Ben Rawlins

The Library Research Round Table is pleased to announce the 2025 Jesse H. Shera Award for Distinguished Published Research:

Ben Rawlins
Associate Dean for Outreach, Engagement and Collections
William T. Young Library, University of Kentucky

"Are transformative agreements worth it? An analysis of open access publication data at the University of Kentucky." Library Resources & Technical Services 68, no. 1 (2024).

https://journals.ala.org/index.php/lrts/article/viewFile/8211/11446

Rachel E. Scott Editor, Library Resources & Technical Services, nominated the article, noting that it "investigates the costs and value of transformative agreements at the University of Kentucky and within the broader context of the Southeastern Conference and benchmark institutions. The study boasts clear methodology and reporting, rich data, and a deep exploration of whether transformative agreements from commercial publishers are worth their costs." The Shera jurors noted that the research problem is clearly stated, with a strong focus on evaluating the financial and strategic implications of these agreements. The methodology is well-executed, including comparative data from multiple institutions. OA publishing and database contracts are a timely and important issue for libraries. The researcher asked questions relevant to research universities and laid out a strong methodology for collecting and analyzing the data. The author gives very clear notes on how data was gathered and collated so another institution could replicate this focusing on their data vs peers.