Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University Libraries at Virginia Tech Joins Virginia Research Libraries in Endorsing MIT Framework for Publisher Contracts

  • 11/04/19

BLACKSBURG, VA – University Libraries at Virginia Tech has joined its fellow Virginia research libraries at University of Virginia, James Madison University, George Mason University, College of William and Mary, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Old Dominion University, in endorsing MIT's framework for publisher contracts.

As this Virginia Research Libraries (VRL) consortium moves toward 2021 contract negotiations with Elsevier, the largest STEM academic publisher, VRL will work as a team to be mindful stewards of state funds and ensure research is publicly available to advance knowledge for the benefit of our global society.

Over the past 30 years, the cost of journal subscriptions has increased 500 percent, far outpacing libraries’ annual budget increases.

Much of the research conducted at public universities and published in expensive subscription-based scholarly journals is funded by tax dollars—in the form of faculty salaries and federally funded grants. Research is produced for the public good, but it is not always available to the general public who paid for it. This is where open access or public access to research will change the traditional landscape of publishing research.

In 2021, representatives from University Libraries at Virginia Tech, along with its VRL consortium colleagues, will be at the negotiating table with Elsevier. The universities will be discussing the unsustainable cost of accessing its academic journals and options to make Virginia universities’ research more accessible to the public that paid for it.

During the fall and spring semesters, University Libraries Dean Tyler Walters is meeting with faculty groups across campus to discuss these issues and gather feedback.

For more information surrounding this issue and Virginia's public research libraries’ move toward negotiations, visit the University Libraries’ Access Matters webpage.

Featured

  • Philadelphia Middle School Facility Earns LEED Gold Certification

    The Alternative Middle Years (AMY) at James Martin Middle School in Philadelphia, Penn., recently received a LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The School District of Pennsylvania partnered with KSS Architects on the project.

  • GeoCam and UCLA: Modernizing Campus Accessibility Mapping

    In early 2025, UCLA partnered with GeoCam to capture and modernize its pedestrian infrastructure data. The goal was ambitious but clear: to produce a high-accuracy, imagery-backed digital map of every sidewalk, pathway, ramp, and ADA-related feature on UCLA’s 419-acre campus.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • Building Beyond Simulation: Creating Immersive Ecosystems for Healthcare Education

    Health sciences education is one of the fastest-growing facility types in colleges and universities. The demand for medical, nursing, and allied health professionals is driving the creation and renovation of medical simulation training facilities that provide students with real-world experience through advanced simulation-based learning.