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Weekly News Digest
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October 2, 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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JSTOR Seeklight Adds Transcript Generation
JSTOR announced the following:JSTOR has launched transcript generation within JSTOR Seeklight, expanding its AI-assisted collection processing capabilities beyond metadata to include full-text transcription of handwritten, typed, and mixed-media documents. The new feature is now available to all Tier 3 charter participants in JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services. Developed in collaboration with librarians and archivists, this new functionality enhances discoverability, supports compliance with accessibility requirements, and maximizes the research value of digital collections. Transcripts can be generated during upload or on demand, reviewed and refined in a built-in editor, or replaced with institutional versions—ensuring expert oversight by archivists and librarians, along with institutional control. For more information, read the news item.
ALA Fights for Hotspot Lending and School Bus Wi-Fi
ALA announced the following:The Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, the American Library Association (ALA), EdLiNC and the Homework Gap Coalition submitted a joint letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the Commission to protect two vital programs that expand internet access for students and library patrons: the Hotspot Lending Program and School Bus Wi-Fi. The letter responds to the last-minute addition of both items on the agenda for its September 30 meeting, when the FCC is expected to overturn the programs, despite the proven impact of hotspots and existing funding through the federal E-Rate program. For more information, read the press release.
Recent 2025 People News
The OCLC Leaders Council elected Keith Webster, the Helen and Henry Posner, Jr. Dean of the University Libraries at Carnegie Mellon University, to the OCLC Board of Trustees. Publishing services company Sheridan appointed Ashley Gordon, previously of HP, Inc.’s PageWide Industrial Division, as VP of digital print solutions. Cadmore Media named Mark Reynard, previously head of video services at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), as its new sales director. The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) hired Julie Balutis as managing director of its library services and content management department. Balutis, who was previously director of grants policy and management at IMLS, will oversee the administration of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), the Cataloging & Indexing Program, the International Exchange Service, and the By-Law Program. Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) for 10 years, will step down by mid-2026. “It’s been the honor of my life to help EFF grow and become the strong, effective organization it is today, but it’s time to make space for new leadership,” Cohn says. “I know EFF’s lawyers, activists and technologists will continue standing up for freedom, justice and innovation whether we’re fighting trolls, bullies, corporate oligarchs, clueless legislators or outright dictators.” Erik Bertin is now serving as acting associate register of copyrights and director of registration policy and practice at the U.S. Copyright Office. Bertin was previously deputy director of registration policy and practice. Kate Zwaard, previously associate librarian for discovery and preservation services at the Library of Congress, became the new executive director of the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI).
Browns Books Joins the Rialto Marketplace
Ex Libris shares that “Rialto and Browns Books are expanding their collaboration to enhance both digital and print offerings on the Rialto Marketplace.” The announcement explains, “Electronic content from Browns Books will be available in Rialto, further enriching the Rialto Marketplace. VLeBooks will be fully integrated into Rialto’s streamlined model, enabling seamless ordering, invoicing, and fulfilment through the platform.” Rialto is also offering a new Referral Model for print book fulfilment by Browns Books. “By integrating Browns Books through our streamlined Rialto model and collaborating on the new print fulfilment Referral Model, we aim to help our libraries foster their collection development with their providers of choice,” says Judith Fraenkel, director of product management at Clarivate, which owns Ex Libris. For more information, read the announcement.
Clarivate Shares Its List of 2025 Citation Laureates
Clarivate unveiled “the Citation Laureates 2025—a distinguished group of 22 researchers whose work is of Nobel class. Selected by experts at the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) at Clarivate, these individuals have made pioneering contributions that are shaping the future of science and society.” Since the program began, “83 Citation Laureates have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes,” and this year, the “Laureates are affiliated with leading academic institutions in eight countries/regions. Ten are based in the United States, three in France, two each in Germany, Japan, and Switzerland, and one each in Canada, the Netherlands, and—for the first time—Mainland China.” Fields represented by this year’s Laureates include:- Physiology or Medicine: Leukemia, appetite regulation, and immune system research
- Physics: Signal processing, quantum computing, interstellar chemistry, and image compression
- Chemistry: Energy storage, green chemistry, sustainable energy, and cell engineering
- Economics: Remote work, automation, inequality, poverty, and the economic impact of culture and discrimination
For more information, read the press release.
SSP Calls for Participants in Its Compensation and Benefits Benchmarking Study
The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) introduced “the second wave of [its] global Compensation and Benefits Benchmarking Study, which aims to collect comprehensive data on wages, compensation, benefits, policies, and skills from professionals in scholarly communications and the organizations that employ them.” Key insights from last year’s study include the following:- 95% of individual respondents are employed full-time; 62% have the ability to work fully remotely
- 98% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher; 33% have a master’s degree, and 24% have PhDs
- 71% live in North America (68% in the US); 27% live in Europe and Central Asia (20% in the UK); 2% live in East Asia and the Pacific. Interestingly, the US (65%) and the UK (17%) are the most frequent headquarters for their employers.
SSP notes, “Data collection is open now through March 31, 2026, with reports available beginning February 2026. Participants are encouraged to submit their surveys by December 31, 2025, to ensure timely findings that can guide decisions in the coming year.” Individuals and organizations can visit SSP’s Resources section to learn how to participate. For more information, read the news item.
Syntax Creative Adds Its Independent Music to hoopla Digital's Catalog
Syntax Creative partnered with Hoopla digital to “bring its catalog of independent music to public library systems across the country. Starting [in September], library patrons nationwide can stream Syntax-distributed titles on Hoopla with nothing more than a library card.” The press release continues, “The agreement makes Syntax’s genre-spanning catalog—including Gospel, Hip Hop, Bluegrass, and more—available alongside Hoopla’s existing offerings. By adding independent music to the same digital catalog as eBooks, comics, and films, the partnership opens a new channel for discovery while reinforcing the role of public libraries as community access points for culture.”For more information, read the press release.
Libby and Read With Jenna Join Forces for Book Discovery
OverDrive’s Libby entered into a partnership with Read With Jenna, the book club of TODAY co-host Jenna Bush Hager. The company notes that “readers will be able to easily read and listen to Jenna’s monthly book club picks for free with their library card through Libby. … Through this partnership, Libby and Read with Jenna are working together to expand access and inspire even more people to discover their next great read and support their local libraries.”“Libraries are the heartbeats of our communities,” says Bush Hager. “They offer connection, opportunity, and a safe space for everyone. And none of that happens without the heart of it all, librarians. That’s why I’m so excited for readers to find a curated list of our Read With Jenna book club picks right in the Libby app, ready to borrow from your local library, for free. Books have the incredible power to change hearts and minds and now, thanks to Libby, they’re just a tap away for readers everywhere.” For more information, read the blog post/press release.
Lucidea Looks at Evidence-Based Alternatives to Learning Styles
Lauren Hays writes the following in “Library Instruction: Learning Styles Are Out, Evidence-Based Practices Are In,” a blog post for Lucidea:I recently watched a series of Google videos on how college students can use Gemini in their academic work. In one, the presenter suggested that students could use Gemini to learn in their preferred ‘learning style’ (paraphrased). I couldn’t help but shake my head—despite substantial evidence debunking the concept, the myth of learning styles continues to persist in educational conversations. … Whether or not you are familiar with the research on learning styles, you may be wondering why I am raising the issue. The reason is simple: incorporating teaching strategies unsupported by evidence can be harmful to learners. For more information, read the blog post.
NISO Opens Its KBART Phase III Recommended Practice for Public Comment
The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) opened its draft revision of the Knowledge Bases and Related Tools (KBART) Phase III Recommended Practice for public comment through Nov. 10, 2025.NISO shares, “KBART is a NISO Recommended Practice that facilitates the transfer of holdings metadata from content providers to knowledge base suppliers and libraries. Its use helps to ensure the integrity and functionality of knowledge bases, which are widely used to support library link resolvers and electronic resource management systems. Since the publication of Phase II in 2014, the KBART Standing Committee has identified both needed clarifications and revisions to the Recommended Practice as well as substantial additions and new areas of work to cover. The draft of KBART Phase III includes support for additional content types (such as audio and video), additional support for hybrid open-access and global content, an overhaul of the KBART endorsement process, and provisions for a file manifest.” For more information, read the press release.
hoopla Digital Unveils New Ways to Interact With Its APIs
hoopla Digital introduced “Hoopla for Developers, a public, library and vendor-facing documentation website for Hoopla Partner API endpoints. This new resource helps libraries and their technology partners get the most out of their integration by providing detailed Hoopla API documentation, including integration steps, security protocols, general guidelines, and more.”The company continues, “In addition to launching Hoopla for Developers, Hoopla recently partnered with Libero, by Knosys, a library management system and mobile library app, to leverage Hoopla’s API. With the Libero 6 release, libraries can now access their Hoopla Instant and Flex titles through their catalogs via API integration. This partnership enhances the experience for library partners in Australia and New Zealand by providing greater discoverability and expanded choices for members. With a single, integrated search result, members can now seamlessly search, view, and borrow titles from each publisher.” For more information, read the press release.
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Brandi Scardilli
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