LSU Libraries Announces New Government Publications and Open Scholarship Department

In the latter half of 2022, the Government Documents and Open Scholarship & Affordable Learning departments combined into a new LSU Libraries department named Open Scholarship & Government Publications. This new department aims to combine the uncopyrighted materials in Government Publications with openly licensed resources available via Open Scholarship to provide students and faculty with free access to research materials. Both divisions of this department have accomplished notable achievements. Open Scholarship & Affordable Learning saved students and their families more than $4.1 million in the 2022 fiscal year through LSU Libraries’ e-Textbook Initiative, which provides free access to library-licensed eBooks that are used in courses. Since its inception in 2014, it has saved more than $11.6 million. According to Hayley Johnson, the new head of Open Scholarship & Government Publications, this initiative “provides students with quick access to course materials that are available for free through the LSU Libraries, and it also provides an easy-to-use search tool for instructors to identify e-textbooks that the Libraries owns or can purchase for them.” Additionally, in 2021, Government Documents created an agreement between LSU, Louisiana Tech, and the University of Mississippi to allow these three libraries to share materials and tools across state lines—an agreement that benefits both Louisiana and Mississippi residents. This agreement was the first in the nation to feature three regional depository libraries joining together to provide enhanced access and services to citizens. The new Open Scholarship & Government Publications Department consists of the following members.

• Hayley Johnson – Head of Open Scholarship and Government Publications
• David Dunaway – Director of Open Scholarship & Affordable Learning
• Audrey Portier – Microforms and Collection Specialist
• Allen LeBlanc – Open Scholarship Librarian

If you have any questions or would like to explore Open Access possibilities for your classroom or research, contact Hayley Johnson at hjohnson1@lsu.edu.