19 November 2025
Winter reflections and what lies ahead for Insights
On the first truly cold day of the year, we found ourselves reflecting on the diverse and timely content we’ve published since the summer. As always our contributors have explored a wide range of topics, from multilingual research dissemination to interlibrary loans, bringing a variety and richness that should keep your little grey cells exercised during the colder days ahead.
Library-based diamond open access
Cath Dishman and Rebecca Wojturska offered a compelling case study in their brilliantly titled article Shine bright like a diamond: what can library hosting services offer in the academic publishing market? They outline the publishing services provided by the University of Edinburgh and the Open Journals Service at Liverpool John Moores University, highlighting the benefits of library-based hosting and the key considerations involved in launching and operating such services.
Maryna Nazarovets also reflects on the role of university journals and how they support the diverse regional practices of academic communities. Her article, University journals: a semi-systematic literature review of trends, challenges and future research directions, draws on a semi-systematic review of 105 publications to explore the major trends, challenges, and opportunities associated with university journals.
Interlibrary loans
In the context of growing budgetary pressures, Andrew Johnson’s contribution is especially timely. In Interlibrary loans, subscriptions and copyright in the UK academic library sector, he examines the ‘library privilege’ exceptions in copyright law that underpin long-established ILL practices. His article clarifies recurring questions about what the legislation permits, and where its limitations lie.
Multilingual research dissemination
Faizhal Arif Santosa and Barbara S. Lancho Barrantes remind us that while English serves as a global lingua franca, preserving and promoting local languages is essential for broad and equitable research communication. In their article, Multilingual research dissemination: current practices and implications for bibliometrics, they argue that multilingual dissemination is vital for reaching wider audiences and should be considered by all stakeholders in scholarly communication.
Coming soon …
We have a wealth of exciting articles we can’t wait to share in the coming months.
- Gali Halevi will discuss the importance of inclusive and balanced collections in libraries and archives.
- Andrew du Rocher will explore how scholar-led publishing can challenge the prestige economy.
- And Rick Anderson – who wrote the influential Insights article A quiet culture war in research libraries – returns to reflect on how the landscape has evolved in the ten years since it was published back in 2015.
But there is always room for you! Don’t forget that if you have something interesting to share, whether it’s a project, a product or an initiative, we want to hear from you. Consider submitting an article that can be shared with the wider community. If you’re not sure you have fully formed your idea, or you just want reassurance about your chosen direction, drop your Editors a message and we can help you to crystallise your thinking and formulate your article.
Lorraine and Steve