Stopwatch Session 6 Recording

Rachel Fox Von Swearingen (Syracuse University) & Dylan Mohr (Syracuse University)

Keywords: open access; monographs; metadata; publishing; sustainability

As open access monograph infrastructure emerges, libraries are left asking, how has our role changed in the funding and discoverability of scholarly publishing? What impact does the current OA monograph publishing trajectory have on library collecting, equity in funding responsibility, user consumption, and the (perceived) value of the OA monograph itself for authors and researchers within the scholarly communication ecosystem?

Evaluation of OA funding models is often directed by questions about their sustainability—and frequently from the publisher’s perspective. While the sustainability of the funding model is crucial, this presentation will suggest that funding is only one aspect of a much larger question regarding the future of OA monographs and infrastructure. Addressing the changes in the marketing, promotion, discoverability, and consumption of OA monographs, attendees will hear from Collections Lead Librarian Rachel Fox Von Swearingen and Open Scholarship Librarian Dylan Mohr as they discuss how a more robust commitment to OA monograph metadata will increase usage, and, in turn, citations. We suggest that the difficulty in collecting OA monograph for the collections librarian and the hesitations on the part of authors for the Open Scholarship librarian find a common problem in the promotion and discoverability of the content itself. Publishers and librarians, we suggest, should view OA metadata infrastructure as a vital aspect in their continued roles in driving the consumption of titles—and the sustainability of the OA monograph more broadly.

After outlining the case for improving metadata infrastructure, the presenters will turn to the audience and facilitate breakout groups. What other factors should we be planning for in our OA infrastructure to ensure the sustainability of the OA monograph in scholarly communication and research alongside their for-pay cousins? Groups will share back ideas and solutions, further developing our understanding of OA infrastructure needs going forward.

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Scott Warrenn (Syracuse University Libraries) & Scott Warrenn (Syracuse University Libraries)

Keywords: digital libraries, infrastructure, digital curation lifecycle

As digital librarians, we have a duty of care to keep pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with technology. How can we enhance the digital experience of our patrons; how we can make things more interactive; and how can we achieve more from the technologies that support our digital library ecosystem?

In 2021, Syracuse University (SU) Libraries established a new digital library model built on the two pillars of stewardship and scholarship, the former concerned with the technical aspects of digital materials and the latter with their use in teaching and learning. At the same time, a cross-organizational team was set up to find ways to integrate workflows and practices into a digital curation lifecycle.

This new model is underpinned by an integrated infrastructure of technologies, each playing a vital and complementary role in the smooth running of the digital library – from storage, preservation and production to management and access – all fed with digitized content from our library collections.

The approach at SU is to critically appraise the contribution of these technologies in the role that they play and to explore extensible capabilities that may extend their usefulness and value.

In this Stopwatch session, we’ll explore:

• this integrated model of the digital library and the infrastructure that makes it work
• the role that technologies play in maintaining this ecosystem
• how certain technologies are increasing their overall value in ways that were not immediately apparent at the time of adoption and integration

---

Nettie Lagace (NISO - National Information Standards Organization)

Keywords: metadata, audio/video, discovery, standards, interoperability

The Video & Audio Metadata Guidelines Working Group is seeking to improve collaboration and interoperability between organizations and systems in video and audio media, which in recent years have increased in demand and been quickly integrated into learning spaces. Discovery and integration require rich metadata for these materials, but current metadata recommendations do not encompass properties needed for effective compatibility between systems, frustrating stakeholders in all areas. The NISO Working Group analyzed existing metadata standards and models against a wide variety of use cases to develop guidelines to improve sharing of bibliographic, administrative, technical and semantic metadata supporting varied objectives for use of these important collections. Their work has been published as a NISO Recommended Practice and we are now shifting to support uptake!

---

Ron Leonard (Alabama Commission on Higher Education) & Joseph Herrmann (Springer-Nature)

Keywords: affordable learning universal access e-books

For over a decade, institutions and organizations across the nation have tried to lower the cost of college by replacing expensive commercial resources with no- to low-cost educational materials, which is referred to as Affordable Learning. One way this can be achieved is by libraries purchasing electronic resources, such as e-books that might be used as textbooks, for their end-users. But, not all e-books and vendors are the same. In 2022, the Alabama Virtual Library / AVL (avl.lib.al.us) sought out high quality and DRM-free resources from a library-friendly vendor with a reputation for excellent customer support. Ultimately, the AVL selected two starter collections of Spring Nature (www.springernature.com) e-books to purchase because both the company and its products fulfilled all requirements. During this presentation, speakers from the AVL and Springer-Nature will discuss the setbacks and accomplishments of making these resources available to all persons statewide. Attendees will leave with a set of best practices for how a library, library consortia, or statewide library might achieve similar success.

---

Willa Tavernier (IU Bloomington), Amy Minix (IU Bloomington) & Caroline Allen (University of Iowa)

Keywords: vetting, ethics, predatory, publishing, trustworthy

When three early career librarians discovered wildly varying attitudes among librarians about what a librarian should do if a researcher requests an article published in a journal that does not appear to be reputable, they were stymied. Their initial research on predatory publishing in health sciences found several studies identifying it as a problem across many health sciences sub-disciplines. While acknowledging that "predatory publishing" is a loaded term, it became clear that articles in journals that deviate from best editorial and publication practices were making their way into the scholarly ecosystem because other scholars cited these articles. Scholars discovered these articles via several routes - including PubMed. Papers in journals that are not indexed by Medline or PMC were able to make their way into PubMed by self-submission of NIH-funded research papers to PMC. In fact, in 2017, NIH found it necessary to release a statement urging authors to use a variety of tools, including consulting with librarians before publishing, because "The NIH has noted an increase in the numbers of papers reported as products of NIH funding which are published in journals or by publishers that do not follow best practices promoted by professional scholarly publishing organizations." However, this does not solve the problem of the continuing use and citation of papers already in the system or the lack of consistent practice by librarians when responding to article requests. In response, we launched the "Vetting Research Project," designed to identify and assess librarians' attitudes on where the burden of responsibility lies to ensure that unreliable research does not make its way into the scholarly ecosystem. The study also investigates whether researchers and other library patrons hold the same view of this responsibility, beginning with health services library workers and the patrons they serve.

Rachel Fox Von Swearingen (Syracuse University) & Dylan Mohr (Syracuse University)

Keywords: open access; monographs; metadata; publishing; sustainability

As open access monograph infrastructure emerges, libraries are left asking, how has our role changed in the funding and discoverability of scholarly publishing? What impact does the current OA monograph publishing trajectory have on library collecting, equity in funding responsibility, user consumption, and the (perceived) value of the OA monograph itself for authors and researchers within the scholarly communication ecosystem?

Evaluation of OA funding models is often directed by questions about their sustainability—and frequently from the publisher’s perspective. While the sustainability of the funding model is crucial, this presentation will suggest that funding is only one aspect of a much larger question regarding the future of OA monographs and infrastructure. Addressing the changes in the marketing, promotion, discoverability, and consumption of OA monographs, attendees will hear from Collections Lead Librarian Rachel Fox Von Swearingen and Open Scholarship Librarian Dylan Mohr as they discuss how a more robust commitment to OA monograph metadata will increase usage, and, in turn, citations. We suggest that the difficulty in collecting OA monograph for the collections librarian and the hesitations on the part of authors for the Open Scholarship librarian find a common problem in the promotion and discoverability of the content itself. Publishers and librarians, we suggest, should view OA metadata infrastructure as a vital aspect in their continued roles in driving the consumption of titles—and the sustainability of the OA monograph more broadly.

After outlining the case for improving metadata infrastructure, the presenters will turn to the audience and facilitate breakout groups. What other factors should we be planning for in our OA infrastructure to ensure the sustainability of the OA monograph in scholarly communication and research alongside their for-pay cousins? Groups will share back ideas and solutions, further developing our understanding of OA infrastructure needs going forward.

---

Scott Warrenn (Syracuse University Libraries) & Scott Warrenn (Syracuse University Libraries)

Keywords: digital libraries, infrastructure, digital curation lifecycle

As digital librarians, we have a duty of care to keep pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with technology. How can we enhance the digital experience of our patrons; how we can make things more interactive; and how can we achieve more from the technologies that support our digital library ecosystem?

In 2021, Syracuse University (SU) Libraries established a new digital library model built on the two pillars of stewardship and scholarship, the former concerned with the technical aspects of digital materials and the latter with their use in teaching and learning. At the same time, a cross-organizational team was set up to find ways to integrate workflows and practices into a digital curation lifecycle.

This new model is underpinned by an integrated infrastructure of technologies, each playing a vital and complementary role in the smooth running of the digital library – from storage, preservation and production to management and access – all fed with digitized content from our library collections.

The approach at SU is to critically appraise the contribution of these technologies in the role that they play and to explore extensible capabilities that may extend their usefulness and value.

In this Stopwatch session, we’ll explore:

• this integrated model of the digital library and the infrastructure that makes it work
• the role that technologies play in maintaining this ecosystem
• how certain technologies are increasing their overall value in ways that were not immediately apparent at the time of adoption and integration

---

Nettie Lagace (NISO - National Information Standards Organization)

Keywords: metadata, audio/video, discovery, standards, interoperability

The Video & Audio Metadata Guidelines Working Group is seeking to improve collaboration and interoperability between organizations and systems in video and audio media, which in recent years have increased in demand and been quickly integrated into learning spaces. Discovery and integration require rich metadata for these materials, but current metadata recommendations do not encompass properties needed for effective compatibility between systems, frustrating stakeholders in all areas. The NISO Working Group analyzed existing metadata standards and models against a wide variety of use cases to develop guidelines to improve sharing of bibliographic, administrative, technical and semantic metadata supporting varied objectives for use of these important collections. Their work has been published as a NISO Recommended Practice and we are now shifting to support uptake!

---

Ron Leonard (Alabama Commission on Higher Education) & Joseph Herrmann (Springer-Nature)

Keywords: affordable learning universal access e-books

For over a decade, institutions and organizations across the nation have tried to lower the cost of college by replacing expensive commercial resources with no- to low-cost educational materials, which is referred to as Affordable Learning. One way this can be achieved is by libraries purchasing electronic resources, such as e-books that might be used as textbooks, for their end-users. But, not all e-books and vendors are the same. In 2022, the Alabama Virtual Library / AVL (avl.lib.al.us) sought out high quality and DRM-free resources from a library-friendly vendor with a reputation for excellent customer support. Ultimately, the AVL selected two starter collections of Spring Nature (www.springernature.com) e-books to purchase because both the company and its products fulfilled all requirements. During this presentation, speakers from the AVL and Springer-Nature will discuss the setbacks and accomplishments of making these resources available to all persons statewide. Attendees will leave with a set of best practices for how a library, library consortia, or statewide library might achieve similar success.

---

Willa Tavernier (IU Bloomington), Amy Minix (IU Bloomington) & Caroline Allen (University of Iowa)

Keywords: vetting, ethics, predatory, publishing, trustworthy

When three early career librarians discovered wildly varying attitudes among librarians about what a librarian should do if a researcher requests an article published in a journal that does not appear to be reputable, they were stymied. Their initial research on predatory publishing in health sciences found several studies identifying it as a problem across many health sciences sub-disciplines. While acknowledging that "predatory publishing" is a loaded term, it became clear that articles in journals that deviate from best editorial and publication practices were making their way into the scholarly ecosystem because other scholars cited these articles. Scholars discovered these articles via several routes - including PubMed. Papers in journals that are not indexed by Medline or PMC were able to make their way into PubMed by self-submission of NIH-funded research papers to PMC. In fact, in 2017, NIH found it necessary to release a statement urging authors to use a variety of tools, including consulting with librarians before publishing, because "The NIH has noted an increase in the numbers of papers reported as products of NIH funding which are published in journals or by publishers that do not follow best practices promoted by professional scholarly publishing organizations." However, this does not solve the problem of the continuing use and citation of papers already in the system or the lack of consistent practice by librarians when responding to article requests. In response, we launched the "Vetting Research Project," designed to identify and assess librarians' attitudes on where the burden of responsibility lies to ensure that unreliable research does not make its way into the scholarly ecosystem. The study also investigates whether researchers and other library patrons hold the same view of this responsibility, beginning with health services library workers and the patrons they serve.