Blake

Comparing Published Scientific Journal Articles to Their Pre-print Versions

Academic publishers claim that they add value to scholarly communications by coordinating reviews and contributing and enhancing text during publication. These contributions come at a considerable cost: U.S. academic libraries paid $1.7 billion for serial subscriptions in 2008 alone. Library budgets, in contrast, are flat and not able to keep pace with serial price inflation. We have investigated the publishers’ value proposition by conducting a comparative study of pre-print papers and their final published counterparts. This comparison had two working assumptions: 1) if the publishers’ argument is valid, the text of a pre-print paper should vary measurably from its corresponding final published version, and 2) by applying standard similarity measures, we should be able to detect and quantify such differences. Our analysis revealed that the text contents of the scientific papers generally changed very little from their pre-print to final published versions. These findings contribute empirical indicators to discussions of the added value of commercial publishers and therefore should influence libraries’ economic decisions regarding access to scholarly publications.

From [1604.05363] Comparing Published Scientific Journal Articles to Their Pre-print Versions

Academic publishers claim that they add value to scholarly communications by coordinating reviews and contributing and enhancing text during publication. These contributions come at a considerable cost: U.S. academic libraries paid $1.7 billion for serial subscriptions in 2008 alone. Library budgets, in contrast, are flat and not able to keep pace with serial price inflation. We have investigated the publishers’ value proposition by conducting a comparative study of pre-print papers and their final published counterparts. This comparison had two working assumptions: 1) if the publishers’ argument is valid, the text of a pre-print paper should vary measurably from its corresponding final published version, and 2) by applying standard similarity measures, we should be able to detect and quantify such differences. Our analysis revealed that the text contents of the scientific papers generally changed very little from their pre-print to final published versions. These findings contribute empirical indicators to discussions of the added value of commercial publishers and therefore should influence libraries’ economic decisions regarding access to scholarly publications.

From [1604.05363] Comparing Published Scientific Journal Articles to Their Pre-print Versions

April 25, 2016 by Libraries Publishing

Mass. circulation rates tell an interesting tale

Susan Neuman, a professor of education studies at the University of Michigan who has researched the use of libraries in poor versus middle-income areas around the country, said, “In low-income areas, the time people spend in the libraries is often much longer than in middle-income areas and it’s a lot different.”

“This is where they do their job applications, where they do their gaming, and where they read and do all of their information-related activities. It’s where the kids do their homework,” Neuman said.

From Is your local library a bestseller? — Mass. circulation rates tell an interesting tale – The Boston Globe

Susan Neuman, a professor of education studies at the University of Michigan who has researched the use of libraries in poor versus middle-income areas around the country, said, “In low-income areas, the time people spend in the libraries is often much longer than in middle-income areas and it’s a lot different.”

“This is where they do their job applications, where they do their gaming, and where they read and do all of their information-related activities. It’s where the kids do their homework,” Neuman said.

From Is your local library a bestseller? — Mass. circulation rates tell an interesting tale – The Boston Globe

April 25, 2016 by Libraries

The Oldest Libraries Around the World

their collections, stunning designs, and sometimes playful interiors. After reading news this week about the restoration of Morocco’s Al Qarawiyyin Library, featured below, we knew it was time to take a trip around the world to highlight some of the oldest libraries in existence — repositories of ancient art and architecture, history, and prized books. Here are ten of Flavorwire’s favorites.

From The Oldest Libraries Around the World – Flavorwire

their collections, stunning designs, and sometimes playful interiors. After reading news this week about the restoration of Morocco’s Al Qarawiyyin Library, featured below, we knew it was time to take a trip around the world to highlight some of the oldest libraries in existence — repositories of ancient art and architecture, history, and prized books. Here are ten of Flavorwire’s favorites.

From The Oldest Libraries Around the World – Flavorwire

April 25, 2016 by Libraries

The woman who is trying to create a Netflix for books for India

Chiki Sarkar hates being called a disruptor but that’s exactly what she’s doing to the opaque, incestuous world of Indian publishing. Along with Durga Raghunath, who brings the digital smarts, Sarkar has co-founded Juggernaut, a digital publishing house. She spoke to Neelam Raaj on why she wants to use tech to give dead-tree books a new lease of life

From The woman who is trying to create a Netflix for books – Times of India

Chiki Sarkar hates being called a disruptor but that’s exactly what she’s doing to the opaque, incestuous world of Indian publishing. Along with Durga Raghunath, who brings the digital smarts, Sarkar has co-founded Juggernaut, a digital publishing house. She spoke to Neelam Raaj on why she wants to use tech to give dead-tree books a new lease of life

From The woman who is trying to create a Netflix for books – Times of India

April 25, 2016 by Books

EBSCO Supports New Open Source Project

Developers and librarians are working together to create a radically new, open source library services platform (LSP) aimed at transforming the technology academic libraries rely on. Backed by a multimillion-dollar contribution from EBSCO Information Services, the participants plan to fast-track production of the software, with early versions available by early 2018.

From EBSCO Supports New Open Source Project | American Libraries Magazine

Developers and librarians are working together to create a radically new, open source library services platform (LSP) aimed at transforming the technology academic libraries rely on. Backed by a multimillion-dollar contribution from EBSCO Information Services, the participants plan to fast-track production of the software, with early versions available by early 2018.

From EBSCO Supports New Open Source Project | American Libraries Magazine

April 23, 2016 by Libraries

One Easy Way to Make Wikipedia Better

Evans and his colleagues have an idea for how Wikipedia could begin to do this—and it’s a proposal that, if executed well, could dramatically improve access to information on the Internet. “You could just give some kind of meter about verifiability, actually on the Wikipedia page,” said Dan Rockmore, the director of the Neukom Institute and a co-author of the study. “That could be automated in a fairly simple way.”

From One Easy Way to Make Wikipedia Better – The Atlantic

Evans and his colleagues have an idea for how Wikipedia could begin to do this—and it’s a proposal that, if executed well, could dramatically improve access to information on the Internet. “You could just give some kind of meter about verifiability, actually on the Wikipedia page,” said Dan Rockmore, the director of the Neukom Institute and a co-author of the study. “That could be automated in a fairly simple way.”

From One Easy Way to Make Wikipedia Better – The Atlantic

April 23, 2016 by Internet

Teacher solves mystery of Jane Austen book

But it may not be a 200-year-old first edition after all and it still needs to be independently verified. A Jane Austen expert at Harvard University, Deidre Lynch, (who has only inspected it by looking at pictures) thinks it actually dates to 1900.

“Even a century ago, a first edition of (Jane) Austen would be awfully valuable,” she said. “And so, an unusual school prize.”

From Teacher solves mystery of Jane Austen book | Qevaz

But it may not be a 200-year-old first edition after all and it still needs to be independently verified. A Jane Austen expert at Harvard University, Deidre Lynch, (who has only inspected it by looking at pictures) thinks it actually dates to 1900.

“Even a century ago, a first edition of (Jane) Austen would be awfully valuable,” she said. “And so, an unusual school prize.”

From Teacher solves mystery of Jane Austen book | Qevaz

April 22, 2016 by Books School Libraries

LITA ALA Annual Precon: Digital Privacy

Don’t miss these amazing speakers at this important LITA preconference to the ALA Annual 2016 conference in Orlando FL.

Digital Privacy and Security: Keeping You And Your Library Safe and Secure In A Post-Snowden World
Friday June 24, 2016, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Presenters: Blake Carver, LYRASIS and Jessamyn West, Library Technologist at Open Library

From LITA ALA Annual Precon: Digital Privacy – LITA Blog

Don’t miss these amazing speakers at this important LITA preconference to the ALA Annual 2016 conference in Orlando FL.

Digital Privacy and Security: Keeping You And Your Library Safe and Secure In A Post-Snowden World
Friday June 24, 2016, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Presenters: Blake Carver, LYRASIS and Jessamyn West, Library Technologist at Open Library

From LITA ALA Annual Precon: Digital Privacy – LITA Blog

April 22, 2016 by American Library Association Libraries Privacy

The Rise of Pirate Libraries

All around the world, shadow libraries keep growing, filled with banned materials. But no actual papers trade hands: everything is digital, and the internet-accessible content is not banned for shocking content so much as that modern crime, copyright infringement.

From The Rise of Pirate Libraries | Atlas Obscura

All around the world, shadow libraries keep growing, filled with banned materials. But no actual papers trade hands: everything is digital, and the internet-accessible content is not banned for shocking content so much as that modern crime, copyright infringement.

From The Rise of Pirate Libraries | Atlas Obscura

April 22, 2016 by Internet Legal Issues Libraries

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