Entire APS Journal Collection Licensed by Los Alamos "Library Without Walls"

By Ernie Tretkoff

The APS has agreed to license its entire collection of online journals to Los Alamos National Laboratory. This is the first time the APS has allowed any entity to host the entire collection, which includes Physical Review, Physical Review Letters, Reviews of Modern Physics and PROLA.

The move will allow Los Alamos to integrate APS journals into its Library Without Walls, an internationally recognized state-of-the-art, large-scale digital library. Through subscription authentication, library users will be able to access APS journals and other scientific publications all through one site.

Los Alamos was eager to add APS journals to its collection. "This agreement will provide a set of critical physics content that we can richly integrate into our information environment and services," said Rick Luce, Los Alamos Research Library Director. "In addition, it will provide a model mechanism for a standardized distribution of content."

As scientific journals continue to move away from print and towards digital distribution, supporting the large electronic archive becomes increasingly technically challenging. The new licensing agreement makes it possible for APS to work with skilled technical library experts at Los Alamos. "By moving deliberately with a leading technical partner, we hope that a product of maximum usefulness and longevity will be achieved," said Thomas McIlrath, treasurer and publisher of the APS.

APS and Los Alamos will use the Open Archive Initiative protocols to keep the Los Alamos copy synchronized with the APS original version.

Allowing Los Alamos to host APS journals also helps keeps APS journals visible and accessible to both current and new users, said Barbara Hicks, APS Associate Publisher.

"It is especially noteworthy to APS that Los Alamos will offer other libraries and institutions access to the collection through its integrated service." said McIlrath.