ACRL Statement of Support for the ERIC Database

The ACRL Board of Directors affirms its strong support for the ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) database, a vital resource sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the US Department of Education. ERIC serves as an essential tool for education librarians at colleges and universities across the United States. It enables librarians to assist students, faculty, and researchers in locating high-quality, authoritative information for coursework, research, and professional practice. As the premier index for scholarly literature in the field of education, ERIC provides unparalleled access to peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, reports, and other critical resources. Read the full statement on ACRL Insider at https://acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/statement-of-support-for-the-eric-database/.

Big Ten Open Books Project Launches Indigenous North Americans Collection

In partnership with eight Big Ten–affiliated university presses, the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Center for Library Programs announces the expansion of the Big Ten Open Books project with the publication of the second 100-book collection. The second collection is centered on Indigenous North Americans. The high-quality scholarly works included in the collection have all been previously published in print by the partnering university presses and are now being made openly available in digital form to read and reuse at no cost to the reader or author. The Indigenous North Americans collection explores the history, culture, religion, and resilience of Indigenous populations from the 15th century to the present day. Events of Indigenous diplomacy, evolution, education, and contributions to North American history are highlighted in this collection. Learn more at https://btaa.org/about/news-and-publications/news/2025/08/06/big-ten-open-books-project-launches—indigenous-north-americans—collection.

New from ACRL—Making Values-Based Decisions in the Academic Library

ACRL announces the publication of Making Values-Based Decisions in the Academic Library, edited by Amanda Koziura and Amy Tureen. This collection demonstrates how values can be central considerations in assessment, inform collection development, shape our spaces and services, influence policy, and be foundational for seeking a better way forward.

When faced with difficult decisions, how do academic library decision-makers, at any level of positional authority, make choices that satisfy the values of their profession, their institution, and themselves? How do you decide which values to privilege when priorities compete or even conflict? How can you ensure decisions are thoughtful and rooted in core values, rather than reflective only of the most immediate conditions and priorities?

Making Values-Based Decisions in the Academic Library explores the decision-making process of librarians in both formal and informal leadership roles. Rather than trying to identify a singular “correct” answer, the authors offer an exploration of their own processes and the tools they used to arrive at conclusions that fit their contexts and institutions.

We have more power than we think to create change, and our values can be a touchstone for the decisions we make at every level. The strategies in Making Values-Based Decisions in the Academic Library can help you holistically consider available options and make choices that consider your personal, institutional, and professional values amid challenging and changing circumstances.

Making Values-Based Decisions in the Academic Library is available for purchase in print and as an ebook through the ALA Online Store; in print through Amazon.com; via EBSCO, ProQuest, and other ebook vendors; and by telephone order at (866) 746-7252 in the United States or (770) 442-8633 for international customers.

GPO Releases Supreme Court Cases Dating Back
to the 18th Century

The US Government Publishing Office (GPO) has made available hundreds of historic volumes of US Supreme Court cases dating from 1790–1991. These cases are published officially in the United States Reports and are now available on GPO’s GovInfo, the one-stop site for authentic, published information for all three branches of the Federal Government. Major cases available through this new collection include Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, and Marbury v. Madison. The cases of the Supreme Court of the United States are published officially in the United States Reports. The volumes are compiled and published for the Court by the Reporter of Decisions. A volume of the United States Reports also usually contains a list of Justices and officers of the Court during the Term; an allotment of Justices by circuit; announcements of Justices’ investitures and retirements; memorial proceedings for deceased Justices; a cumulative table of cases reported; orders in cases decided in summary fashion; reprints of amendments to the Supreme Court’s Rules and the various sets of Federal Rules of Procedure; a topical index; and a statistical table summarizing case activity for the past three Court Terms. Learn more at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/usreports.

New from ACRL—Text and Data Mining Literacy for Librarians

ACRL announces the publication of Text and Data Mining Literacy for Librarians, edited by Whitney Kramer, Iliana Burgos, and Evan Muzzall, demonstrating how academic libraries are supporting text and data mining (TDM) literacy through services, workflows, and professional development.

TDM is the process of using automated techniques to derive information from large sets of digital content. Librarians who liaise with a wide range of academic disciplines need TDM skills to support research at their institutions.

In five parts, Text and Data Mining Literacy for Librarians offers a variety of perspectives, insights, and experiences that can help you address the challenges of supporting TDM research, fit it into your existing reference and instruction work, and conduct your own.

• Essentials of Text and Data Mining (TDM) Literacy
• Data Literacy, Licensing, and Management Challenges with TDM
• TDM Research in Action: Practical Applications and Case Studies
• Generating Insights from Library Reference Data
• Proprietary TDM Software: Examples and Implementations

Chapters cover a range of disciplines and subject areas from a variety of institution sizes and types. Text and Data Mining Literacy for Librarians is intended to empower library workers, inform decision-makers, and support our research communities as working with textual data becomes further embedded into the research landscape.

Text and Data Mining Literacy for Librarians is available for purchase in print and as an ebook through the ALA Online Store; in print through Amazon.com; via EBSCO, ProQuest, and other ebook vendors; and by telephone order at (866) 746-7252 in the United States or (770) 442-8633 for international customers.

Bloomsbury History to Launch in 2026

Bloomsbury will launch Bloomsbury History in early 2026, joining together new and existing history collections in one accessible, cross-searchable place. Bloomsbury History will connect students, researchers, and faculty with primary and secondary history resources, including ebooks, audio, articles, museum objects, maps, manuscripts, and more, bringing global history to life for all learners. It will combine Bloomsbury Medieval Studies with Bloomsbury Cultural History, Bloomsbury History: Theory and Method, and new collections.

Bloomsbury History will help to link periods and topics, with theory, method, and context. Users will be able to continue to explore existing, respected collections, Bloomsbury Cultural History, Bloomsbury Medieval Studies, and Bloomsbury History Theory and Method. Planned new collections to follow cover important areas such as African, African American, Ancient, East Asian, Holocaust, and Military History, helping to diversify and decolonize courses. The collections will continue to be available via a one-time perpetual access payment or via an annual subscription. Most of the Bloomsbury Cultural History series is also available on a set-by-set basis. More information is available at: https://www.bloomsbury.com/discover/bloomsbury-digital-resources/products/bloomsbury-history/.

Ex Libris Releases Primo Next Discovery Experience
User Interface

Ex Libris, part of Clarivate, has announced the Primo Next Discovery Experience User Interface. Designed in close collaboration with the library community through a dedicated UX focus group and 12 design partners, early access was offered to 100 users to provide feedback. The new user interface is intuitive and streamlined, offering a richer, easy-to-use library discovery service that is tailored to the needs of academic libraries and their users. The new user interface is a key element of the Next Discovery Experience (NDE), which places users at its core, enhances research efficiency, and transforms the way academic research is done. Designed to highlight library collections, the Next Discovery Experience ensures a seamless transition from resource management to discovery. The new features include simplified workflows, a one-page overview of library activity, advanced search functionality, branding and customization, and collection discovery. Later in 2025, new features, including natural language search, citations trail, resource recommendations, and ProQuest Document Insights, are planned to be added to the interface. Learn more at https://exlibrisgroup.com/announcement/ex-libris-releases-primo-next-discovery-experience-user-interface/.

2026 I Love My Librarian Award Nominations Due December 15

Has a librarian made a difference in your life or your community? Now is your chance to honor their contributions by nominating them for the ALA’s annual l Love My Librarian Award. The I Love My Librarian Award invites library users across the country to recognize their favorite librarians working in public, school, college, community college, or university libraries for transforming lives and improving communities. Nominations are being accepted online now through December 15, 2025. Ten amazing librarians will receive $5,000 and the honor of a lifetime. We know academic librarians change lives in their communities every day, so please spread the word about this life-changing opportunity. Learn more on the I Love My Librarian website at https://ilovelibraries.org/love-my-librarian/ and nominate your favorite today.