While libraries in the US expressed solidarity with the UC’s fight with Elsevier over pricing and open access when they walked away from negotiations in 2019, some US libraries, librarians, and even some OA publishers seem to be skeptical

The University of California today (March 16) announced a pioneering open access agreement with the world’s largest scientific publisher, Elsevier, making significantly more of the University’s research available to people worldwide — immediately and at no cost. The deal will put more UC research into the hands of individuals across the globe at a time when international collaboration to fight COVID-19 has illuminated the value of open access to scientific findings.

The NERL Consortium issued a statement, “NERL Demands a Better Deal,” articulating the values NERL will adopt in negotiating agreements with publishers. The statement, which originated in the NERL Program Council and which has generated broad support across the NERL community, outlines the following core values in service to an open, equitable, and healthy academic publishing ecosystem: Transparency; Sustainability; Equity; Reproducibility; Flexibility.

Major renovation of the University of Virginia’s main library will continue throughout 2021 and 2022.

The new library, scheduled to open by spring of 2023, will welcome the University community, visiting scholars, and citizens of the commonwealth into a much better environment for both users and collections. 

A $2 million commitment from Marjorie Harrison Webb will provide unrestricted support for the library’s mission during and after the extensive renovation currently underway.

The New Mexico State University Library has decided not to renew 433 scholarly journals subscriptions in the wake of university budget cuts.

About one-third of the subscriptions cut were titles in a package from Elsevier, one of the largest publishers of scholarly journals in the world.