaching faculty to better support student goals. In addition, Andrew Boney, executive editor in Sage’s Learning Resources Division, shares the publisher’s role in strengthening ties between the library and faculty, primarily through surfacing available resources and underscoring the library’s work on campus. To close, our guests walk through various tactics they’ve employed to strengthen these relationships, and highlight the significant benefits and techniques of following up.

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In the second episode of this four-part series, Nicole Gallo, Executive Vice President of Rittenhouse Book Distributors, shares market perspectives on how publishers and librarians are supporting DEI initiatives. First, Nicole surfaces current pain points and the distributor’s response, highlighting budget issues for libraries and publication speed for publishers. Next, she explains how the publishing industry has shifted in the last decade to support a more digital and data-driven world—instead of print being the standard, Rittenhouse may receive digital copies first, allowing a faster time to market. In addition, Nicole speaks to publisher production decisions in support of DEI, such as diverse illustrations, accessible formatting, and following state and institutional guidance. She closes with how librarians have embraced DEI resources and policies, and how they’re working to interweave DEI into collection development practices and budget decisions.

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