ARCL has released Academic Libraries and Research Data Services: Current Practices and Plans for the Future.

Here's an excerpt:

This study surveyed a cross section of academic library members of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) in the United States and Canada to provide a baseline assessment of the current state of and future plans for research data services in academic libraries in these countries.

| Digital Scholarship | Digital Curation Bibliography: Preservation and Stewardship of Scholarly Works |

JISC has released The Potential Role for Intermediaries in Managing the Payment of Open Access Article Processing Charges (APCs).

Here's an excerpt:

This report examines the operational challenges that universities, funders and publishers face in the UK relating to the payment of article processing charges (APCs)—the charges levied by the publishers of open access and hybrid journals to meet the costs of the publication process. It then examines the feasibility of using intermediaries of various kinds to provide services to aggregate payments as between universities and publishers, along with other services relating to the processes involved in ensuring that an article is published on open access terms. . . .

We conclude as a result of our work that with a very few exceptions, the systems and processes currently associated with the payment of APCs are sub-optimal, and could present a significant barrier to the wider adoption of open access publishing.

| Digital Scholarship | Transforming Scholarly Publishing through Open Access: A Bibliography |

Natsuko Nicholls has self-archived Status and Outlook for University of Michigan Research Profile Data Strategy in Deep Blue.

Here's an excerpt:

My investigation into various faculty expertise efforts and activities across institutions shows that many universities have not yet developed or adopted a centralized, comprehensive university-wide system for expertise data collection and activity reporting. There is still substantial variation in procedures across departments and colleges within institutions and considerable duplication of effort across campus units. However, it is indeed the recent trend that many institutions—including the University of Michigan—have actively engaged in campus-wide discussions about research profile data curation needs, concluding that a more centralized system would provide incentives for timely data-entry, guarantee currency of the expertise data, and increase overall efficiency and data quality. This study also sheds light on the role of the academic library as an important stakeholder in expertise data collection and management. My findings suggest that various attributes of an academic library make it an ideal driver for research profile data management. The academic library is a strong resource for information technology expertise as well as information management and dissemination at any institution. Further, it tends to be a neutral and trusted entity, especially with employees who regularly engage with researchers and have a good understanding of the academic landscape and the needs of the research community. In addition to providing an overview of the research landscape where profiling needs are quickly rising and where benefits from a well-managed profile data system are widely understood, this study also illuminates the conventional use of expertise databases and research networking/discovery tools as well as Current Research Information Systems (CRIS).

| Research Data Curation Bibliography | Digital Scholarship |

The Directory of Open Access Books has released the DOAB User Needs Analysis—Final Report.

Here's an excerpt:

This final evaluation and recommendation report is based on the user experiences, needs, and expectations as they emerged from the qualitative components (survey, workshop and online discussion platform) that were used to conduct the DOAB User Needs Analysis. This final public report, intended for the wider academic and publishing community, aims to advise in the establishment of procedures, criteria and standards concerning the set-up and functioning of the DOAB platform and service and to devise guidelines and recommendations for admissions to DOAB and for its further development, sustainability and implementation.

| Digital Scholarship |

The Republican Study Committee released “Three Myths about Copyright Law and Where to Start to Fix it,” which attracted immediate attention due to its progressive view of copyright. Now, the brief's PDF is blank.

However, in “Republican Report: 3 Myths of Copyright, Quashed by MPAA and RIAA,” Ash McGonigal provides a working link to the full text in addition to a recap of the situation.

| Digital Scholarship |

Renew Training has released How Readers Discover Content in Scholarly Journals: Summary Edition.

Here's an excerpt:

This summary report is the output of a large scale survey of journal readers (n=19064) about journal content discovery conducted during May, June and July of 2102.

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog | Digital Scholarship |

ARL has released the Changing Role of Senior Administrators, SPEC Kit 331.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has published Changing Role of Senior Administrators, SPEC Kit 331, which focuses on the professional, administrative, and management positions that report directly to the library director (or, in some ARL member libraries, the position that serves as the representative to the Association), positions that have not been examined by a SPEC survey since 1984. This SPEC Kit explores the responsibilities of these positions, and the skills, qualifications, and competencies necessary for these administrators to successfully lead a transforming 21st-century research library. The publication looks at whether and how position requirements have changed in the past five years, whether the number of direct reports has changed, whether these administrators have assumed new areas of organizational responsibility, and how they acquire the new skills to fulfill those responsibilities.

| Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications | Digital Scholarship |

EIFL has released the FOSS Accessibility Tools for Libraries: Step-by-Step Guide.

Here's an excerpt from the announcement:

Using technology appropriately can enhance the library experience for all users, but is particularly significant for users with disabilities. Creating electronic resources as accessibly as possible is a useful starting point, but for some users specific technologies will be needed to access those resources. There are many FOSS tools available to support library users with a variety of needs, ranging from those with visual impairment or blindness, to users with dyslexia or who have difficulty using a mouse, or simply users who have limited reading ability or prefer to listen to text than read it on-screen. Most librarians are not specialists in this area and can be discouraged by the sheer number and variety of FOSS tools available to support disabled users. This is why EIFL have created a step-by-step guide to some of the most helpful and easy-to-use tools.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital/Print Books | Digital Scholarship |

The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project has released How Teens Do Research in the Digital World.

Here's an excerpt:

• Virtually all (99%) AP and NWP teachers in this study agree with the notion that "the internet enables students to access a wider range of resources than would otherwise be available," and 65% agree that "the internet makes today's students more self-sufficient researchers."
• At the same time, 76% of teachers surveyed "strongly agree" with the assertion that internet search engines have conditioned students to expect to be able to find information quickly and easily.
• Large majorities also agree with the notion that the amount of information available online today is overwhelming to most students (83%) and that today's digital technologies discourage students from using a wide range of sources when conducting research (71%).
• Fewer teachers, but still a majority of this sample (60%), agree with the assertion that today's technologies make it harder for students to find credible sources of information.

| Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications | Digital Scholarship |

The Association of Research Libraries has released the Report of the ARL Joint Task Force on Services to Patrons with Print Disabilities.

Here's an excerpt from:

This ARL task force report highlights emerging and promising strategies to better align research libraries with other institutional and related partners in ensuring accessibility to research resources while fully meeting legal requirements. The report addresses the technological, service, and legal factors relating to a variety of information resources with respect to print disability. These factors resonate closely with the existing research library agenda to make scholarly communication more open, to foster independence among its user base by teaching information literacy, to honor and invest in diversity, as well as to focus on the growing trend toward universal design in instruction.

| Digital Scholarship's Digital/Print Books | Digital Scholarship |

The OECD has released E-books: Developments and Policy Considerations.

Here's an excerpt:

The essential distinction between permanent and effective ownership of a physical book, and conditional rights of access to the e-book, has, so far, been somewhat obscured by marketing strategies and use of visual images, which tend to present e-books as a superior, but also substitutable, version of the print book product. Given the virtual reality of "traditional books" presented by e-Book platforms, buyers of e-books are likely to confuse their rights (i.e. after purchase) with the property rights model for print books. Users may be surprised to find that they are prevented from doing certain things7 with their e-book, within their private/ personal sphere.

| Reviews of Digital Scholarship Publications | Digital Scholarship |

King's College London has released Measuring the Impact of Digital Resources: The Balanced Value Impact Model.

Here's an excerpt:

This document synthesizes information from the whole Impact Assessment sector and then proposes the Balanced Value Impact Model as a means to effectively carry out an Impact Assessment relating to the benefits of digitization and digital resources in general. It seeks to help the communities identified above to provide a compelling argument for future work. Thus, you will find in this document information on:

• Where the value and impact can be found in digital resources,
• Who are the beneficiaries gaining from the impact and value,
• How to measure change and impact for digital resources,
• What makes for good indicators of change in people’s lives,
• How to do an Impact Assessment using the Balanced Value Impact Model, and
• How to present a convincing evidence-based argument for digital resources?

| Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography 2010 | Digital Scholarship |