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Weekly News Digest
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June 2, 2026 — 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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EveryLibrary Institute Publishes an Issue Brief on Florida Public Libraries
EveryLibrary Institute Releases New Issue Brief on Florida’s SJR 2-F and the Future of Florida’s Public LibrariesAnalysis warns proposed property tax amendment could have significant implications for local library funding, economic development, and civic infrastructure BERWYN, IL—June 1, 2026 The EveryLibrary Institute today released a new policy brief examining the potential impacts of Florida Senate Joint Resolution 2-F (SJR 2-F), the proposed constitutional amendment that would substantially expand Florida’s homestead exemption and establish a pathway toward the eventual elimination of property taxes on homestead properties. The brief, SJR 2-F and the Future of Florida’s Public Libraries, is released as the Florida Legislature convenes in special session during the week of June 2 to consider the proposal. While public discussion has largely focused on homeowner tax relief, the EveryLibrary Institute’s analysis argues that SJR 2-F should also be evaluated as a proposal that could fundamentally alter how local governments finance public services and civic institutions. “Florida’s public libraries are local institutions funded primarily through local property taxes,” said John Chrastka, Executive Director of the EveryLibrary Institute. “Any proposal that substantially changes local government finance deserves careful examination, not only for its impact on taxpayers, but also for its potential impact on the community institutions that residents rely on every day.” According to the brief, Florida’s public libraries received approximately $900 million in local property tax revenue in 2024 while receiving just $17.7 million in state aid. The report concludes that no existing combination of grants, fees, fundraising, or state support currently operates at a scale capable of replacing the local revenues that sustain public library operations statewide. The analysis also highlights several often-overlooked consequences of reduced local fiscal capacity, including potential impacts on: - Public library operations and services
- Dedicated library districts and special taxing districts
- Federal E-Rate broadband reimbursements
- State and federal grant opportunities requiring local matching funds
- Friends of the Library and Foundation fundraising efforts
- Local economic development and workforce support programs
The report notes that Florida’s public libraries serve more than 23 million residents and operate at an average cost of approximately $33 per resident annually. According to research cited in the brief, Florida public libraries generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity and support thousands of jobs throughout the state. The Institute’s analysis also emphasizes that local revenue often serves as the financial foundation that allows libraries to attract outside investment through state construction grants, federal reimbursement programs, private philanthropy, and community fundraising. “One of the least discussed aspects of this proposal is that local tax revenue is frequently what enables libraries to compete for additional public and private funding,” said Chrastka. “When local capacity declines, the ability to leverage outside dollars may decline as well.” The EveryLibrary Institute encourages legislators, local government officials, library leaders, and Florida residents to review the issue brief as debate over SJR 2-F continues during the special session. The full report is available at everylibraryinstitute.org/issue_brief_sjr2f_future_florida_libraries. About EveryLibrary Institute The EveryLibrary Institute NFP is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that conducts research, education, and policy analysis on public, school, academic, and special libraries. The Institute works to strengthen libraries as civic institutions and supports evidence-based policymaking on issues affecting library services, governance, funding, and community impact. Media Contact: John Chrastka
Executive Director
EveryLibrary Institute NFP
john.chrastka@everylibrary.org
everylibraryinstitute.org
A Coalition of Library Stakeholders Fights for IMLS Funding in the Federal Budget
On June 1, 2026, ALA, the Association of Research Libraries, the American Alliance of Museums, the Association for Rural & Small Libraries, the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, EBSCO Information Services, EveryLibrary, the Society of American Archivists, and the Urban Libraries Council jointly “called on Congress to expand federal funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in its fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills, which are scheduled for markup by a House Appropriations Subcommittee later this week.” The organizations submitted a coalition letter to the members of the House and Senate Appropriations Labor-Health and Human Services-Education and Related Agencies Subcommittees, who will decide funding levels for IMLS. It states, in part: “Museums, libraries, and archives form the bedrock of our nation and communities, long serving as gateways to knowledge, literacy, workforce skills, culture, and civic life in uniquely American ways. As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, we should in turn celebrate and embrace the enduring, intrinsic contributions of these institutions to American history, society, and our economy.” For more information, read the press release.
Symplectic Elements Launches AI-Assisted Profile Curation
Symplectic Elements introduced a new suite of AI-powered capabilities that is designed to “streamline how research information is captured and maintained across higher education institutions.”The press release states, “The new AI-Assisted Profile Curation feature combines two complementary capabilities: AI-Assisted Data Entry, which enables users to paste or upload content and generate structured records quickly, and AI-Assisted CV Import—now available as a beta release—which delivers a complete document-to-profile workflow for onboarding and large-scale profile completion.” Researchers and administrators can use these capabilities to upload a CV, and then “AI extracts and maps content to an institution’s existing metadata schema, including custom fields and item types. Enhanced matching and deduplication logic checks extracted records against existing Elements publications and grant data and a range of external identifiers—including DOI, PMCID, arXiv ID, Scopus EID, and Dimensions grant references—to prevent duplicates before they enter the system.” For more information, read the press release.
Wellcome and Springer Nature Offer a New Prize in Mental Health Science
Wellcome partnered with Nature to introduce the Wellcome Prize for Mental Health Science, which will celebrate innovations in pharmacological, psychological, social, and digital interventions worldwide. The overall winner will receive $1 million, with three finalists getting $250,000 each. “As the first of its kind and the world’s largest prize for mental health science, it will recognise and support breakthrough advances for anxiety, depression and psychosis that deliver measurable impact,” the press release announces. “The prize is now open for applications from research teams and small and medium-sized organisations worldwide with an application deadline of 18 September 2026. Submissions must demonstrate strong scientific rigour, be informed by lived experience and show clear potential to improve outcomes and transform lives at scale. Finalists will be announced in May 2027 and the winner announced in June 2027.” For more information, read the press release.
New Leadership at NewsBank
NewsBank’s board of directors appointed John McDowell as the company’s new president and CEO, succeeding Daniel S. Jones, “who is retiring after more than 50 years of leadership. Since founding the company, Jones has guided NewsBank’s growth into one of the world’s premier providers of reliable information resources for libraries, schools, publishers, researchers, professionals, and communities.”McDowell has more than 35 years of experience at NewsBank, serving “in increasingly responsible roles”; he “brings extensive knowledge of the company’s business, partners, customers, and employees to his new position.” For more information, read the news item.
American Libraries Offers Advice for Asking Vendors About AI
Elizabeth Szkirpan writes the following in “5 Questions to Ask Your Vendors About AI” for American Libraries:Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming ubiquitous. Its integration is not just limited to our personal technology but now also includes library resources. … Meanwhile, vendors are constantly introducing new tools or integrations into existing products, and we must measure emerging AI platforms against our library’s tried-and-true resources to gauge which ones truly bring a new perspective or added value to our collections. It’s an overwhelming time to vet and license library resources. To cut through the noise, I’ve narrowed down my queries for vendors to five questions to better understand how a new AI tool might enhance my library’s user experience. For more information, read the article.
The Library of Congress Creates an Immersive History Project With Oklahoma Library
The Library of Congress teamed up with the Eastern Oklahoma Library System to create an immersive experience, Memories in the Current, which allows visitors to Muskogee Public Library to “encounter rivers of text projected across the walls and floors, carrying the memories of local Oklahoma residents alongside historical accounts from the digital collections held at the Library of Congress.” The press release continues, “Inspired by the geography and storytellers of Northeastern Oklahoma, the digital experience is designed to help community members reflect and connect with each other using historical voices from the Library of Congress archive.”This experience “is part of the Library’s LOCal initiative—a grant-funded pilot to connect Americans to Library of Congress digital collections and resources by co-designing bespoke experiences and programs with public libraries. In July 2025, the Library announced partnerships with the Eastern Oklahoma and Cleveland Public Library Systems.” Programming with the Cleveland Public Library System will launch in fall 2026. For more information, read the press release.
Sage Unveils Curated Collections of Video Documentaries for Higher Education
Sage introduced Sage Video Documentaries, “a new series of curated video collections for higher education. The series brings documentary storytelling into academic teaching and learning. The first collection in the series features award-winning and newly released films from GOOD DOCS, an educational documentary distributor specializing in social justice films. Sage selected each title for educational relevance and interdisciplinary use across the social sciences, humanities, and STEM,” the press release shares. “Sage Video Documentaries helps instructors and students engage with complex social, cultural, and political issues through high-quality films that spark analysis, reflection, and discussion. With classroom-ready titles that strengthen critical thinking and media literacy, the collection supports courses where visual storytelling deepens understanding and encourages inclusive, discussion-rich learning.” For more information, read the press release.
Wiley Buys Emerald
Wiley acquired Emerald from Cambridge Information Group “in an all-cash transaction valued at £337 million, or USD 452 million. The acquisition expands Wiley’s journal portfolio to approximately 2,500 titles and establishes it as a leader in the social sciences—particularly economics, business, and finance.” “Emerald represents an outstanding strategic fit for Wiley—a complementary portfolio, a compatible culture, and decades of specialized content that will meaningfully expand our scale and portfolio depth in both research publishing and research intelligence,” says Matthew Kissner, Wiley’s president and CEO. “This transaction reflects our conviction that research and AI are mutually reinforcing: our proprietary content and data fuels AI, and AI accelerates the pace of publishing. Emerald materially strengthens both—expanding our peer-reviewed content base and adding a high-margin, recurring revenue stream that we expect to drive meaningful shareholder value.” For more information, read the press release.
NISO Issues a New Recommended Practice on Collaborative Collections
The National Information Standards Organization (NISO) published the Collaborative Collections Lifecycle Infrastructure Project (CCLIP) Recommended Practice. “Networks of libraries have a long tradition of working together to expand their collections and provide more comprehensive coverage across all subjects through sharing of resources. To support these strategies, larger networks of institutions have recently explored wider adoption of cooperative collections management, which this project defines as a process by which networks of institutions work collaboratively to acquire, manage, circulate, and preserve collections across the network,” the press release shares. This Recommended Practice aims “to enable the efficient selection, management, and sharing of collections by developing a framework that libraries and consortia can use to share expertise, data, and collections to efficiently steward limited resources in serving library patrons.” For more information, read the press release.
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