A weekly round up of library and information centre news and opinions from around the world.

Library and Information Centre News – Edition 17/2018

In this week’s edition:

Dawn Finch provides an answer to the question of “What is a library?”

As austerity measures decimate the UK’s public libraries – apparently any room with some books and manned by mainly volunteers is being called a library, and the common refrain of it’s all on the internet is repeated like a mantra by politicians, some educators and the general public, Ms Finch provides valid examples of what a library is comprised. That it is just collection of resources in some random room is not one of them.

Get the Research, a new open access tool for non-academic researchers

Nearly half of the new, and peer reviewed, articles being published these days are not hidden behind paywalls. These open access scholarly articles are free to read for non-academic researchers but until Get the Research, they were not searchable from a single search engine. Developed by ImpactStory (by Unpaywall), and partnered by Internet Archive and the British Library (amongst others), and due for launch in the next few months, you can get early access to Get the Research by clicking on the title link above then clicking on the Get the Research link in the page that displays.

ALIA had added a new option to their PD Scheme

ALIA has introduced the new option, Indigenous Engagement Specialisation to its PD scheme. There are eight competencies covered in the option. To register click on the link provided in the PD info page accessed by clicking on the title link above.

Genevieve Bell the latest keynote speaker at the 2019 ALIA Information Online Conference

ALIA has announced that Genevieve Bell will join Terri Janke, Solicitor General of Terri Janke and Company, and Carla Hayden, 14th Librarian of Congress, as one of the keynote speakers at next year’s Information Online event. Ms Bell is ANU’s Distinguished Professor and Intel Senior Fellow. She delivered the 2017 Boyer Lectures. For those who may be interested the lectures can be accessed by clicking here.