PUBLICATIONS FOR LIBRARIANS
The hidden research power of librarians at small research-intensive universities.
A new OCLC report outlines how libraries can scale responsibly by using automation and shared infrastructure
E-resource teams are operating in an environment defined by volume and volatility. OA coverage changes. Hybrid packages evolve. URLs move. Records are updated, withdrawn, and replaced. At the same time, staffing levels remain flat and expectations for seamless discovery and access continue to rise.
Articles one and two in this series explored why metadata has become strategic infrastructure for institutions, and how OA discovery breaks down when version, rights, and link signals are unclear. Once those foundations begin to stabilise, a new question emerges. How do libraries sustain those gains over time without falling back into manual workarounds and local firefighting?
The challenge is not whether to automate, but how to combine selective automation with shared infrastructure so routine change is handled collectively, and human expertise is applied where it adds the most value.
Full article is here
The hidden research power of librarians at small research-intensive universities.
Librarians are often underestimated as contributors to academic research. While universities frequently view librarians mainly as support staff, the article emphasizes that librarians in research-intensive institutions work closely with data, scholarly communication, research methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Their position gives them a unique understanding of how research ecosystems function across departments and disciplines.
Librarians at smaller research-intensive universities may have especially strong opportunities to influence research culture. Because these institutions are often less bureaucratic and more collaborative, librarians can build closer relationships with faculty, graduate students, and administrators. This proximity allows them to participate directly in research projects, digital scholarship initiatives, open-access publishing, data management, and institutional strategy.Evolving role of academic librarians in the digital age is tremendous. Modern librarians are no longer only custodians of collections; they increasingly act as research partners, digital specialists, educators, and advisors on scholarly communication. Their expertise supports researchers in navigating complex information systems, managing research outputs, and improving research visibility through repositories and open-access practices.
Universities should recognize librarians as active participants in knowledge production rather than simply service providers. By integrating librarians more fully into institutional research activities, universities can strengthen collaboration, innovation, and research impact — especially in smaller institutions where close professional connections create opportunities for meaningful partnership.
Cost of Journal Publication. How the price for publishing research paper is determined.
Publishing a journal requires financial resources to maintain professional quality standards, and these costs must be covered. Before considering business models, it is important to understand the cost structure, which varies depending on the format (print, digital, or both) and includes fixed costs that remain constant and variable costs that change with production volume.
Fixed Costs:
• Selection and review of articles, including rejected manuscripts;
• Web-based manuscript management and tracking system (licenses), including its maintenance and upgrading;
• Page and illustration preparation;
• Copy editing, rewriting, minor language corrections, and proofreading by professional editors;
• XML editors to make the article easily compatible with all platforms such as internet, laptops, tablets or smartphones;
• Preparation of journal covers, editorials, and news content; • Liaison officer for citation tracking companies/services such as Google Scholar;
• Overhead costs: operating editorial offices, paying staff assistants, purchasing or renting copiers, fax machines, and computers, telephone, internet, and mail costs. Depreciation on plant and other company activities;
• Annual honoraria for chief editors.
Variable costs
• Cost of paper [only for paper journal];
• Printing and binding [only for paper journal];
• Distribution (including postage, packing, and shipping) [only for paper journal];
• Costs of maintaining an appropriate electronic system for putting journals online [only for electronic journal].
IFLA Strategy for 2024-2029
IFLA’s 2024-2029 Strategy will take the Federation beyond its centenary, and almost to the end of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. Both milestones encourage a focus on the long term, clarity about the world we want to see, and the role that libraries and IFLA can play. IFLA’s 2024-2029 Strategy has been shaped by members and volunteers through surveys and consultations that sought to understand their perceptions of IFLA today, and their aspirations for the future. The 2024-2029 Strategy is not prescriptive, but rather sets out a broader framework that anyone in our field can use to develop their own plans. It offers a clear vision of the world we want, as well as a theory of change setting out how IFLA can support libraries to get there. It will act as a constant reference for IFLA’s plans, a framework for measuring progress, and a potential model to help inform strategy development elsewhere. It is also designed to reflect IFLA's nature as an international federation, bringing together, providing a platform for, and delivering results for people from diverse cultures, language communities, geographies and experiences.
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Top Groundbreaking AI Tools for Librarians
AI Tools for academia and research;
1. Research Rabbit. Librarians can use Research Rabbit to uncover the latest and greatest ideas that will truly transform our libraries! Stay on the cutting edge of innovations in library science so we can provide patrons with the best possible resources and services.
2. PuzzleLabs. Curating knowledge is at the heart of what librarians do. PuzzleLabs can help us organize information into treasure troves of wisdom that will inspire curiosity and learning for our patrons of all ages.
3. OpenRead. AI text analysis tools allow librarians to gain new insights into literary works and reading materials. These insights can be used to develop novel programs, discussions, and activities that enrich patrons' reading experiences.
4. Cohesive is an AI editor that lets you create, refine, edit, and publish high quality content without worrying too much about prompts. You can create scripts for YouTube videos, Instagram captions, content rephrasing, Facebooks posts, story generation, and so much more.
5. EndNote automates citation management for librarians, saving time and effort when researching programs, grants, and other projects. Accurate citations also ensure information shared is properly attributed.
Responsible Operations: Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI in Libraries
responsible Operations is intended to help chart library community engagement with data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) and was developed in partnership with an advisory group and a landscape group comprised of more than 70 librarians and professionals from universities, libraries, museums, archives, and other organizations. This research agenda presents an interdependent set of technical, organizational, and social challenges to be addressed en route to library operationalization of data science, machine learning, and AI. Challenges are organized across seven areas of investigation: Committing to Responsible Operations Description and Discovery Shared Methods and Data Machine-Actionable Collections Workforce Development Data Science Services Sustaining Interprofessional and Interdisciplinary Collaboration.
Organizations can use Responsible Operations to make a case for addressing challenges, and the recommendations provide an excellent starting place for discussion and action.
Source - OCLC