June 16, 2020
This message is distributed to All-Instructors, EVC-Department-Managers. (Cli
A message sent on the behalf of Kristin Antelman, University Librarian.
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To: UCSB Faculty
From: Kristin Antelman, University Librarian
Re: Library Updates
Library phased reopening
As part of Stage 3 research ramp-up, on June 22 the Library will introduce requesting and pick up (or mail delivery) of library materials for faculty, researchers and graduate students.
By July, under Stage 4 research ramp-up, the Library will expand the delivery service to all UCSB affiliates and will offer by-appointment access to the Library for use of non-circulating collections, including Special Research Collections.
Bookdrops are now open at both the Main and Music Libraries. We are continuing to scan for course reserves, and pull DVDs from our collection for scanning by Instructional Development. Please submit your requests via our online Course Reserves system, adding any notes to specify which parts of a text you need and by when. For questions, contact cres@library.ucsb.edu
Transformative open access deal with Springer-Nature
The University of California has reached a transformative open access agreement with Springer Nature, the world’s second-largest academic publisher. This is the largest open access agreement in North America to date.
Under the agreement, all articles with a UC corresponding author published in more than 2,700 Springer Nature journals will be open access by default, with the UC Libraries paying a portion of the open access fee on behalf of all authors. Authors without available research funds for the remainder of the publishing fee can request that the library cover the entire amount. Authors may also choose to opt out of open access publishing if they wish.
While broad-based open access publishing in the most well-known Nature journals is not initially included, the deal commits Springer Nature and UC to an open science pilot in 2021 and developing plans for a transformative agreement for all of the Nature journals to be implemented in the third year of the agreement. Fully OA Nature branded titles that are not initially included in the deal are eligible for APC reimbursement through the UCSB Library’s OA Fund.
The deal also includes reading access and perpetual rights to more than 1,000 journals in Springer Nature’s portfolio to which UC did not previously subscribe.
The open access publishing provisions will go into effect once the formal agreement has been signed and will run through 2023. More details are available on the UC’s Office of Scholarly Communication website.
Elsevier update
UC’s negotiating team continues to communicate with Elsevier. While progress remains slow, there are a number of recent developments that we hope may give fresh impetus to these discussions:
COVID-19: As a recent Los Angeles Times column laid out, the need for open access to research has never been clearer. In fact, many publishers, including Elsevier, have temporarily made coronavirus-related articles freely available. Pandemic-related budget crunches may also pressure publishers to moderate financial demands.
Federal policy: The Office of Science and Technology Policy is considering a zero-embargo policy for the author’s final manuscript for all federally funded research — a change strongly supported by UC’s faculty Senate and that, if adopted, would further incentivize publishers to accelerate their shift towards open access.
Actions by other institutions: UNC-Chapel Hill, the SUNY (State University of New York) system, and Iowa State University all recently ended their “big deal” subscription packages with Elsevier.
The feedback we received from faculty, students and researchers earlier this year confirmed that, while some researchers, particularly in the health and life sciences, are feeling the impact of UC’s lack of an Elsevier contract, the majority both systemwide and here at UCSB remain supportive of UC’s position.
While we don’t yet know what form the final resolution with Elsevier will take, UC remains committed to getting closure and finding a path forward in the coming months.