The rise of digital repositories is helping libraries reinvent themselves. The benefits to libraries and universities creating institutional repositories (IRs) are great as libraries restructure, pursue collaborations, and re-position themselves to become major digital publishers and broadcasters in the scholarly world. They will no longer be passive receivers of information but active disseminators of intellectual output for entire universities. This article explores the IR's role in overall library transformation and examines the organizational changes and internal partnerships necessary to strengthen IR programs. Specifically, the creation of digital library initiatives units as well as changes to other library units are discussed.

The curation of scientific research data at U.S. universities is a story of enterprising individuals and of incremental progress. A small number of libraries and data centers who see the possibilities of becoming “digital information management centers” are taking entrepreneurial steps to extend beyond their traditional information assets and include managing scientific and scholarly research data. The Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) has had a similar development path toward a data curation program based in its library. This paper will articulate GT’s program development, which the author offers as an experience common in U.S. universities. The main characteristic is a program devoid of top-level mandates and incentives, but rich with independent, “bottom-up” action. The paper will address program antecedents and context, inter-institutional partnerships that advance the library’s curation program, library organizational developments, partnerships with campus research communities, and a proposed model for curation program development. It concludes that despite the clear need for data curation put forth by researchers such as the groups of neuroscientists and bioscientists referenced in this paper, the university experience examined suggests that gathering resources for developing data curation programs at the institutional level is proving to be a quite onerous. However, and in spite of the challenges, some U.S. research universities are beginning to establish perceptible data curation programs.

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abstract:This study explores possible futures for university-based library publishing services (LPS) and uses scenario planning as its research method. The study posits that the major force in developing LPS is the level of funding from the host university, with the most uncertain factor being whether faculty will adopt LPS. The study participants comprised university library directors, library managers responsible for publishing services, and library association personnel and consultants involved in publishing. Many participants saw collaborating with multiple libraries and other stakeholder organizations to establish publishing cooperatives as essential. Issues discussed include whether university libraries will embrace this role, faculties' level of satisfaction with existing services, divergent disciplinary experiences, opportunism as a mechanism to develop services, technology challenges, international dynamics, traditional vs. new forms of scholarly publishing, and publishing cost considerations.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides have shown promise for numerous applications because of their potential for a large surface area to volume ratio, while maintaining many of the useful properties of transition metal carbides. Recent work has explored the use of chemical vapor deposition on liquid metal substrates to controllably synthesize transition metal carbides. While alloys have been used to lower the required synthesis temperature, further understanding of the impact of these substrates on the synthesis mechanism is needed for future optimization. This work systematically analyzes the effects of using a Ag-Cu alloy as a substrate for Mo 2 C synthesis by chemical vapor deposition at a temperature below the melting point of Cu. The impact of parameters, such as time, cooling rate, composition of the alloy substrate, and methane partial pressure, on the synthesis and structure of Mo 2 C is studied. The results conclusively demonstrate that synthesis of Mo 2 C is controlled by Mo diffusion through the liquid alloy. Utilizing a Ag-Cu alloy as a substrate successfully reduced the necessary synthesis temperature below the melting point of Cu; however, Mo 2 C coalescence is limited due to the separation of the Ag and Cu components in the alloy upon cooling. The results show that Ag alone is not a suitable substrate for Mo 2 C synthesis, and Mo 2 C flake size decreased with increasing Ag concentration in the Ag-Cu alloy substrate. This is most likely due to the inability of Ag to dehydrogenate methane effectively. Thus, an optimal substrate for Mo 2 C synthesis should be able to dehydrogenate methane, have a low melting temperate, and, if an alloy, demonstrate solid solubility.