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Weekly News Digest
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July 3, 2025 — 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.
CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.
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BiblioCommons Rolls Out a Flurry of Product Updates
On June 27, BiblioCommons introduced “a suite of powerful new enhancements designed to simplify and unify the online library experience.” The company’s goal is “bringing patrons closer to the library, one click at a time, in what we refer to as the ‘One-Click Experience.’ It means reducing friction at every step by making it possible to log in with a single click, explore the full breadth of the library from one screen, discover all offerings in one place, and read or engage within a single app.” The enhancements include Frictionless Onboarding, a Browse & Discover homepage, and Content Promotions.On June 28, BiblioCommons “identified three early areas of focus where AI can simplify the online library experience and boost patron engagement”: Ask the Library, an AI-based conversational tool for common library questions; AI-powered catalog discovery that presents a carousel of suggested titles in the chat window; and AI-summarized reviews to aid discovery. On June 29, BiblioCommons shared information about its new Centralized Patron Profile. It allows users to “explicitly share their preferences, such as genre or age group, which are then used to tailor their experience across the BiblioCommons suite, including BiblioCore, BiblioApps, BiblioWeb, and BiblioEvents. Patrons can update or remove these preferences at any time, giving them full control over how their experience is shaped.” More personalization is now available in the holds workflow—the addition of personalized title suggestions—and in recommendations, which can now be based on star ratings.
JSTOR and SCELC Enter Agreement for Consortium-Wide Digital Stewardship Services
JSTOR and the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC) signed an agreement to make JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services available to all SCELC member institutions. “Through this partnership, over 100 libraries will have the opportunity to access next-generation digital asset management (DAM) tools, long-term preservation, and AI-powered collections processing support,” JSTOR notes. There are three tiers of participation SCELC members can choose from, and they’ll receive 2-year fee subsidies and ongoing SCELC staff support.For more information, read the news item.
People News From ALA and EBSCO
ALA found a new executive director: Daniel J. Montgomery. He was elected president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) in 2010 and has been unanimously re-elected ever since. He also serves as IFT’s COO. Montgomery starts his role at ALA on Nov. 10. EBSCO Information Services announced the winners of two major awards. The 2025 John Cotton Dana Award for exceptional strategic communications goes to Gail Borden Public Library District in Illinois, Hamilton East Public Library in Indiana, Hartford Public Library in Connecticut, Spring Lake District Library in Michigan, Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library in Ohio, The Community Library in Idaho, Westmount Public Library in Quebec, and Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts. The 2025 EBSCO Solar Grant recipients are Accra Technical University in Ghana, Brooklyn Public Library in New York, Patten Free Library in Maine, and Wolfe County Public Library in Kentucky. They will share a total of $300,000 to help offset solar panel installation costs.
ALA Releases Statement on the Supreme Court Ruling Protecting Broadband Access
ALA “applauded the Supreme Court 6-3 decision to uphold the Universal Service Fund (USF). The system of telecommunications subsidies administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) includes the E-Rate program, which provides libraries and schools billions of dollars each year for broadband access and connectivity.”For more information, read the press release.
Overleaf Debuts an AI Assist Add-On
Digital Science company Overleaf has a new, optional add-on called AI Assist that “helps researchers write in LaTeX faster and smarter by combining the power of advanced language feedback with cutting-edge LaTeX AI tools.” Overleaf users get a limited number of free uses of AI Assist and can upgrade to unlimited access at any time.“The combination of language and writing tools within our AI Assist add-on means millions of Overleaf users can now write their research papers, theses, and technical documents more efficiently and effectively than ever before,” says John Lees-Miller, Digital Science’s SVP of B2C products. “These AI features will ensure they’ll spend less time wrestling with LaTeX code and perfecting their prose, and more time focusing on groundbreaking research.” For more information, read the press release.
The Copyright Public Records System Is Now Live
The U.S. Copyright Office’s Online Public Catalog has been replaced by the Copyright Public Records System (CPRS). “CPRS provides copyright registration and recordation data with advanced search capabilities, filters, and improved interfaces for public users and Office staff,” NewsNet states. “CPRS includes both recordation and registration information from 1978 to the present and searchable metadata for over 3.8 million registration applications from 1898 to 1945.”For more information, read the news item.
The Library of Congress Archives Stephen Sondheim's Papers
The Library of Congress announced the following:The Library of Congress has acquired the manuscripts, music and lyric drafts, recordings, notebooks and scrapbooks of legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, widely considered one of the most influential and innovative musical theater songwriters of his generation. Winner of eight Tony Awards, including a special Tony for lifetime achievement, Sondheim was a prolific creator, as evidenced by the works found in this extensive collection. … The collection also contains manuscripts for some of Sondheim’s most celebrated shows, including ‘Company,’ ‘Follies,’ ‘Sweeney Todd’ and ‘Into the Woods,’ as well as lesser-known works such as his plays and screenplays. Of a more personal nature, there are dozens of scrapbooks that hold programs, clippings, opening night telegrams and more. For more information, read the press release.
Gale Presents: GetSetUp Offers Resources for Senior Patrons
Gale joined forces with GetSetUp, “a frictionless platform offering live and on-demand classes that improve wellness, teach digital literacy, and foster social connections,” to create Gale Presents: GetSetUp for older patrons. It’s part of Gale’s Adult Online Learning Suite.Gale Presents: GetSetUp facilitates “a rotating catalog of live and on-demand classes, short videos, and articles spanning technology use, wellness, hobbies, travel, cooking, retirement planning, and more. Up to 300 classes are available at any time, with new offerings added monthly.” For more information, read the press release.
Research Solutions-Third Iron Integration Pilot Simplifies ILL
Research Solutions, Inc.’s Article Galaxy Scholar (AGS) entered into a strategic integration pilot with Third Iron’s LibKey platform to give libraries “expanded options for essential content to supplement traditional subscriptions by offering users direct, one-click access.”The press release continues, “The integration simplifies the multi-step process researchers face when seeking articles not available through their library’s direct holdings. By incorporating AGS into LibKey’s established ‘waterfall’ linking structure, the partnership provides users with immediate, clearly marked access to over 34,000 journals through auto-mediated document delivery—reducing the complexity and delays of traditional interlibrary loan [ILL] processes.” For more information, read the press release.
Hoopla Digital Offers New Fanbase Press BingePass
Hoopla Digital partnered with indie comic book publisher Fanbase Press for the Fanbase Press BingePass. This provides library patrons with 7 days of unlimited access to more than 50 single-issue digital comics in English and Spanish on a single borrow. All of the content will be available to read via Hoopla’s ActionView feature, taking the reader through the story panel-by-panel. “Digital comics continue to grow in popularity—especially on Hoopla, where we saw nearly a 20% increase in comic circulations last year,” says Cat Zappa, Hoopla’s VP of digital acquisitions. “By partnering with Fanbase Press to launch this BingePass, more library patrons can discover and enjoy comics that reflect a wide range of voices and perspectives.” There are now 55-plus BingePasses available for a variety of content. For more information, read the press release.
Clio's Acquisition of vLex Unites Legal Research and Operational Platforms
Clio signed a definitive agreement to acquire vLex for $1 billion. The press release states, “It combines Clio’s legal operating system—trusted by more than 200,000 legal professionals—with vLex’s cutting-edge legal intelligence platform, which includes Vincent, its groundbreaking AI, built on the industry’s most comprehensive global legal database. Together, these platforms establish a new category of intelligent legal technology at the intersection of the business and practice of law, empowering legal professionals to seamlessly manage, research, and execute legal work within a unified system.” For more information, read the press release.
OCLC Brings AI to Its Smart Fulfillment Services
OCLC shared that it “is using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and advanced data analysis to deliver faster, smarter resource sharing solutions for libraries worldwide. … OCLC’s latest smart fulfillment features now incorporate cutting-edge AI. The latest smart fulfillment enhancements optimize interlibrary loan (ILL) processes, enabling libraries to deliver items faster while reducing staff workload.” In addition, “AI-powered smart fulfillment allows OCLC’s resource sharing systems to select the fastest, most reliable library lender in real time, meeting growing user demands for speed and reliability.” For more information, read the press release.
Annual Reviews Takes Over Stewardship of Knowledge Unlatched From Wiley
Annual Reviews signed an agreement with Wiley to move Knowledge Unlatched (KU) to its organization, marking “KU’s return to nonprofit stewardship.”KU “has played a formative role in showing that open access for books and monographs is possible at scale,” says Richard Gallagher, Annual Reviews’ president and editor-in-chief. “We’re excited to build on this legacy. KU will remain at the forefront of open access book publishing, help more journal publishers adopt Subscribe to Open, and take an active role in coordinating and amplifying Diamond Open Access efforts worldwide.” For more information, read the press release.
Silverchair Will Host the ASTM Digital Library
ASTM announced that “Silverchair will now host ASTM’s comprehensive collection of more than 35,000 chapters and papers, including 17,000 journal articles spanning multiple engineering disciplines.” The ASTM Digital Library will migrate to the Silverchair platform.Stuart Radcliffe, ASTM’s VP of sales and marketing, says this move will bring cutting-edge technological capabilities to the ASTM Digital Library and provide access to a vibrant community of scholarly publishers. For more information, read the press release.
WIPO Studies the Gender Gap and Online Access to Research
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released the results of a study exploring the question, “Can improved digital access to scientific knowledge help close the gender gap in research participation?” The press release explains, “This study builds on earlier findings that showed how much digital access can boost research, and now it reveals something even more specific: online access to research significantly increases how much women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) contribute to scientific publishing.” It shows “that expanding access to scientific literature significantly increases LMIC women’s participation and impact in academic publishing. Specifically, free or low-cost access to scientific publications, as provided by Research4Life, is associated with 3–30% rise in the number of publications with at least one woman author and a 2–9% increase in the share of women authors.”The results “pulled data from over 600 institutions across 80 countries and focused on the Hinari collection of Research4Life, which is managed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).” For more information, read the press release.
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Brandi Scardilli
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