Hours ago, Harvard Provost Steven E. Hyman released the Report of the Task Force on University Libraries, charged "to examine our library system and make recommendations that would put it on a footing that could sustain and ideally enhance its excellence long into the future;" see our report below.

Earlier this week, OCLC Research released an "Academic Library Manifesto" [PDF], also looking toward the future of academic libraries. It even-handedly calls for more flexible user-centric services and increased library involvement in the research process, among other things. Still, the opening epigraph, adapted from pundit Clay Shirky, stretches to suggest academic libraries resemble the troubled newspaper industry: "When we shift our attention from 'save newspapers libraries' to 'save society scholarship', the imperative changes from 'preserve the current institutions' to 'do whatever works." Intriguing, yes, but see Barbara Fister's latest column on the gap between "doom-and-gloom" rhetoric and increased library usage. As always, enjoy the Newswire.—Josh Hadro, Editor, Academic Newswire