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Beyond Green and Gold: changing the language of open publishing

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For many years, open publishing has been described through colours of Green, Gold, Hybrid, Diamond, and Bronze. For those working in the space, these terms are familiar and easy to say. For authors and researchers, I would question how useful they are, especially for early career authors. At University of Galway, we have been changing the way we talk about open. Rather than asking authors to start by understanding a set of colours, our guidance increasingly begins with Routes to Open  describing what the author needs to do, where the open version will be available, what rights are involved, and whether payment is required. Currently OpenAlex and its Community Advisory Board are consulting on a more fundamental revision of open-access classification, potentially replacing the colour categories with a system based on access, location, and licence [1,2]. Why we started changing the language The problem we perceived is in what colour terms communicate to an author. In 2025, our own Re...
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Mental Health Week / Seachtain na Meabhairshláinte - Book Display

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The Library is marking Mental Health Week / Seachtain na Meabhairshláinte  (5th Oct - 10th Oct)  with a display of mental health and wellbeing books in the Library Foyer. The book display contains a range of titles such as: Busy and Wrecked: Create Space and Energy  Eat your Ice Cream: six simple rules for a long and healthy life  Gardening for Mind, Body and Soul: how to nurture your well-being with Nature The mindful self-compassion workbook : a proven way to accept yourself, build inner strength, and thrive  (e-book) The mindful college student : how to succeed, boost well-being, and build the life you want at university and beyond  (e-book only) Overcoming Anxiety, Stress and Panic: a Five Areas Approach (e-book) David Gillick's Kitchen: Good Food from the Track to the Kitchen The Complete Book of Wild Swimming in Ireland                                      ...
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ReproducibiliTea Galway journal club - the MORPHSS project

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The first  ReproducibiliTea Galway journal club  workshop for semester 1, 2026 will focus on the MORPHSS project  - Materialising Open Research Practices in the Humanities and Social Sciences . J oin Dr. Jen Smith from the Library Research Services team and Dr. Jenni Adams, MORPHSS Research Associate, for our hybrid session on the 7th October. The  ReproducibiliTea Galway journal club takes place  on the first Wednesday of each month for October, November and December 2026 . Researchers at all levels  who are interested in open research, open science, and open scholarship  are welcome to participate.  While most researchers in the STEM disciplines have a basic understanding of what "data" means in their work, it can be harder to define the term for the humanities and social sciences (HSS), which has meant that open " science "/research practices have evolved in different ways. T he MORPHSS project (Materialising Open Research Practices in the Huma...
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Library Research Services, Semester 1 2026-27

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The Library’s Research Services team supports academic staff, postdoctoral researchers, and PhD researchers throughout the research lifecycle. We provide workshops and one-to-one consultations on research discovery, literature searching, systematic and scoping reviews, research publishing, open access, rights retention, open research, research data management, digital methods, and repository publishing. The Library offers a programme of researcher workshops and events designed to support all stages of the research lifecycle. Whether you are developing your first PhD project or leading a large research team, you can access expert guidance and practical training or contact the Research Services team for more tailored support.  Workshops for Semester 1, 2026-27: 17-Sep-26  AI Literacy for Researchers   22-Sep-26  Starting your Research Data Management Plan   7-Oct-26  ReproducibiliTea Galway jou...
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EBook Central Reader App - A new way to download Ebook Central books

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  A new way to download Ebook Central books From 2 September 2026 , Ebook Central full-book downloads will open in the new Ebook Central Reader App , rather than Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). You will still search for ebooks, read them online, and choose the download option through Ebook Central as usual—the only change is the app used to open downloaded books. The Reader App is designed to offer a more secure, accessible, and consistent reading experience across computers and mobile devices. What you can expect Your last-read page can be saved and synchronised across your devices. On phones and tablets, EPUB ebooks support swipe gestures for turning pages; PDFs continue to use vertical scrolling. Recently downloaded DRM-free titles will appear in the app’s My Books list, while remaining available to open in other compatible software. The app is easier to install on Windows, including for users without administrator access. Coming soon Clarivate plans to add annotation tools, incl...
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Reading Lists - Preparing for the New Academic Year 26/27

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  In preparation for the upcoming semester we are asking lecturers to publish their reading lists on the Library's Reading List Service as soon as possible. This will ensure that we have the necessary time to review the published lists and: order the required e-books acquire print books as quickly as possible  carry out any required chapter/article scanning check the e-links on the reading list Guides See our One Page Guide to the Reading List Service to help you get started. More detailed guides and tutorials are available from our Reading List page.    Reading List Service Training (Academic Staff) As a further support we are providing in-person training for the new academic year. Register for a session below: Tues Aug 25th 1500-1600 Thurs Sept 3rd 1200-1300 Tues  Sept 8th 1200-1300 Collection Development / Forbairt Bailiúchán
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Recent Books by University of Galway Graduates

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We are delighted to showcase a selection of recently published books by University of Galway graduates. Below is a list of these titles available in print/online on the library catalogue .  Voices from inside : hidden journals from the cages ; thoughts on confinement ; 1971-1976 Long Kesh/ Paddy McMenamin Lichtenberg / Tom O'Connell Barn gothic : three generations and the death of the family dairy farm / Ryan Dennis Peer Support Work in Mental Health Services: Theory, Research, Policy and Practice / Michael John Norton Spec Fic for Newbies Vol. 3: A beginner's guide to writing even more subgenres of science fiction, fantasy and horror / Val Nolan The stepmother / Sheila Bugler On Camino once more : 7 keys to embrace the freedom of joy / Ann McGarry Tidal / Karen J. McDonnell Digital Twin for Marine Fish Farming / Fearghal O'Donncha Mimesis / Michael Quinn   The Tree is missing / Shannon Kuta Kelly Collection Development / Forbairt Bailiúchán
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Research Data Management Roadshow and Support

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The Research Data Steward role was introduced to the University of Galway Library in May of last year. The role's primary purpose is to provide essential support and advice for research data management (RDM) and data governance across the research lifecycle. RDM consists of data tasks of planning and design, sourcing and collection, processing and analysis, and publishing and preservation, all through the lens of FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles.  As the University of Galway Library's first Research Data Steward, I have been developing resources to support researchers, addressing gaps in RDM support and building a roadmap for its future. With progress being made in these areas, it was time to get the word out to University of Galway researchers by embarking on an RDM Roadshow to each school to introduce myself and speak on key updates. The goal of these Roadshows was two-fold: first, to provide an overview of RDM services and resources offer...
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