Member News & Announcements, February IO 2025
Strategic Plans
ACS announces new strategic plan
American Chemical Society (ACS), Voting Member, Press Release, January 1, 2025
Today, the American Chemical Society (ACS) announces its new strategic plan. The ACS Strategic Plan 2025-2029 captures the dynamic nature of the organization by focusing on supporting a global community.
“ACS is a vibrant and visionary society that has been the epicenter for chemical science professionals for nearly 150 years,” says ACS Board of Directors Chair and Director-at-Large Wayne E. Jones Jr. “Our new plan captures that energy and positions the organization to continue to play an important and impactful role moving forward.”
Empowering Libraries: BLC’s 2023-24 Annual Report
Boston Library Consortium (BLC), Voting/L.S.A Consorta Member, News Announcement, January 9, 2025
Today we publish Empowering Libraries, BLC’s 2023-24 annual report describing the meaningful progress we have made toward our strategic priorities, establishing sustainable initiatives, strengthening collection stewardship, promoting professional development, optimizing resource sharing, and enhancing shared systems.
“This past year has been an extraordinary chapter of growth, innovation, and shared purpose at BLC,” said Charlie Barlow, BLC’s executive director. “Our mission—to empower our coalition of libraries in the northeastern United States—has gained even greater momentum through our collective dedication to sharing knowledge, infrastructure, and resources at scale.”
Platforms & Infrastructure
Taylor & Francis eBooks Platform Integrates with GetFTR
Taylor & Francis Group, Voting Member, News Announcement, January 9, 2025
GetFTR and Taylor & Francis are pleased to announce that Taylor & Francis eBooks are now accessible via GetFTR. Whilst many publishers working with GetFTR already include eBook content in their entitlement checks, Taylor & Francis is the first to implement GetFTR entitlement checking specifically for books hosted on a separate platform.
GetFTR (Get Full Text Research) provides researchers with faster access to the published research they need through real time, high quality entitlement checks. The GetFTR indicator on search results tells researchers which content their institution has made available to them and takes them directly to that research on participating publisher websites.
AI Technology Trends & Tools
Springer Nature: Authors, editors and peer reviewers supported with launch of new AI tool
Springer Nature, Voting Member, Press Release, January 7, 2025
Springer Nature has launched a new AI-driven tool to help editors and peer reviewers by automating a number of editorial quality checks and alerting editors to potentially unsuitable manuscripts so that they can be held back from peer review.
Developed in-house, this is the latest AI tool planned for integration into Springer Nature’s next generation article submission and processing platform, Snapp, following the inclusion in 2024 of two AI tools to identify fake content. Working in collaboration with researchers and designed to seamlessly integrate with Snapp, it is currently being tested and verified on over 100 OA journals, including Scientific Reports the largest OA journal in the world, and across over 100,000 submissions.
Ex Libris Showcases AI Innovations Shaping the Future of Libraries in 2025
Ex Libris, Inc., Voting Member, News Announcement, January 6, 2025
Ex Libris™, part of Clarivate™, is kicking off 2025 by showcasing its AI service innovations on a new dedicated webpage. The resource highlights an initial set of AI-based tools, developed in close collaboration with the academic community, designed to enhance library operations and user experiences. These solutions demonstrate Ex Libris’ commitment to delivering top-tier services that enhance research, improve student learning outcomes, and increase staff productivity.
One of the key areas of focus for Clarivate is to simplify the research process for library users. One such advanced AI tool available through Ex Libris is the Primo Research Assistant. Currently available to all PrimoTM customers, it makes it easier to start research and refine searches by providing users with summaries and source references. This intuitive approach helps users dive deeper into topics with less frustration.
Libraries, and Resource Sharing
Ex Libris Introduces Ebook Resource Sharing with Rapido
Ex Libris, Inc., Voting Member, News Announcement, January 13, 2025
Digital access is no longer a convenience – it’s an expectation. With the growing demand for ebooks, libraries have been searching for a way to share these resources seamlessly. Starting January 2025, Ex Libris™ Rapido’s new ebook resource sharing feature will allow libraries to lend ebooks within their networks, meeting the growing demand for digital content. Supporting both DRM-free and DRM-restricted models – depending on the content provider and publisher terms – the process is straightforward for staff and complies with licensing requirements.
This release is a direct result of collaboration with the library community. Libraries participating in testing provided valuable feedback that shaped the feature and sparked ideas for future improvements.
Partnerships & Collaborations
The British Library Selects Clarivate to Provide Library Services and Discovery Platforms
Clarivate Analytics, Voting Member, Press Release, January 28, 2025
Clarivate Plc (NYSE:CLVT), a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, today announces that the British Library has selected Clarivate to provide its library services and discovery platforms to create a more cohesive, streamlined and secure experience. The British Library will implement Alma, Primo VE and Rapido.
Founded in 1973, the British Library is the United Kingdom’s national library and is one of the largest libraries in the world. Its collection features 170 million items, including books, journals, newspapers, patents, maps, prints, manuscripts and digital publications.
Springer Nature and the University of Tokyo to organise SDGs Symposium 2025 on tackling inequalities for sustainability and wellbeing
Springer Nature, Voting Member, Press Release, January 8, 2025
Springer Nature and the University of Tokyo will host the 2025 SDGs Symposium on February 8, 2025. Titled “Tackling Inequalities for Sustainability and Wellbeing”, it will bring together researchers from Japan and the broader community to explore the critical intersections of inequality and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A growing awareness of the significant impact of human activity on the planet and society has led to strong efforts to achieve sustainable development. However, achieving equality during this transition remains a challenge. Entrenched inequalities within and between societies pose serious risks to progress toward sustainability and wellbeing. The multifaceted nature of inequality makes it difficult to resolve, and the complexity involved in the collection of information and the generation of knowledge underscores the significance of cultivating interdisciplinary insights and bridging the gap between theoretical frameworks and practical applications. Nevertheless, no simple solutions are available at present.
Industry Leadership
CCC Appoints Catie Sheret, General Counsel for Cambridge University Press & Assessment, to Board of Directors
Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), Voting Member, Press Release, January 7, 2025
CCC, a leader in advancing copyright, accelerating knowledge, and powering innovation, today announced the election of Catie Sheret, General Counsel for Cambridge University Press & Assessment, to its Board of Directors.
As General Counsel for Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Sheret manages a large global team responsible for legal, business ethics and compliance, brand, community engagement, and sustainability. She is also a member of the company’s executive board of directors, a member of the Law Society for England and Wales’ Climate Change Working Group, an ambassador for General Counsel Sustainability Leaders, and a supporter of The Chancery Lane Project, which helps organizations reduce emissions using the power of legal documents and processes. Sheret previously served as Chief Privacy Officer and Associate General Counsel at Pearson, and worked for Charles Russell LLP, Linklaters, and the European Commission.
In Support of Research
Together, we innovate: Join the Web of Science Community Forum
Clarivate Analytics, Voting Member, Blog Post, January, 21, 2025
The new Web of Science™ Community Forum empowers library professionals worldwide to help shape the Web of Science vision and network with peers.
To provide solutions institutions and users can trust, we always seek new ways to increase our collaboration with the research community and build more transparency into our product development. To that end, we are announcing the formation of the Web of Science Community Forum, a new initiative designed to empower our customers to help guide the evolution of Web of Science, foster knowledge sharing and enhance networking. The Community Forum will bring together library professionals from academic and non-academic institutions, providing a platform for collaboration and community-driven product development.
Updated University Press Subject Area Grid Now Available
Association of University Presses, Voting Member, News Announcement, January 15, 2025
The Association of University Presses (AUPresses) announces the publication of the latest Subject Area Grid, a valued resource for prospective authors, researchers, librarians, bibliographers, and publishers. Available as a free, downloadable spreadsheet that can be sorted by subject or publisher, the grid offers an accessible overview of 130 subject areas published by more than 140 of the Association’s member publishers worldwide.
The subject area grid has long been one of the Association’s most popular resources, updated now for the first time since 2021. It is an effective reference to discover publishers that have either an active program acquiring new work in a subject or in-print backlist still available. The 130 subjects tracked in the grid are broad and may cover a range of narrower sub-specialties, regional focuses, and newer related disciplines. The Association recommends always reviewing a publisher’s website and current catalogs for more detailed information about their publishing interests.
Open Access, Open Science
IOP Publishing supports India’s ‘One Nation One Subscription’ initiative
IOP Publishing, Voting Member, News Announcement, January 8, 2025
IOP Publishing (IOPP) is proud to be part of the Government of India’s One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative, a move that ensures nationwide access to high-quality scholarly research for students, faculty, and researchers across India’s higher education and R&D institutions.
IOPP’s inclusion, alongside 29 other publishers, provides access to its content for institutions that previously faced budget constraints. By centralising subscription licenses and extending access to a wider range of institutions, ONOS is democratising access to research resources across the country. This initiative represents a significant step forward in supporting Indian researchers and readers of primary research content.
Awards & Recognitions
OpenAthens receives platinum in 2025 Modern Library Awards from LibraryWorks
OpenAthens, Voting Member, Press Release, January 17, 2025
OpenAthens, a leading single sign-on library solution, is proud to announce it received a platinum award in LibraryWorks’ eleventh annual Modern Library Awards (MLAs) for the seventh year in a row.
The MLAs were created to recognize the top products and services in the library industry. Only customers with experience of these products and services were permitted to judge, resulting in a truly unbiased score. Each judge scored the product from 1-10 on a series of questions regarding quality, functionality, value, and customer satisfaction.