UC Berkeley Library Scholarly Communication & Information Policy

Thank you to everyone who joined us and @arl.org yesterday for our discussion of recent AI and copyright decisions and their effect on authors and libraries. You can watch the recording below:

AI and Copyright: What Authors and Libraries Need to Know about the Bartz v. Anthropic and Kadrey v. Meta Cases Join ARL and Authors Alliance for an essential discussion on how recent landmark court decisions are shaping the landscape of AI and copyright law. This webinar is open to the public.

Join us and @arl.org on July 28, 2025, 1-2pm ET for a discussion of the latest AI copyright litigation, what these rulings mean for libraries, researchers, and authors, and practical guidance for moving forward.

Submit questions and register here:

www.authorsalliance.org/2025/07/21/a...

Federal Agency Publication & Data Sharing Policy Overview & FAQ Events In response to the 2022 Nelson Memo, federal agencies are required to update their public access policies by the end of this year. New policies are now in effect for several agencies: the NIH, CDC,…

We and @sparcopen.bsky.social are hosting two more webinars to support administrators and librarians in their efforts to ensure compliance with public access policies.

These webinars will focus on new publications and data sharing requirements.

More info:

www.authorsalliance.org/2025/07/15/f...

YouTube video by UC Berkeley Library NIH Public Access Policy presentation recording

The NIH’s updated Public Access Policy goes into effect today. Grantees must ensure zero-embargo public access to author accepted manuscripts. Check out our library webinar to learn more: youtu.be/xIzNLo1FbH0?... @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

Wall display at the National Institutes of Health featuring a mission statement about advancing medical research, alongside the U.S. Public Health Service emblem.

NIH's updated Public Access Policy goes into effect next week (July 1). It requires zero-embargo public access to NIH-funded research outputs. Here's what UC Berkeley authors need to know: update.lib.berkeley.edu/2025/06/03/w... @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

Huge news in AI copyright world. Still reading the opinion, but encouraged that Judge Alsup got it right on training. Act I Scene 1 in a long drama, but a promising start.

Anthropic wins on fair use for training its LLMs; loses on building a “central library” of pirated books Yesterday, Judge Alsup released his decision on Anthropic’s motion for summary judgment in the fast-moving lawsuit it is defending, brought by three book authors on behalf of a class of millions ob…

Judge Alsup's decision found that Anthropic's training AI on lawfully acquired copyrighted works was a fair use.

Below we highlight some of the most important parts of the decision on the question of whether using books for AI training is fair use:

www.authorsalliance.org/2025/06/24/a...

A red-brick building with tall white columns and a triangular pediment reading "National Institutes of Health," partially obscured by leafy trees.

The University of California's Office of Scholarly Communication is providing guidance on the revised NIH Public Access Policy going into effect July 1, 2025. osc.universityofcalifornia.edu/scholarly-pu...

Judge Leval’s opinion in the Romanova case “reaffirms that fair use is not an exception to infringement: fair use is the built-in safety valve that ensures copyright serves—rather than stifles—freedom of expression.”

Slide with a red and blue background. The title in bold white and red text reads: “Navigating NIH’s Updated Public Access Policy Requirements.” Below the title, in white text on a blue background, are the presenter names and roles: “Anna Sackmann: Data Services Librarian, Elliott Smith: Biology & Bioinformatics Librarian, Tim Vollmer: Scholarly Communication & Copyright Librarian.”

Reminder: If you’re an NIH grantee and have questions about the upcoming July 1 implementation of the new Public Access Policy, join @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social staff tomorrow, June 10, 2025 from 1:00-2:00 pm on Zoom for an overview and Q&A. berkeley.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

UCB community members can join Library staff on Tues, June 10, 1-2pm on Zoom to learn more. RSVP at berkeley.zoom.us/meeting/regi... @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

Wall display at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) featuring the agency’s name in large metallic letters at the top and a mission statement in smaller text below. The text reads: “The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is dedicated to fostering discovery at the frontiers of science and medicine. An agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the NIH conducts and supports medical research to uncover new knowledge that will improve the health of all Americans and the human condition throughout the world.” A round emblem of the U.S. Public Health Service with the year 1798 is also visible on the right.

What UC Berkeley researchers need to know about NIH’s Updated Public Access Policy update.lib.berkeley.edu/2025/06/03/w... @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

AI, Authorship, and the Public Interest – Project Update and Call for Grant Proposals Authors Alliance is pleased to announce the availability of research grants of up to $20,000 to support research projects at the intersection of artificial intelligence, copyright law, and the publ…

We are pleased to announce the availability of research grants of up to $20,000 to support research projects at the intersection of artificial intelligence, copyright law, and the public interest.

More information and application details are below:

www.authorsalliance.org/2025/05/21/k...

A promotional graphic for an online event titled "How to Publish Open Access at UC Berkeley." The event is scheduled for April 8, 2025, from 11 AM to 12 PM on Zoom. The graphic features a dark teal background with white and yellow text. On the left side, there is an open-access logo with a colorful paint splatter effect behind it. In the bottom right corner, the Berkeley Library logo is displayed.

Are you publishing research and want to share your work open access? Join our workshop April 8, 11a-12p on Zoom. We'll guide you on OA publishing options, funding sources, and strategies for maximizing research impact. update.lib.berkeley.edu/2025/03/31/w... @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

The Public Interest Corpus Update – Boston Edition On March 3, librarians, authors, publishers, and technologists gathered at Northeastern University Library in Boston to contribute to a startup plan for The Public Interest Corpus. The Public Inter…

An update on The Public Interest Corpus, a project that supports the creation of high-quality AI training data from memory organizations and their partners that advance the public interest:

www.authorsalliance.org/2025/03/26/t...

A digitally illustrated image features a squirrel wearing a vest and tie on the left and a badger on the right, both appearing to be engaged in conversation in front of an old-fashioned microphone. The background has swirling abstract patterns in shades of blue and green. The title text at the top reads, "Oral History Agreement Toolkit: Protecting Narrators and Improving Institutional Rights Administration," with "Oral History Agreement Toolkit:" in green and the subtitle in red. A footer in the bottom right corner states, "Scholarly Communication & Information Policy, UC Berkeley Library, CC-BY-NC 4.0," in red and green text on a cream-colored background.

We're pleased to announce the release of our comprehensive Oral History Agreement Toolkit—a collection of templates, guidance documents, and resources designed to help transform how institutions approach oral history agreements. update.lib.berkeley.edu/2025/03/13/a... @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

A promotional slide for a workshop titled "Publish Digital Books and Open Educational Resources with Pressbooks." The background is split, with the top portion in dark red and the bottom in white. The title is in bold white text. Below, the event details state "March 11, 2025, 11am - 12pm, Zoom" in gray text. On the left, there is an open-access logo (a stylized open padlock) with a colorful splatter background. In the bottom right corner, the Berkeley Library logo is present.

Coming up in 1 week: Publish Digital Books and Open Educational Resources with Pressbooks. Join us for a demo and kick the tires yourself. March 11, 11a-12p, Zoom. RSVP now: berkeley.zoom.us/meeting/regi... @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

🎉 Wrapping up the 12th Anniversary of #FairUseWeek @fairuseweek.bsky.social w/ a must-read post from Katherine Klosek & Samantha Teremi! They explore AI contract restrictions, library concerns, & break down the differences between copyright & contracts. Read more: sites.harvard.edu/fair-use-wee...

Day Three of #FairUseWeek has a new fantastic post by Sandra Aya Enimil of Yale Libraires! Read and explore how #libraries can protect #fairuse in e-resource licenses. And learn how a fair use savings clause can help! sites.harvard.edu/fair-use-wee...

A promotional slide for a workshop titled "Publish Digital Books and Open Educational Resources with Pressbooks." The background is split, with the top portion in dark red and the bottom in white. The title is in bold white text. Below, the event details state "March 11, 2025, 11am - 12pm, Zoom" in gray text. On the left, there is an open-access logo (a stylized open padlock) with a colorful splatter background. In the bottom right corner, the Berkeley Library logo is present.

Curious about how to self-publish free digital books and educational materials? Register for our upcoming Pressbooks demo and workshop to learn more. March 11, 11a-12p, Zoom. update.lib.berkeley.edu/2025/02/26/w... @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

An update on our Public Interest Corpus AI project!

authorsalliance.substack.com/p/the-public...

See also publicinterestcorpus.org for updates and more info.

Lunch Briefing: Fair Use & Research Innovation — Association of Research Libraries Join the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) for a congressional staff briefing during Fair Use Week. The briefing will highlight how fair use fosters innovation and supports transdisciplinary res...

Tomorrow I'll be on a wonderful panel on the Hill for #fairuseweek, focusing on how fair use powers transformative research, hosted by @arlnews.bsky.social and featuring @alisternburg.bsky.social and RIT Dean of Libraries Emily Sherwood. Interested staffers RSVP here: www.arl.org/event/lunch-...

On Fri. Jan 31, we will be presenting to the National Association of College & University Attorneys regarding challenges universities face in licensing content for researchers. We'll focus on contractual override and preserving #fairuse rights to conduct computational research, including w/AI.

e-Resource Licensing Explained: An A–Z Licensing Guidebook for Libraries — Association of Research Libraries ARL is pleased to publish e-Resource Licensing Explained: An A–Z Licensing Guidebook for Libraries, a practical tool to empower librarians who license electronic resources (e-resources). The guidebook...

Had a wonderful time at the launch for our new licensing book published by ARL. Check out the webinar recording on YouTube, or read the book below! "E-resource Licensing Explained” is open access; we hope it makes licensing lives easier! www.arl.org/resources/e-... @arlnews.bsky.social

Spring 2025 open access publishing workshops with the Scholarly Communication & Information Policy office With the spring semester kicking off, the Library’s Scholarly Communication & Information Policy office is here to help faculty, students, and staff understand copyright and scholarly publishing with ...

Welcome to the Spring semester at UC Berkeley. Our office is here to help faculty, students, and researchers understand copyright and scholarly publishing with online resources, Zoom workshops, and consultations. update.lib.berkeley.edu/2025/01/21/s... @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

Title page of a guidebook titled 'e-Resource Licensing Explained: An A–Z Licensing Guidebook for Libraries.' Below the title, the authors are listed: Sandra Enimil, Rachael Samberg, Erik Limpitlaw, Samantha Teremi, and Katie Zimmerman, with their roles and affiliations. Reviewers are also listed: Sunshine Carter, Faye Christenberry, Jen Montavon-Green, Dan Mack, and Wendy Allen Shelburne, along with their roles and affiliations. A legal review is credited to Jaszi Butler PLLC. At the bottom, the logo of the Association of Research Libraries is displayed.

Join a webinar launch of our new book, e-Resource Licensing Explained, published by @arlnews.bsky.social. We offer explanations and pragmatic strategies for preserving scholarly rights in the face of restrictive e-resource license terms. RSVP: arl.org/news/registe... @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

YouTube video by CNI: Coalition for Networked Information Supporting Computational Research Through Licensing: An A-Z Licensing Guidebook for Libraries

Check out the recording of our project update at the @cni-org.bsky.social Fall 2024 meeting: "Supporting Computational Research Through Licensing: An A-Z Licensing Guidebook for Libraries" www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Rg... @rachaelgs.bsky.social @arlnews.bsky.social @ucberkeleylibrary.bsky.social

AI deals underscore importance of open access (opinion) For those feeling queasy about academic publishers’ AI deals, Günter Waibel and Dave Hansen argue the way forward is not more restrictive licenses—it’s open access.

New piece from Dave Hansen, Authors Alliance Exec Dir., and Günter Waibel, on the interplay between open access to scholarship and AI training and development:

www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

Contracts & Information Policy Administrator: New position to manage and engage contracts, including gift and asset purchase agreements, third party publisher/vendor digitization, electronic resources, and more. JD preferred. careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psc/ucb/EMPL...

Copyright & Information Policy Specialist: Provides public service & reference to support and execute the Library’s permissions and licensing policies, and analysis of information policy issues to support the Library’s Digital Lifecycle Program. careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psc/ucb/EMPL...