February 1, 2011, The American Geophysical Union (AGU), Washington, DC
In these troubled but dynamic times, the Society for Scholarly Publishing’s ever popular “Librarian Focus Group” returns in 2011 with a panel of leading librarians from a range of institutions primed and ready to answer the questions publishers and vendors have for them. The digital future and continued economic turmoil will be at the forefront of discussion, but a range of other topics will also be covered, such as trends in pricing and licensing, the future of authentication, the challenges of electronic resource preservation, the state of “open access,” and the growing interest in campus publishing.
As books reach the digital tipping point and electronic journals continue to add more functionality, far-reaching decisions are being made by librarians in regard to their collections. The first “all electronic” libraries are becoming a reality and more efficient exchange mechanisms are developing to reduce duplication of collections. With double digit cuts in library budgets inevitable over the next few years, librarians are becoming increasingly radical in their reactions to price rises. Necessity is truly the mother of invention, and surprising new initiatives are being planned and executed within academic libraries – initiatives that publishers need to be aware of.
In a proven formula, six librarians will take questions from moderators and participants on a range of themes during a full day of discussions. The panelists have been chosen for their wide ranging knowledge, and there will informal as well as formal opportunities for discussion.
Speakers:
- Catherine Murray-Rust, Dean and Director of Libraries, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Helen Josephine, Head Librarian, Terman Engineering Library, Stanford University
- Emily McElroy, Head of Content Management & Systems, Oregon Health & Science University
- Julia Gammon, Head, Acquisitions Dept., University Libraries, University of Akron
- Bryan Skib, Collection Development Officer, 818 Hatcher Library, University of Michigan
- Shawn Martin, University of Pennsylvania Libraries
