arXiv hits major milestone

October 8, 2008 – 1:40 pm

arXiv, a pioneering repository of physics, mathematics, statistics, computer science, and quantitative biology publications, now hosted at the Cornell University Library (CUL), has reached a major milestone: it now hosts a half-million e-print postings.Researchers upload their own articles, and they are usually made available to the public the next day, free to all, including the general public. A team of 113 volunteer moderators from around the world screen submissions.

arXiv that has began its operations before the Internet is continually evolving, now including “web 2.0″ features, linking to other repositories and RSS feeds, and even developing an iPhone interface. “[ArXiv] represents an incredible model for scholarly communication that transcends borders, publishers, and time,” said Cornell librarian Anne Kenney, adding that the library offers both “operational stability” and “a demonstrated track record of stewardship.” [quoted from Library Journal, 10/7/08]

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October 14: International Open Access Day

October 8, 2008 – 1:30 pm

International Open Access (IOA) Day focuses worldwide attention on the unrestricted sharing of scholarly data and publications for the advancement and enjoyment of all. Open access literature is free of cost and most copyright and licensing restrictions. George Mason University Libraries’ participation in IOA Day on October 14 offers you an opportunity to learn more about our open access initiatives. Representatives from the Copyright Resources Office, Mason Archival Repository Service, and University Dissertation and Thesis Services will be on-hand to answer questions and distribute information highlighting the “Right to Research,” publication in refereed open access journals, and depositing works in the university’s digital repository. Please visit our kiosk on October 14 on the Mason’s Fairfax campus, in the Johnson Center North Plaza or Atrium (depending on weather) between 11:00-4:00 or 2:00-6:00, respectively.

To learn more about open access visit the Open Access: Life Sciences infoguide.

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Access to Science Information Expands with Science.gov 5.0 Launch

September 23, 2008 – 3:39 pm

200 Million Pages of U.S. Government Science Resources Now Available on the Internet

The latest version of Science.gov—Science.gov 5.0—was launched Sept. 15th, allowing users to search additional collections of valuable science resources; more easily target their searches; and readily find links to information on a variety of science topics. Science.gov is a free, integrated single-search gateway to reliable science and technology information from 17 organizations within 13 federal science agencies.

New information available includes thousands of patents resulting from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research and development(DOepatents); documents and bibliographic citations of DOE accomplishments (DOE R&D Accomplishments Database); millions of electronic scientific documents from around the world known as e-prints (Eprint Network); and comprehensive and peer-reviewed toxicology data for thousands of chemicals (HSDB Hazardous Substances Databank) as well as more than 3 million references to worldwide literature on the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms (TOXLINE Toxicology Bibliographic Information). New information also includes a digital archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature (PubMed Central) and cancer-related information of all kinds for all audiences (Cancer.gov), including support and treatment resources for patients, comprehensive descriptions of research programs and clinical trials for healthcare professionals and the general public, and funding opportunities for researchers.

Science.gov is hosted by DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), within DOE’s Office of Science.

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