From the Vice Provost and Dean

UC Cancels Subscriptions to Elsevier: UW Libraries Response

The UW Libraries’ perspective on the University of California’s announcement that they have terminated talks with the commercial scholarly publisher Elsevier is now featured in the Libraries Impact & Action blog with the post: For the public good: our values in a changing scholarly communication landscape.

The University of Washington Libraries applaud UC’s attempt to explore new and different models for providing access to scholarship. And we stand in support of finding new pathways to build and negotiate transformative models that create collaborative and sustainable long-term solutions. As stated in our Strategic Plan, UW Libraries works to advance research for the public good because we believe that “UW research attains its greatest impact on our most pressing global challenges when we advocate for open, public and emerging forms of scholarship.”

As we navigate the changes and upheavals in scholarly communication, the Libraries will continue to share information about collections needs, fiscal responsibility and the implications of contracts with UW faculty. With our partners in the UW teaching and research community, we will identify the most effective communication channels to engage in conversations about issues and potential outcomes. Please look for more information to come on the Libraries’ website.

- Lizabeth (Betsy) Wilson