On April 30th, in celebration of Preservation Week , the Smithsonian Libraries will host a question and answer session with our book conservator, Katie Wagner. Do you have a question about how to care for your own books or how we care for ours at the Smithsonian? Now is your chance to ask our expert!
Thank you to those who attended our annual Adopt-a-Book event on January 9 in the Smithsonian Castle. Almost 120 books have been adopted since inception of our Adopt-a-Book program. Last year, 26 books were adopted at our Adopt-a-Book event (48 books were on display), 128 tickets were purchased and more than $10,000 was raised. This year, 45 books were adopted at the event (74 books were on display), 106 tickets were purchased and more than $12,000 was raised.
Open Access (OA), like every other publishing or distribution model, carries with it both benefits and costs. But unlike other models, OA is built on a foundation of values and beliefs about how scholarly communication ought to be conducted—this makes conversations about its costs and benefits both difficult and fraught with passion. And yet as OA continues to grow in importance—and in financial impact—such conversations are essential. What can we do to make the scholarly communication space more amenable to open discussion about Open Access?
On January 15, the Smithsonian Libraries, Smithsonian Institution Archives, and the Office of the Chief Information Officer presented the first talk of a new lecture series, The Open Access Future, to address the Smithsonian Institution on the future of libraries, museums, and archives in a digital world. In 2014, the series will feature speakers with expertise in topics such as scholarly publishing, research data curation and communication, and altmetrics.
The Smithsonian Libraries, Smithsonian Institution Archives, and the Office of the Chief Information Officer present a new lecture series, The Open Access Future, to address the Institution on the future more »
It’s less than a week away, but there are still tickets available for our Adopt-a-Book event next Thursday! Enjoy a unique and lively evening to benefit the Smithsonian Libraries’ rare book and preservation programs. The event will feature German food, wine and beer, and entertainment. Guests will have the opportunity to browse a trove of remarkable and historic volumes and are invited to learn more about the Libraries’ special collections and why they must be preserved.
Please join us for our annual Adopt-a-Book event! 
Thursday, January 9, 2014, 6:00 p.m. (rescheduled from October)
The Smithsonian Castle, 1000 Jefferson Drive SW