Sustainable Scholarship Discussion

A conversation with Elaine Westbrooks, vice provost for University libraries and University librarian.

In February, the University of California cancelled its contract with Elsevier due to unacceptable license terms and subscription costs. Elsevier is the world's largest publisher of scholarly journals. The terms by which it sells content to universities have become unsustainable for most institutions, including UNC-Chapel Hill.

This conversation will provide an opportunity to discuss the cost of scholarly information at UNC-Chapel Hill and to hear from members of the Carolina community about needs, questions and concerns as we progress with publisher negotiations.

Suggested background reading:

• Statement from University Librarian Elaine Westbrooks on the UC System's Termination of Elsevier Subscriptions
• The Real Cost of Knowledge (The Atlantic, March 4, 2019)
• UNC Faculty Council Resolution 2019-8, “On Containing the Costs of Published Research”
• Unsustainable Scholarship: How Private Companies Control Research in Higher Education (DTH, September 18, 2019)