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Weekly News Digest
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July 26, 2022 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today.
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IMLS Publishes the Latest Results of Its 2020 Public Libraries Survey
IMLS rolled out the newest data and documentation from its 2020 Public Libraries Survey of about 9,000 U.S. (the 50 states; Washington, D.C.; and U.S. territories) library systems (main libraries, library branches, and bookmobiles). The survey, which has been conducted annually since 1988, “examines key indicators of public library use, financial health, staffing, and resources” and looks at strategies public libraries have implemented during the pandemic. This release builds on the preview shared via an infographic, How Public Libraries Adapted to Serve Their Communities at the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic.For more information, read the press release.
Springer Nature and the University of California Extend Their OA Agreement to Nature Portfolio Journals
As an extension of their landmark 2020 OA agreement, Springer Nature and the University of California (UC) have signed an agreement allowing UC authors to publish OA research in Nature portfolio journals (including Nature, the Nature research journals, and Nature Communications and Scientific Reports), giving them financial support for OA publishing costs via a shared funding model. In 2021, UC researchers published more than 1,300 OA articles in Springer Nature journals, up from 400 in 2020. This new agreement—which runs from Aug. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2024—will make the total of OA articles even higher in 2022. UC students, faculty members, and researchers will continue to have reading access to their currently licensed Nature portfolio journals.“After already seeing a tripling of OA articles published by UC since our landmark 2020 agreement, it has been clear that together we are supporting the transition to gold OA and all that is the future of open science,” says Carolyn J. Honour, Springer Nature’s chief commercial officer. For more information, read the press release.
Some Oklahoma Librarians Will Be Penalized for Even Mentioning Abortion
Claire Woodcock writes the following for Motherboard, Vice’s technology section:Library workers across Oklahoma’s Metropolitan Library System (MLS) were shocked … after receiving instructions to avoid using the word ‘abortion’ and not to help patrons locate abortion-related information on either library computers or their own devices. Workers were warned that they could be held legally liable and face penalties under the state’s abortion laws. ‘If a staff member gives any information on how to obtain an abortion, then that person may be found personally liable and will also make MLS liable,’ says a memo, which was obtained by Motherboard after being emailed to workers at one library branch in the Oklahoma City area. ‘Civil penalties include a $10,000 fine plus jail time and the staff member will lose their job due to being informed by MLS and disregarding the warning.’ … It’s safe to assume the conversations happening at MLS in Oklahoma are also happening within library systems in other states with abortion restrictions. Library workers worry this forces information professionals across the country to choose between breaking the law and violating their duty as public servants. The library worker from MLS anticipates that despite this, librarians are going to help patrons procure reliable abortion information. For more information, read the article.
The Latest News From Clarivate
On July 27, Clarivate published a new Global Research Report from the Institute for Scientific Information that analyzes ocean science research over the last 20 years, titled “Ocean Science: Sustainability Concerns Add Urgency for Research” (registration required). It shows that “research must rise to meet the challenges facing the marine environment such as microplastic pollution and climate change.”On July 26, Clarivate shared that the 2023 release of the Journal Citation Reports will be giving all Web of Science Core Collection journals a Journal Impact Factor, which expands the Journal Impact Factor “from Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) to include journals from the Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI) and the multidisciplinary Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI).” On July 20, Clarivate announced that its BioWorld suite of news services published a new report, “Extending the Human Lifespan” (login required). It “examines the science around extending our time on earth alongside our quality of life” and “provides an in-depth analysis of the latest science, the key biological drivers that can be targeted pharmacologically and the companies developing these potential ‘Fountain of Youth’ candidate drugs.”
TLC Helps Libraries Prep for Back-to-School
The Library Corp. (TLC) announced the following:While school librarians prepare for students to return, TLC helps with a seamless transition. The library software company provides a team within its Client Services division devoted to school success. Some of the larger districts have their own dedicated representative for year-round support. … In addition to the training opportunities that take place for many K-12 districts, TLC provides a checklist of summer tasks. From a list of recommended year-end reports to updating SIS connections, the list includes helpful tasks to start the school year. TLC’s Client Services team can help schools with any of this summer work. The summer is also ideal for districts to complete projects with district-wide impact. For instance, Anchorage School District worked with TLC this summer to complete their migration to TLC•Cloud Services. Other schools used the opportunity to upgrade to the latest TLC software. For more information, read the press release.
Digital Science Shares Predictions of Who Will Be Metaverse Leaders
David Ellis writes the following for Digital Science:A new study by world leaders in patent data has revealed the companies that are poised to become the ‘Maestros of the Metaverse’, conducting the most innovations to underpin the 3D virtual reality space of the near future. IFI CLAIMS—a Digital Science company dedicated to providing the world’s most trusted patent data for research, innovation and technology—says patent applications provide telling insights into the leaders of innovation. IFI’s partners at IALE Tecnología, based in Barcelona, have been studying all of the metaverse-related patent applications made over the past five years. Today, IFI CLAIMS and IALE Tecnología have released their briefing report into the companies staking the biggest claim in the metaverse. The analysis was created by Enric Escorsa, CEO of IALE Tecnología, using IFI CLAIMS data. The metaverse is a proposed integrated network of 3D virtual reality worlds, an immersive space that is anticipated to become the next big era of the internet. Why is this important? Because it opens up avenues for expansion of social media, commerce, entertainment, and a range of industries and experiences in a whole new way. For more information, read the article.
Channel 5 News on YouTube Reaches a New Audience of News Consumers
Theo Schear writes the following for NeimanLab:A recent college graduate with an oversized thrift store suit and curls like Napoleon Dynamite, Andrew Callaghan doesn’t necessarily look like a credible source of information. But Channel 5 News, Callaghan’s web series and brand, has built a following including 1.93 million YouTube subscribers, and the 25-year-old pulls in roughly $100,000 per month through Patreon. ‘I think I provide a gateway to engagement with reporting for people who don’t watch the news,’ Callaghan, 25, told me. ‘People who don’t watch the news watch me. People who watch the news don’t watch me.’ Since hitting the road in 2019, Callaghan’s work has evolved beyond a parodic presentation of small-town news. He recently reported from Ukraine, interviewing the mayor of Lviv and refugees in the country and across the border in Poland. For more information, read the article.
3D Printing at Sea
Liam Tung writes the following for ZDNet:The US Navy has installed a 3D printer on its Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex to test the viability of the technology when out at sea. USS Essex is the first ship to evaluate a 3D printer in conditions at sea. … Components that can be printed on the ship include heat sinks, housings, fuel adapters, bleed air valves, valve covers and more, according to a US Navy news release. … [T]o protect the ElemX [printer] while at sea, it was installed in an industrial shipping container. The trials so far have looked at establishing operational guidelines and technical feasibility studies to determine applications and use cases. For more information, read the article.
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Brandi Scardilli
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