E-Newsletter
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Latest News
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Faculty Can Request Library Delivery in BruKnow!
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The Library is pleased to announce that Brown faculty members can now request delivery of physical library materials to a campus address from within BruKnow, the online library catalog.
This new enhancement to library services will make it easier for busy faculty members to access the Library’s extensive circulating collection materials without taking time to visit a campus library location.
While the Library has offered campus delivery upon request in the past, the new streamlined request process in BruKnow makes requesting more visible, accessible, and efficient.
How to request campus mail delivery:
- Locate the item in BruKnow.
- Click “Request Item.”
- Select “Faculty Office Address” from the dropdown menu under “Pickup Location.”
The Library’s Access Services team will pull the items, check them out to your account, securely package them, and send them via interoffice mail to your campus office address currently on file in the library system. You’ll receive a confirmation email when the materials have shipped. Because campus mail delivery times vary, you can expect to receive the package a few business days after you submit the request in BruKnow.
Please note:
- Materials can only be sent to Brown campus addresses.
- Delivery will default to the campus address on file in your library account. To verify or change your address, log into My Library Account.
- Picking up items in person at a library location is the fastest way to receive materials.
Questions? Contact us at rock@brown.edu.
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Library Stats Quest Week – Fall 2025
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Please tell your Brown University Library about your on-site experience during the week of November 10 to 16, 2025 — Library Stats Quest Week!
Did you know that nearly 20,000 users visit the libraries in-person every week?
We want to know if the experiences you’re having are meeting your needs. After each visit this week to a library location — Rockefeller, Sciences, Orwig Music, John Hay Library, and Champlin Medical Library — please take a few seconds to answer a very brief survey about your experience. Your input will help us better understand why you use the Library and how we can improve our services.
We’ll also be taking a closer look at how people are using the spaces within the libraries. Library staff will do periodic headcounts in various types of spaces throughout the week.
We strive to make every visit for every patron one in which you feel welcome, respected, and supported. This is your Library. You belong here. Your feedback is essential.
Thank you!
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Journal-Related Challenges Related to Compliance with New NIH Public Access Policy
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On July 1st, 2025, the new NIH Public Access Policy went into effect. This policy requires author-accepted manuscripts resulting from active NIH awards to be deposited in PubMed Central (PMC) without embargo by the official date of publication.
Since July, some publishers have asked authors to sign publication agreements requiring a 12-month embargo, which conflicts with the NIH policy. In addition, these publishers have informed NIH-funded authors that the only pathway to compliance is to select an open access pathway and pay the associated article processing charge (APC).
While the NIH policy does allow for publication costs to be included in a grant, as either direct or indirect costs, some authors with active awards may not have budgeted for publication fees. If their manuscripts were accepted after July 1st, they must comply with the new policy, but may not have funds available to pay APCs.
In such cases, the Library recommends authors consider these options:
- Reason with the journal publisher. Explain the conflict with the NIH Public Access Policy and request they drop the 12 month embargo from the publication agreement.
- Withdraw the manuscript and resubmit to a journal meeting one of the following criteria:
- Journals that do not require embargoes, such as BMJ.
- Journals on PMC Journal List that currently deposit all their articles into PMC without embargo. Be sure to review the specific journal record to confirm that the Release Delay is 0 months (Immediate Release) and the Agreement Status is Active.
- Journals that have agreements with Brown to waive open-access fees for our researchers.
- Open-access journals that have no fees or may charge comparatively low publication fees, such as society journals with discounts for members.
For more information:
- View HBLS librarian Andrew Creamer’s recent workshop on journal article publishing pathways to comply with this new policy (VPN required for off-campus access).
- Visit the Authors Alliance NIH Public Access Policy FAQ.
- Email HealthSciLibrarians@brown.edu with any further questions.