Against the Grain - The Podcast

Against the Grain is your key to the latest news about libraries, publishers, book jobbers, and subscription agents. Our goal is to link publishers, vendors, and librarians by reporting on the issues, literature, and people that impact the world of books and journals.

ATGthePodcast 273 - Heather Staines Interviews Kamran Naim, Head of Open Science, CERN 04/21/2025

ATGthePodcast 217 - Heather Staines Interviews Andrea Cayetano-Jefferson 04/14/2025

ATGthePodcast 271 - A Conversation with Nancy Kopans, Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary, ITHAKA 03/31/2025

ATGthePodcast 270 - The Evolution of the Charleston Conference: A Conversation with Katina Strauch 03/24/2025

ATGthePodcast 269 - Heather Staines Interviews Richard Charkin 03/17/2025

ATGthePodcast 269 - Heather Staines Interviews Richard Charkin Audio from the 2024 Charleston Conference Leadership Interview Series. Heather Staines, Senior Strategy Consultant, Delta Think interviews Richard Charkin, Founder, Mensch Publishing. Richard is a veteran of the publishing industry. In this conversation, Heather and Richard discuss his early years in publishing, and the changes he has witnessed throughout his 50 years working in the industry, the most noticeable being the rise of women in leadership roles, which is also the subject of a recent book he has written. Richard also shares his experiences working with the Oxford English Dictionary on a digitization project in the 80’s, modernizing the dictionary, integrating vast amounts of data, and making it more accessible. He also talks about global publishing, working with some high profile individuals, and also working with startups like Biomednet, the first social network for scientists in 1995. He emphasizes the importance of startups in driving innovation, as large corporations often struggle to innovate. He highlights his role in launching Crossref, which revolutionized linking references to original articles, and his current work with startups like Shimmer AI. Richard reflects on the role of libraries in his life, recalling how he frequently used public libraries during his school years, and he appreciates how libraries helped him immerse himself in his academic passions. Video of the Interview is available at: Social Media: LinkedIn: Twitter: Keywords: #Startups #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #ProfessionalDevelopment #Entrepreneurship #TechInPublishing #Academic Development #LibrarianJourney #LibraryEducation #InformationAccess #OxfordEnglishDictionary #LibraryCommunity #libraries #librarians #librarycareer, #libraryschool #librarylove #LibraryScience #PublishingPerspectives #academic #AcademicPublishing #scholcomm #ScholarlyCommunication #research #learning #learnon #information #leaders #leadership #2024ChsConf #publishing #libraryissues #libraryneeds #librarychallenges #libraryconference #podcast #LeadershipInterview /episode/index/show/atgthepodcast/id/35730750

ATGthePodcast 268 - A Conversation with Rachel Borchardt, Andrea Hebert and Camille Gamboa about Research Impact 03/10/2025

ATGthePodcast 268 - A Conversation with Rachel Borchardt, Andrea Hebert and Camille Gamboa about Research Impact Today’s episode features a roundtable discussion on Research Impact. Caroline Goldsmith, Associate Director, Charleston Hub, talks with Rachel Borchardt, Scholarly Communication Librarian and University Library Faculty, American University; Andrea Hebert, Research Impact Librarian, Louisiana State University; and Camille Gamboa, AVP, Corporate Communications, Sage. This conversation features both the librarian perspective and the publisher perspective of how each defines and supports research impact at their institutions, how the conversation has expanded over the years, and why forward thinking is crucial to meet the challenges such as academic silos, the dominance of traditional metrics, and the lack of commitment from U.S. universities to initiatives like DORA, and to support more effective impact of research. Librarians have an important role in shaping these conversations and helping institutions move beyond traditional metrics. We also discuss Policy Maps, which is a free tool offered by Sage for individual researchers to determine their policy impact. The video of this interview can be found here: Social Media: LinkedIn: Keywords: #ResearchImpact, #ResearchMetrics, #Altmetrics, #PolicyImpact, #SocialScience, #ResearchTransformation, #ResearchTranslation,#ResearchQuality, #ResearchTools, #ResearchEthics, #OpenResearch, #ResearchInnovation, #EmergingTechnologies, #AcademicResearch, #DigitalLibrarian, #DigitalLibrary, #LibraryScience, #ResearchReliability, #ResearchIntegrity, #PublishingIntegrity, #PoweringResearch,, #ScienceTalks, #knowledge, #awareness, #efficiency, #innovation, #partnerships, #CommunityEngagement, #collaboration, #scholcomm, #ScholarlyCommunication, #libraries, #librarianship, #LibraryNeeds, #LibraryLove, #ScholarlyPublishing, #AcademicPublishing, #publishing, #LibrariesAndPublishers, #podcasts /episode/index/show/atgthepodcast/id/35603405

ATGthePodcast 267 - A Conversation with Dr. Leslie McIntosh, Founder, Ripeta, and VP, Research Integrity, Digital Science 03/03/2025

ATGthePodcast 267 - A Conversation with Dr. Leslie McIntosh, Founder, Ripeta, and VP, Research Integrity, Digital Science This episode is sponsored by Digital Science, a global leader in AI-driven technology, providing advanced software and data solutions that empower researchers, universities, and organizations across the research ecosystem. Born out of the research community itself, Digital Science was founded by researchers who sought to solve the challenges they were facing. Now Digital Science is dedicated to making open, collaborative, and inclusive research a reality, partnering with academic institutions to provide pioneering AI-powered tools that enhance decision-making, foster innovation, and help shape a future where trusted, collaborative research drives progress for all. Learn more at . Today’s episode features Caroline Goldsmith, Associate Director, Charleston Hub, who talks with Dr. Leslie McIntosh, Founder, Ripeta, and VP, Research Integrity, Digital Science. Leslie talks with us about how she defines research integrity, and the major issues she sees currently facing the scholarly communication industry around research integrity. Leslie dedicates her work to improving research and investigating and reducing mis- and disinformation in science. She founded Ripeta in 2017 to improve research quality and integrity using algorithms which lead in detecting trust markers of research manuscripts. Leslie has given hundreds of talks to the US-NIH, NASA, and World Congress, and her work was the most read Retraction Watch post in 2022. She also talks about the work being done at Digital Science and the new tool, Dimensions Author Check, which supports publishers with the author verification process. The video of this interview can be found here: Social Media: LinkedIn: Keywords: #DigitalScience, #digital, #ResearchTransformation, #Research Quality, #ResearchEthics, #OpenResearch, #ResearchInnovation, #EmergingTechnologies, #AcademicResearch, #DigitalLibrarian, #DigitalLibrary, , #ResearchReliability, #ResearchIntegrity, #PublishingIntegrity, #PoweringResearch, #ScientificMisconduct, #Retractions, #AuthorVerification, #ScienceTalks, #Misinformation, #Disinformation, #knowledge, #awareness, #efficiency, #innovation, #partnerships, #CommunityEngagement, #collaboration, #scholcomm, #ScholarlyCommunication, #libraries, #librarianship, #LibraryNeeds, #LibraryLove, #ScholarlyPublishing, #AcademicPublishing, #publishing, #LibrariesAndPublishers, #podcasts /episode/index/show/atgthepodcast/id/35511290

ATGthePodcast 266 - A Conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Bik, Science Integrity Consultant and Microbiologist 02/24/2025

ATGthePodcast 265 - A Conversation with Alex Carroll, Associate Director, Science and Engineering Library, Vanderbilt University, and Josh Borycz, Librarian for STEM Research, Vanderbilt University Today’s episode features guest host, Michael Upshall, Community and Outreach Manager at Core, who talks with Alex Carroll, Associate Director, Science and Engineering Library, Vanderbilt University, and Josh Borycz, Librarian for STEM Research, Vanderbilt University. In this conversation, librarians Alex Carroll and Josh Borycz discuss their unique journeys into library science, their involvement with generative AI, and the workshops they conduct to educate students on the effective use of AI tools in research. They both believe AI literacy is very important, and discuss the balance between advocacy and skepticism towards these technologies, the evolving role of librarians in the digital age and their commitment to enhancing research practices through innovative tools. Alex and Josh discuss practical applications of AI in various fields, especially in humanities and social sciences, and provide recommendations for libraries on how to effectively engage with these technologies, and the need for users to understand AI limitations and to approach AI-generated information with a critical mindset. Video of this interview: Social Media: LinkedIn: Twitter: Keywords: #VanderbiltUniversity, #LibraryScience, #AI, #GenAI, #AIApplications, #AILimitations, #AITrust, AIInLibraries, #LibrariesAndAI, ChatGPT, #STEM, #InformationLiteracy, #InformationScience, #DigitalLibraries, #DigitalAge, #InformationPower, #research, #knowledge, #awareness, #efficiency, #innovation, #skills, #career, #partnerships, #collaboration, #scholcomm, #ScholarlyCommunication, #libraries, #librarianship, #LibraryNeeds, #LibraryLove, #ScholarlyPublishing, #AcademicPublishing, #publishing, #LibrariesAndPublishers, #podcasts /episode/index/show/atgthepodcast/id/35308610

ATGthePodcast 264 - Meg White Interviews Yulia Sevryugina 02/10/2025

ATGthePodcast 263 - Heather Staines Interviews Ivan Oransky 02/03/2025

ATGthePodcast 262 - Erin Gallagher Interviews Katharine Macy 01/27/2025

ATGthePodcast 261 - Erin Gallagher Interviews Elaina Norlin 01/13/2025

ATGthePodcast 260 - Navigating the Future of Libraries with Michael Levine-Clark 12/30/2024

ATGthePodcast 259 - Digital Science and The State of Open Data report 12/23/2024

ATGthePodcast 258 - A Conversation with Alicia Wise, Executive Director, CLOCKSS and Lorraine Estelle, Director, COUNTER 12/16/2024

ATGthePodcast 257 - A Conversation with Roy Kaufman, Managing Director of Business Development and Government Relations, Copyright Clearance Center 11/06/2024

ATGthePodcast 256 - A Conversation with Dr. Mark Hahnel, VP, Open Research, Digital Science, and Founder of Figshare 10/31/2024

ATGthePodcast 256 - A Conversation with Dr. Mark Hahnel, VP, Open Research, Digital Science, and Founder of Figshare This episode is sponsored by Digital Science, a global leader in AI-driven technology, providing advanced software and data solutions that empower researchers, universities, and organizations across the research ecosystem. Born out of the research community itself, Digital Science was founded by researchers who sought to solve the challenges they were facing. Now Digital Science is dedicated to making open, collaborative, and inclusive research a reality, partnering with academic institutions to provide pioneering AI-powered tools that enhance decision-making, foster innovation, and help shape a future where trusted, collaborative research drives progress for all. Learn more at . Today’s episode features Caroline Goldsmith, Associate Director, Charleston Hub, who talks with Dr. Mark Hahnel, VP of Open Research, Digital Science, and Founder of Figshare. Last July, to understand more about how the research world is transforming, what’s influencing change and how roles are impacted, Digital Science reached out to the community through a global survey and in-depth interviews: “We need answers to pressing issues and there is a growing expectation for research to deliver. But increasing demands, tightening budgets, and lack of infrastructure can stand in the way of progress. We need solutions and many are turning to emerging technologies for support.” In this interview, Dr. Hahnel shares the key findings from this survey and the interviews in the Research Transformation Report. The survey can be found here: A video summarizing these key findings is available here: The video of this podcast can be found here: Social Media: LinkedIn: Keywords: #DigitalScience, #digital, #ResearchTransformation, #OpenResearch, #ResearchInnovation, #EmergingTechnologies, #Survey, #SurveyInsights, #AcademicResearch, #DigitalLibrarian, #DigitalLibrary, , #ResearchIntegrity, #PublishingIntegrity, #PoweringResearch, #knowledge, #awareness, #efficiency, #innovation, #awareness, #career, #partnerships, #CommunityEngagement, #collaboration, #scholcomm, #ScholarlyCommunication, #libraries, #librarianship, #LibraryNeeds, #LibraryLove, #ScholarlyPublishing, #AcademicPublishing, #publishing, #LibrariesAndPublishers, #podcasts /episode/index/show/atgthepodcast/id/33705587

ATGthePodcast 255 - Rubric Cubed: A New Method in Collections Decions-Making 10/21/2024

ATGthePodcast 255 - Rubric Cubed: A New Method in Collections Decions-Making Audio from the 2023 Charleston Conference from the session titled: Rubric Cubed: A New Method in Collections Decions-Making presented by Erin Gallagher, Chair, Acquisitions & Collections Services, University of Florida; Courtney Pyche, Public Health Liaison Librarian, University of Florida Health Science Center Library; Ariel Pomputius, Health Sciences Liaison Librarian, University of Florida Libraries; and Tara Cataldo, STEM Collections and Research Metrics Librarian, University of Florida Libraries. Library professionals have long made use of evaluative tools for decision-making around collection development. Traditional tools are adequate for many collection development scenarios, but the increasing variety of acquisitions models, combined with entrenched budgetary challenges, present the need for new methods and inventive thinking. Enter the rubric! If you thought rubrics were stuffy or excessive, or only used to grade college essays, it’s time to take another look. Rubrics are not only instruments of collection analysis, but informative objects that help guide their own values and philosophies in their collection’s practices. These four librarians from the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida have been exploring the use of rubrics for collection development. They’ll share two rubrics currently in use. One designed for open access investments and another for monograph purchasing decisions. They’ll also share stories about the birth of the rubrics and impart practical, ground-floor applications of the rubrics through real-world examples, giving ideas for evaluating collections decisions in a unique and collaborative way, helping Publishers and vendors to strengthen their understanding of what these library partners value and prioritize. Video of the presentation available at: Social Media: Keywords: #GeorgeASmathersLibraries, #UniversityofFlorida, #CollectionDevelopment, #CollectionAnalysis, #Rubrics, #OpenAccess, #LibraryServices, #EvaluativeTools, #LibraryTrends, #LibraryStaff, #InformationAccess, #Research, #ResearchSupport, #Resources, #Researchers, #BudgetChallenges, #Monographs, #MonographPurchasing, #scholcomm, #collaboration, #engagement, #problemsolvers, #academics, #publishing, #ScholarlyPublishing, #AcademicLibraries, #AcademicPublishing, #libraries, #librarians, #information, #2023ChsConf, #LibrariesAndVendors, , #libraryissues, #libraryneeds,#librarylove, #librarychallenges, #libraryconference #podcast /episode/index/show/atgthepodcast/id/33536662

ATGthePodcast 221 - A Conversation with Thomas Krichel, Founder, Open Library Society 10/14/2024

ATGthePodcast 253 - Stewarding Electronic Resources During Challenging Times 09/23/2024

ATGthePodcast 253 - Stewarding Electronic Resources During Challenging Times Audio from the 2023 Charleston Conference from the session titled: Stewarding Electronic Resources During Challenging Times presented by Denise Branch, Head Electronic and Continuing Resources at Virginia Commonwealth University, Beth Bernhardt, Consortia Account Manager, Oxford University Press, and Tamar Ganor, Content Product Manager, Ex Libris, a Clarivate Company. Libraries rely heavily on electronic resources to fulfill users’ research needs. They are constantly faced with limited staffing, increasing volume of electronic resources, and a complicated mix of systems, standards, platforms, vendors, and authentication models. The tools that are used to manage these resources are constantly evolving, along with users’ needs and expectations. The staff who manage electronic resources are expected to be skilled and possess up-to-date knowledge of trends. Successful work plans are put in place to identify, define, and establish goals for tracking and managing electronic resources and help libraries to handle unforeseen challenges. Collaboration with internal and external stakeholders is essential when libraries want to deliver enhanced discovery and access and expert troubleshooting. All of these techniques open up a window for outstanding customer service. We’ll hear what the library at Virginia Commonwealth University is doing to effectively steward electronic resources to reduce the bumps in the road and give users what they want. Video of the presentation available at: Social Media: Twitter: Keywords: #VCULibraries, #OUP, #ExLibris, #Libraries, #ElectronicResources, #EResourceManagement, #LibraryServices, #LibraryTrends, #LibraryStaff, #LibraryTech, #InformationAccess, #ResearchSupport, #Resources, #Researchers, #scholcomm, #books, #printing, #collaboration, #engagement, #problemsolvers, #academics, #publishing, #ScholarlyPublishing, #AcademicLibraries, #AcademicPublishing, #libraries, #librarians, #information, #2023ChsConf, #LibrariesAndVendors, , #libraryissues, #libraryneeds,#librarylove, #librarychallenges, #libraryconference #podcast /episode/index/show/atgthepodcast/id/33160102

ATGthePodcast 252 - Understanding the Impact on Print Revenues When University Press Books are Open Access 09/16/2024

ATGthePodcast 252 - Understanding the Impact on Print Revenues When University Press Books are Open Access Audio from the 2023 Charleston Conference from the session titled: Understanding the Impact on Print Revenues When University Press Books are Open Access presented by Erich van Rijn, Director, University of California Press; Laura Brown, Ithaka, John Sherer, University of North Carolina Press; and Miranda Bennett, Director of Shared Collections, California Digital Library. In February 2022, the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded the Association of University Presses (in partnership with Ithaka S+R) a grant to study the impact of open access books on the sales of print books. While there is a prevailing desire among members of the Association of University Presses (AUPresses) to do more OA publishing, presses cite long-term, sustainable funding models as the top problem in implementing OA strategies, and the sale of print books remains a critical cost-recovery mechanism even for open access titles. In this session they will share both an overview of the results and key findings of the data collected from university presses as well as some perspectives from one of the participating publishers, and project co-Principal Investigator, and a collections librarian. They will also share perspectives on what impact we feel the data will have on publishing programs, library collections, and open access strategies. Video of the presentation available at: Social Media: Twitter: Keywords: #OA, #OABooks, #ITHAKA, #UniversityPress, #AUP, #impact, #data, #DataCollection, #Collections, #funding, #FundingModels, #scholcomm, #books, #printing, #collaboration, #engagement, #problemsolvers, #academics, #publishing, #ScholarlyPublishing, #AcademicPublishing, #libraries, #librarians, #information, #2023ChsConf, #LibrariesAndVendors, , #libraryissues, #libraryneeds,#librarylove, #librarychallenges, #libraryconference #podcast /episode/index/show/atgthepodcast/id/33065207

ATGthePodcast 251 - A Conversation with Clifford Lynch, Executive Director of the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) 09/09/2024

ATGthePodcast 250 - Navigating the Complexities of Privacy: Issues for Libraries and Content Providers, A Charleston Briefing 08/26/2024

ATGthePodcast 249 - A Conversation with John Dove, Advisor, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) 08/19/2024

ATGthePodcast 248 - A Conversation With Peter Suber, Senior Advisor on Open Access, Harvard Library and Director of the Harvard Open Access Project 08/12/2024

ATGthePodcast 247 - Day Two, Part Five of the 2023 Charleston In Between 07/29/2024

ATGthePodcast 246 - Day Two, Part Four of the 2023 Charleston In Between 07/23/2024

ATGthePodcast 245 - Day Two, Part Three of the 2023 Charleston In Between 07/17/2024

ATGthePodcast 244 - Day Two, Part Two of the 2023 Charleston In Between 07/08/2024

Against the Grain - The Podcast

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