Sponsors

By Ingrid van de Stadt

Elsevier’s history of working with libraries on projects goes back to the mid 90s in the previous century when digital formats were just beginning to take shape. 

 The TULIP project, an acronym for The University Licensing Program, was the foundation for a number of collaborations to come. In the TULIP program, university libraries and Elsevier partnered to determine the need and use of electronic files in an academic setting

Following on TULIP was the PEAK project, another endeavor with several libraries to determine if pricing has an influence in electronic delivery of full text articles http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/authored_newsitem.cws_home/companynews05_00021

Lately, Elsevier has turned to libraries to assist in the development of its electronic products.  Scopus was one of the first to assemble a group of libraries to provide feedback throughout the entire development cycle.  The process proved beneficial to both groups as libraries were able to influence the direction of development while Elsevier could utilize their valuable expertise in user behavior.  They became Scopus Partners.  Since the Scopus days, ScienceDirect and the SciVal suite of products have also made use of advisory groups to help improve the electronic products.

But our cooperation with libraries extends beyond product development as we also make us of their expertise for content selection in the Scopus database.  The Scopus Content Advisory Board, comprised of librarians and faculty, meets annually to determine new additions to the Scopus database.  Thus, Elsevier depends on their knowledge of specific subject areas to guide the intellectual basis of the Scopus content.

  Going beyond product development, Elsevier has over the last ten years partnered with the UN and the libraries of Yale and Cornell Universities in the Research4Life initiative.  Yale is the sponsor of the HINARI project that provides free content to medical researchers in developing countries.  Cornell sponsors the AGORA project that, like its sister HINARI, offers free content in the agricultural subjects to developing countries.  The UN FAO is also a sponsor of AGORA.  Recently, a new project was added to the R4L initiative named OARE.  It too finds sponsors at Yale and the UN Environmental Program.  The growth of these initiatives has been dramatic with Elsevier supplying over 2.5M full text article per annum free of charge to researchers in developing countries. 

The most recent project that Elsevier has undertaken is the sponsorship of a study regarding the Return on Investment (ROI) of the university library.  The idea was conceived in 2007 and focused on the question of determining the quantitative value of the academic to the university community. The study was completed in 2010 to determine what value the library provided with respect to grant awards.  A white paper is currently available that describes the project and its result. 

It would be remiss not to mention the Library Advisory Boards that meet annually with Elsevier senior management to discuss issues in libraries.  Our European Board met recently in London and provided feedback on some new products as well as a review of library budgets in the current economic situation.  With this group, we encourage frank communication with the company regarding the direction that libraries are heading in these days of change.