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What the White House open access publishing guidance means for UC researchers
Guidance from the University of California Libraries:
The federal government is making significant moves to encourage open access to research. This summer, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) made national headlines with its new guidance that, by 2026, research funded by all federal agencies should be made freely and immediately available to the public, with no embargo.
The new guidance will bring about three significant changes to the status quo:
- Removing the 12-month delay before research publications funded by the largest federal agencies become publicly available;
- Directing that both federally-funded research publications and their supporting data should be made publicly accessible at the time of publication; and
- Bringing all federal agencies into alignment with this open access publishing policy.
While the agencies are being given time to determine how they will operationalize the new guidance, the principles at its heart are in sync with the University of California’s long-standing commitment to make our research freely available to the scientific community and the public.
Here is what UC researchers should know now about what to expect:
When will these changes go into effect?
The OSTP guidance recommends that all federal grantmaking agencies implement the recommended changes no later than Dec. 31, 2025. Some agencies may update their grant requirements sooner.
What will I need to do with my research articles once this policy takes effect?
While many of the details are yet to come as each federal agency determines how they will implement the OSTP guidance, what we can infer now is that:
- We expect the agencies that already have policies regarding public access to the research they fund will continue to use their existing processes to the extent possible, updating them as needed to align with the new guidance. We will know more about those changes once the agencies release their updated public access plans.
- If you obtain future research funding from a smaller agency that does not yet require deposit in an open access repository, the agency will develop a policy requiring you to make your funded articles open access in some form. (The details may vary by agency.)
How does this federal guidance interact with UC’s open access publishing options?
As a UC researcher, you do not have to wait for this government policy to be implemented to make your research open access. In fact, the University of California has had an Open Access Policy in place for many years that enables UC authors to make their research publicly available immediately. To do so, you have several options:
- If you choose to publish in a journal that is part of one of UC’s transformative open access agreements, the UC libraries will pay all or part of the open access publishing fee on your behalf, using library funds that were previously allocated to pay solely for journal subscriptions.
- If UC does not have an open access agreement with the publisher of the journal that has accepted your article, you can typically choose to pay an open access publishing fee to publish your article open access. Under the OSTP guidance, all federal agencies should allow researchers to include publication and data-sharing costs in their research budgets.
- Another cost-free option is to upload your final accepted manuscript (i.e., prior to typesetting by the publisher) into UC’s institutional repository eScholarship. UC’s Open Access Policies allow you to make your final accepted manuscript immediately available unless the journal’s publisher requests an embargo period or a waiver of the UC policy (learn more or contact Data Librarian Kat Koziar with any questions).
If I may have to deposit a copy of my research in a government-approved repository anyway (which is the current requirement of some large federal agencies), are there still benefits to making the final published article open access?
There are access and discoverability benefits to having articles published OA on the publishers site, but the final decision depends on different factors like the goals you have for your final published article. Our librarians will be available for a fuller discussion as the individual agencies policies take effect.
Will the new federal guidance make it easier to get funding to cover the cost of open access publishing?
While we do not yet know the details of how each agency will implement the OSTP guidance, based on the current approach of the large federal agencies, there will be a no-cost option available — such as an approved government repository — where you (or the publisher) can deposit your manuscript and meet the open access requirement at no cost.
Where and how do I share my data?
As agencies implement the OSTP guidance on data sharing, they may recommend or require specific repositories. Until those details are known, a subject-specific repository is usually the best place to share your data since it will be an intuitive location for other scientists to look for datasets in a particular field. There are also general repositories that take in a variety of subjects and interdisciplinary datasets. UC has partnered with the Dryad repository, and UC affiliates can deposit data there for free (as long as it is open and unrestricted, and contains no personally identifiable human subject information; see their FAQ for details).
Tip: When submitting data to a general repository, include data collection protocols, instruments, and other relevant documentation to ensure ease of data reuse. This will significantly enhance how FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) the data are.
Who can I contact if I have more questions?
If you have questions about our open access agreements, please contact Associate University Librarian for Content and Discovery & Deputy University Librarian Tiffany Moxham.
Library unveils new hands-on learning space
On Tuesday, April 18, 2017, the UCR Library and the Office of Research and Economic Development (RED) opened the Creat’R Lab to a standing-room only crowd of more than 150 excited students, faculty, and staff in the Orbach Science Library.
Key UCR leadership including Chancellor Kim Wilcox, Vice-Chancellor for Research and Economic Development Michael Pazzani and University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble stood shoulder-to-shoulder with students from organizations including IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), SWE (Society of Women Engineers), ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), and the Cosplay Brigade, among others. The students were eagerly awaiting the chance to use the space for hands-on experimentation, learning and making for electronics, prototyping, sewing, 3D scanning and printing, and more.
“It’s is a great, great day for UCR,” announced Chancellor Kim Wilcox. “When I think about Creat’R Lab, I think about tools and the connection between ability and opportunity. We have a lot of people on the campus with all kinds of talent, and now we have some tools.”
Second-year electrical engineering student Gustavo Correa shared in his welcome comments that he had wanted to establish a makerspace on campus in fall quarter 2016, but then Jeff McDaniel, a Lecturer in the Bourns College of Engineering and a member of the Creat’R Lab development team, invited Correa to get involved with the Creat’R Lab.
Describing the conception of and intention behind the Creat’R Lab, Correa said, “[It] is designed to be a safe learning environment for students from all majors, from all backgrounds, from all technical levels… to introduce to students the current technologies that exist, that engineers and everyone are using to solve real-world problems, to create projects, and to express themselves creatively.”
“What really makes me excited right now is to see the collaboration of the students, of the staff really working together to accelerate the learning and the opportunities that the students have and that the student organizations can provide,” said Jeff McDaniel. “We have lots of workshops, we have lots of activities going on. But really, this space is about the students. This is for the students, for the faculty, and the students inside of the faculty (because we never stop learning) – and for everybody that’s always learning – to use this space to experiment, to make things, to create things, to start a company.”
Michalis Faloutsos, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and the Director of Entrepreneurship for UC Riverside remarked on the symbiotic relationship that will exist between the Creat’R Lab, EPIC (Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept and Innovation Center), and the ExCITE Incubator to support entrepreneurial endeavors at UC Riverside.
Reflecting on the selection of the name “Creat’R Lab,” Vice Chancellor Michael Pazzani commented, “This could have been called ‘makerspace,’ but making is routine. What we really want people (to do) here is to create something new, things that no one has done before. And that’s really where innovation and entrepreneurship comes from.”
“That’s why I wanted to see something like this here in the library,” added University Librarian Steven Mandeville-Gamble. “Libraries have always been about connecting people and ideas and creating opportunities for people to create new knowledge, to collaborate, test ideas, and this couldn’t be a more perfect opportunity to do that. We can bring students and faculty from all over campus… and let you play.”
In closing, Mandeville-Gamble imparted the following tips to Creat’R Lab users:
”Go out and collaborate. Make mistakes. If we don’t make mistakes, if we’re not willing to take risks and make mistakes, we’re not going to learn. Play… I don’t mean play just to while away the time. I mean play to create and learn and get excited and figure out new things that no one else has thought about before. This space is to dream, to allow you to dream about things you want to do that you might not have thought possible. And finally, explore. This space is for you, the students and faculty, to explore the world through art, through objects, through new technologies, new methodologies.”
If the launch event crowd size was any indication of future student demand on the Creat’R Lab, the UCR Library may need to expand beyond the three rooms it currently occupies (Orbach Science Library, rooms 140, 144, and 145), both in terms of space and in terms of the equipment available for use.
Those who are interested in using the space, or hosting or attending a workshop can find more information on the library’s Creat’R Lab page.
Things to Try in the New Year at UCR Library
Here are some suggestions from the library team for new things to try in 2017 that you might not have known you could do at UCR Library, or that you may never have tried before.
They might even make you feel like a kid in a candy store.
Explore Rare Treasures in Special Collections & University Archives:
“A lot of people think if they’re not a UCR graduate student or UCR faculty member, then they can’t access our Special Collections, but anyone can come,” explained Zayda Delgado, Special Collections Public Services Assistant. “We encourage everyone to contact us, we encourage walk-ins. Come up, look at the exhibits, and to talk to our staff to get a feel for what we have here.”
In the Scotty catalog, most things housed in Special Collections have a blue “request” button. Archival collections (which can include letters, diaries, photographs, and more) are also listed in Scotty, but the detailed descriptions are found in finding aids on the Online Archive of California (OAC).
Once you’ve found what you want, submit the request and library staff will pull the materials for you.
Before you arrive, it helps if you register online. This makes things a lot easier for library employees and for you. Your online account can also track what you’ve looked at in previous visits, which comes in handy down the line for future research.
Then when you arrive on the 4th floor of Rivera Library, you’ll simply check in at the Special Collections desk, present photo ID to verify your identity, receive the materials you requested, and start working. Just expect to follow a few guidelines that help keep these materials safe and in good condition for future researchers: you’ll check your bags, use pencils only, turn off your camera’s flash, and enjoy any food or drinks before coming into the reading room.
Current hours for our Special Collections department can be found on the library website.
If you can’t come to the reading room in person, Special Collections & University Archives staff can provide electronic reproductions of certain materials, which can be emailed to you.
Instead of clicking “request,” simply click on “switch to reproduction order.” Then select your preferred format (PDF, JPG, or TIFF) for delivery. This is service is not exclusive to archival material, is available for a fee and scans are delivered electronically through your account in our online request system. Those details are here.
Our staff will gladly communicate back and forth with you to answer any questions you may have. You can always ask a question about our collections or how to use them by emailing specialcollections@ucr.edu.
Create and Play with our Maker Boxes
Visitors to Rivera or Orbach libraries may have noticed boxes situated on the counters near the entryway, filled with Legos, coloring books, magnet poetry, chess / checkers, and other assorted activities and craft supplies.
These are our Maker Boxes, and they serve two main purposes:
They can give you a break while you’re here studying, to do something creative, which can in itself refresh and inspire. This can also spark new ideas for creative projects that you might want to pursue in your studies.
Additionally, the Maker Boxes are meant to establish the UCR Library as a place where creativity can and should happen, in addition to all of the more traditional functions that a library serves.
“Walking through the library is my son Aiden’s favorite activity on campus,” said William H. Grover, Assistant Professor in UCR’s Department of Bioengineering. “One day, the Maker Boxes caught Aiden’s eye. He couldn’t believe that there were Legos in the library at daddy’s work. In his eyes, UCR Library went from ‘the cool place where daddy hangs out all day’ to ‘the most awesome place in the universe,’” Will said with a smile. “I explained to him the basic idea behind the Maker Movement and told him how, at UCR, we don’t just teach students. We also try to create opportunities for students to be creative, inventive, and artistic, and the Maker Boxes are part of that. Aiden thought that was pretty awesome and asked how old you have to be to go to UCR.”
Collaborate with a Subject Specialist
If you have never collaborated with a subject specialist on your research papers or projects, you might find this resource vital to take your UCR learning experience to the next level.
“Making an appointment with a subject librarian can add depth to research projects and papers that students are already working on, and help them to navigate through the sea of information to the resources that are most relevant and useful to their specific work,” explained Dani Brecher Cook, Director of Teaching and Learning. “Students can also meet with subject specialists to learn about the wealth of resources in their field that are available to them as UCR students. Developing a relationship with your subject specialist can help you to succeed in your coursework, especially in higher-level courses, and enrich your understanding of your subject area.”
To make an appointment with a subject specialist, simply reach out to the person that matches your field of study by email or phone to set up a meeting time.
Check out a DVD or Video Game from our Media Collection
The Media Collection was moved from the Multimedia Library back in September 2016, and is now available on the first floor of Rivera Library for browsing.
Our Media Collection contains films and video games, which you can check out or use in the media viewing or gaming rooms on the second floor. Rivera Library also has individual viewing stations on the first floor.
You can also check out equipment at the Rivera Library Circulation/Reserves desk.
To reserve media viewing or gaming rooms in Rivera Library, visit the library website. On upper left of the home page menu, under “Using the Library,” navigate to “Study Spaces.” Once on that page, check the box for “Media Viewing” to see how many media viewing rooms we have available.
You can reserve study spaces online using Dibs. Rivera 227 and 228 are viewing rooms, and Rivera 229 and 230 are gaming rooms.
New archival collections available for winter quarter 2018
Special Collections & University Archives staff are constantly working to process recently acquired collections and make those materials ready for use by students, faculty, and researchers.
Each quarter, we will provide a list of UCR Library's newly processed archival and primary source collections. Check out the list below to see if there are any items that fit your research area, or share with a friend!
Below you'll find brief descriptions and links to the finding aids or collection guides for each new collection. To use any of these materials, simply click the "Request Items" button at the top to submit a request, and log in with our Special Collections Request System. For more on conducting research in Special Collections, see this page.
SCUA is open to the public on weekdays from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm. Check here for closures or other changes to our regular hours.
For questions, email specialcollections@ucr.edu.
Newly Processed Collections – Winter 2018
1.83 linear ft. (3 boxes)
This collection contains role-playing games including Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Marvel Super Heroes, and DC Heroes. Items in the collection include player and master manuals, as well as maps and character pieces.
1.75 linear ft. (7 boxes)
This collection consists of around 1500 photographs and photographic postcards featuring the people, places, and events significant to the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) from the studio of Luis Ramirez Pimentel, including many images from the Chihuahua Campaigns (circa 1910-1913).
0.21 linear ft. (1 box)
This collection contains transcripts, MP3 audio files, and digital images related to the Inlandia Institute's oral history project, "'Making Waves: Women's Environmental Movement," which documented the stories of seven Inland Empire area environmentalists. Women interviewed for the project included Jane Block, Liz Cunnison, Melba Dunlap, Beverly Wingate Maloof, Sue Nash, Penny Newman, and Ruth Anderson Wilson.
Seminario International Escenarios Politicos de la Transición a la Democracia records, 1989 (MS 017)
0.42 linear ft. (1 box)
This collection contains newspaper clippings and conference papers related to the "Seminario Internacional Escenarios Politicos de la Transición a la Democracia," a seminar held in July of 1989 that discussed the various political transitions from socialism to democracy occurring in Latin America.
3.33 linear ft. (8 boxes)
This collection consists of photographs and documents related to the Mission Inn, a national historic landmark located in Riverside, California, generally considered to be the largest Mission Revival Style building in the United States. The collection also includes images of Frank Miller, the first owner of the Mission Inn, Riverside's Mount Rubidoux, and other historic buildings in Riverside.
1.67 linear ft. (4 boxes)
The collection consists of items collected by Laura Klure related to the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Riverside, a women's organization dedicated to empowering women and advocating for civil rights. Materials in the collection mostly consist of interviews, research, notes, and other documents related to the Riverside YWCA History Project, which was an effort by Klure and others undertaken in the early 1990s to document the history of the local branch and create an archive of Riverside YWCA records.
0.42 linear ft. (1 box)
This collection contains schedules and proceedings from the "Seminario Partidos Políticos en los Procesos de Democratización," a seminar on the democratization of political parties in Paraguay held in 1989 and organized by the Grupo de Trabajo de Partidos Politicos (CLACSO) and the Centro Paraguayo de Estudios Sociologicos (CPES).
1.25 linear ft. (1 box)
This collection contains correspondence, documents and other material from Eloise Emerson, an accomplished public health nurse who worked for the Riverside County Department of Health. The majority of materials in the collection focus on her nursing career, and her lobbying effort against the California State mandatory retirement age.
1.5 linear ft. (6 photograph albums)
The collection consists of photographs from the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920) taken by Agustín Victor Casasola, a Mexican photographer and co-founder of the Mexican Association of Press Photographers. Photographs in the collection include depictions of daily life in Mexico, and Mexican presidents in the early 20th century. In addition to photographs taken by Casasola, there are additional photographs on Mexico and its politics taken by Casasola's sons after his death in 1938.
0.83 linear ft. (1 box)
This collection consists of an album of photographs depicting various scenery, people, agriculture, and ruins in Paraguay in the early 1900s. Photographs in the album include views of a fleet from the 1912 Revolution, the Encarnación cyclone disaster of 1926, the Jesuit ruins at Jesus y Trinidad, and of the inauguration of the Salesian Agricultural School at Ypacaraí.
0.5 linear ft. (2 photograph albums)
This collection contains photographs of various people and landscapes of Mexico taken by Hugo Brehme, a German-born photographer that moved to Mexico in 1905.
0.71 linear ft. (2 boxes)
This collection consists of 60 cartes de visite, owned by José Antonio Ulloa of Zacatecas, Mexico. Items in the collection include photographs and portraits of European, South American, and Central American royalty and military members from the 19th century. Many of the cartes de visite depict members of European royalty related to Napoleon I, as well as cartes de visite of figures surrounding the trial and execution of Mexican Emperor Maximilian I in 1867.
1.67 linear ft. (5 boxes)
This collection contains a variety of lantern slides depicting geographical areas, buildings and ruins, famous individuals, and people of various countries.
2.33 linear ft. (3 boxes)
The collection contains black and white photographs taken during the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. Photographs in the collection cover various locations, battles, soldiers, and important figures such as Álvaro Obregón, Francisco Madero, Pancho Villa and Pascual Orozco.
2.0 linear ft. (1 photograph album, 1 box)
The collection consists of photographs of Mexican revolutionary and President Venustiano Carranza, including depictions of Carranza on national tours and in areas being attacked by Revolutionaries during his time as Mexico’s president (1917-20). Photographs in the collection also include portraits of Carranza and other prominent Mexican figures, including Isidro Fabela and Álvaro Obregón.
0.54 linear ft. (1 photograph album, 1 box)
The collection consists mainly of photographs of Francisco “Pancho” Villa, a Mexican Revolutionary general and prominent figure during the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. Photographs in the collection include portraits of Villa, Villa with his troops and other military figures, Villa's murder in 1923, and photographs of Villa’s family.
0.42 linear ft. (1 box)
This collection contains newspaper clippings, articles, and other material on the history of the Gage Canal, the system built in 1898 to supply water to the city of Riverside, California. Materials in the collection cover the sale of the Gage Canal company, various lawsuits and legal issues, and correspondence and photographs belonging to John M. Mylne, the superintendent and engineer of the Gage Canal System.
0.42 linear ft. (1 box)
The collection consists of 27 stereoscopic photographs depicting various locations in Jerusalem published by Underwood & Underwood at the turn of the 20th century. The majority of the photographs come from the "Jerusalem Tour" set published in 1904.
Roper iPoll: Our New Resource for Public Opinion Data
The UCR Library is excited to announce our new access to Roper iPoll, a comprehensive database containing public opinion polling data and survey research.
This invaluable resource includes national, state, and foreign surveys on a wide variety of social, political, and cultural topics. Users can explore questions, trends, demographics, and datasets, providing a wealth of information for research and analysis.
Roper iPoll is built on the extensive archive of the Roper Center for Public Opinion and Research. With Roper iPoll, search over 880,000 questions and 25,000 datasets!
We invite the UCR community to explore Roper iPoll and take advantage of this powerful research tool. Make sure to visit the website while logged into the campus VPN or using the campus Wi-Fi.
New Library catalog launch delayed
The launch of the UCR Library’s new catalog, originally planned for July 16, has been temporarily delayed.
Please continue to use the UCR catalog as usual. We will update you with the new launch date as soon as possible.
Due to the transition, new holds, recalls and paging will only be available after the launch.
We truly appreciate your patience and thank you for your understanding.
How to Use our New Study Room Reservation System
We launched a new study room reservation system this summer.
Our new system incorporates features that will make reserving a study room easier than ever:
- Quickly find what you need with a more intuitive interface.
- Easily identify available study and media rooms.
- Conveniently bounce between Orbach rooms and Rivera rooms to see all available spaces.
- Add room reservations to your personal calendar from your reservation confirmation email.
- Please Note: One important change to be aware of is that text message updates about your reservations are not currently available. We encourage you to check your reservation details via email at your R’Mail (UCR) email address.
You’ll be able to access our new study room reservation system through the updated Study Spaces page on our website. Use your single-sign-on/R’Mail details to log in and reserve a room!
Need help booking a room? View our step-by-step directions below. Tap right to go to the next slide.
Still need help? Check out our video guide below!
UC Libraries Transition Regional Facilities to Systemwide Service Centers
The University of California Libraries have restructured their regional library facilities into fully systemwide service centers.
The Northern Regional Library Facility (NRLF) and Southern Regional Library Facility (SRLF) are now known as Systemwide Library Facility-North (SLF-North) and Systemwide Library Facility-South (SLF-South). This transition aims to enhance strategic planning, budget management, and service provision across the UC system. Both facilities will continue to be governed by the Systemwide Library Facilities Board.
A new SLF director, based at UC Berkeley, will oversee both facilities, promoting greater alignment in practices and operations.
For more details, visit the Systemwide Library Facilities FAQs.
New Study Room Reservation System
We're excited to share that the UCR Library has a new study room reservation system effective Monday, June 17!
Our new system incorporates features that will make reserving a study room easier than ever:
- Quickly find what you need with a more intuitive interface.
- Easily identify available study and media rooms.
- Conveniently bounce between Orbach rooms and Rivera rooms to see all available spaces.
- Add room reservations to your personal calendar from your reservation confirmation email.
Please Note: One important change to be aware of is that text message updates about your reservations are not currently available. We encourage you to check your reservation details via email at your R’Mail (UCR) email address.
You’ll be able to access our new study room reservation system through the updated Study Spaces page on our website. Use your single-sign-on/R’Mail details to log in and reserve a room!
Expanded Library Hours During Finals Week
Orbach Library and Rivera Library will have expanded schedules during fall quarter finals week.
Library Hours:
Orbach Library will be open for 24-hours beginning at 7:30 AM on Wednesday, November 30 and ending at midnight on Thursday, December 8.
Rivera Library will remain open until 2:00 AM each day from Friday, December 2 through Wednesday, December 7.
Rivera will also open one hour early on Saturday, December 3, at 8:00 AM. Rivera will open at regular times on all other dates during finals week.
Service Desk Hours:
Circulation / Reserve Service Desks will close at midnight, except December 2 and 3 when they close at 10:00 PM. Service desks will open when each library facility opens.
Please refer to the Hours page on the library website for specific details for any particular date.
Intersession hours at all library facilities will begin on Saturday, December 10.