News: Academic Publishing Weekly

Clarivate releases the latest Pulse of the Library report, new AI guidelines from Wiley, and a university press book cover spotlight

Posted on October 31, 2025 in News

Clarivate Report Shows U.S. Libraries Lag in Global AI Adoption

Clarivate released the second edition of its annual “Pulse of the Library” report this week. The report presents a global perspective on trends that impact libraries, including geopolitical concerns, open science, economic issues, and, heavily featured this year, the growing use and influence of artificial intelligence. According to the report, more than 2,000 librarians participated from 109 countries or regions. Seventy-seven percent of respondents are from academic libraries. Not surprisingly, the number of libraries “exploring or implementing” AI has grown, if slightly, from 63% in the 2024 report to 67% this year. A majority of that cohort (35%) report being in the “earliest evaluation stages.” The pace of adoption varies from region to region, with the U.S. lagging behind Europe and Asia in both adoption and confidence. Only 7% of U.S. libraries report being optimistic about AI, while the rest of the world is about three to four times more confident.

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AI and Libraries: A Need for Speed?

The skepticism and slow steps toward AI implementation indicated by Clarivate’s report is at odds with the explosive growth and use of the technology outside the academy. A third of respondents in the report still say they have either “no plans” or are “not actively pursuing” AI implementation. However, some skepticism may be appropriate as institutions carefully and methodically develop policies around AI adoption. Along those lines, and in a post for The Scholarly Kitchen, Ithaka S+R Director Mark McBride urges library leadership to begin forming strategies around transparent and ethical use of AI before third parties do it for them. And Research Information homes in on Clarivate’s findings that optimism increases hand-in-hand with literacy, leadership buy-in, and implementation.

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AI Continued: Researcher Guidelines and Aiding Creativity

Following the release of its book author AI guidelines in March, Wiley shared AI guidance “for research authors, journal editors, and peer reviewers.” Based on its ExplanAItions survey, the guidelines cover disclosure, confidentiality, image integrity, and reproducibility. Wiley’s Jay Flynn stated, “By partnering with the research community from the start, we’re ensuring these AI guidelines are grounded in the realities researchers navigate every day while continuing to protect the integrity of the scientific record.” Next, Bloomsbury founder and chief executive Nigel Newton shared that he believes AI will help beat writer’s block by allowing writers “to get started on some creative area where they might have hesitated to take the first step.” The creatives vehemently against AI in the arts are probably thinking, “Who asked?,” but Newton has a very good reason for being supportive of AI—the publisher recently “experienced a share rise of as much as 10% in a single day after it reported a 20% jump in revenue in its academic and professional division in the first half of its financial year, largely thanks to an AI licensing agreement.” Huh.

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The Rift Deepens Between Clarivate and EBSCO

Back in February, Clarivate announced that it would end perpetual access to digital collections by June 2026 and switch to a subscription-based model. This sparked some, let’s say, colorful responses from the library community. Even EBSCO took a shot, reaffirming its commitment to “diverse acquisition needs.” Fast-forward to today, and EBSCO is not backing down, sharing that it will “discontinue EBSCO eBooks participation in Clarivate’s OASIS and Rialto platforms as of June 30, 2026.” The full announcement includes FAQs for OASIS and Rialto users and EBSCO’s position “as supporting, cultivating, and enabling a thriving scholarly environment, one where libraries have confidence in the sustainability of their collections, and where publishers of every size can bring forward the scholarship that fuels progress in a sustainable way.”

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University Press Corner: Retirement and Cover Design Spotlight

In university press news, Douglas Armato will retire as director of University of Minnesota Press at the end of December 2025. After 27 years in the role, Armato stated, “It has been an incredible honor to lead the dedicated and creative staff of the University of Minnesota Press for over a quarter century and into this, our centennial year.” A nationwide search for a director will commence in fall 2026, while Susan Doerr, associate director, and Emily Hamilton, associate director for book publishing, will serve as co-interim directors. Next, Literary Hub shared “The 11 Best Book Covers of October,” shining a spotlight on Kimberly Glyder’s cover design for Artifact: Encounters with the Campus Shooting Archives by Julija Sukys from West Virginia University Press.

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