Blog from June, 2017

Earlier today we released the first beta of a new moderation interface to support arXiv's volunteer moderators. Driven by Cycle.js and backed by a RESTful API, the new interface centralizes the actions that moderators can make on a submission to a single view, reducing clicks and navigation time. We're excited for them to try it and thank them for their continued contributions to arXiv!

We're pleased to announce that Erick Peirson has joined the arXiv team at Cornell University Library. As Lead System Architect, Erick will work with the arXiv development team to evolve the current system to become the next generation of arXiv.org (i.e., “arXiv-NG”) - the flagship preprint service for open access in the sciences. Erick brings a deep understanding of the technical and social aspects of building distributed scholarly infrastructure. He has a PhD from Arizona State University (ASU) where he was a founding member of the Digital Innovation Group that explores the intersections of science and society in the digital age. In his previous position at the Center for Bio-Social Complexity, Erick was a research associate focusing on design and development of digital infrastructures and applications for computational humanities. With his scientific and interdisciplinary background, Erick is a great addition to the arXiv team. From the IT perspective, Erick brings extensive experience in modular software development, responsive front-end frameworks, and cloud-based services.

Please welcome Erick to the arXiv community!

arXiv team is proud to be the recipient of the 2017 Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics (PAM) Division Award from the Special Libraries Association. The Award is given annually for a significant contribution to the literature of physics, mathematics or astronomy, or to honor work that demonstrably improves the exchange of information in those fields. We’d like to dedicate this award to 210 member libraries from all around the world for recognizing arXiv’s importance and significance for their scientists through their contributions to the service’s sustainability. In its essence, arXiv, which is 25 years old now, remains unchanged and still excels in its basic principles, which is providing a trusted and open platform where scientists can rapidly share their research with colleagues.  The arXiv sustainability model aims to diversify revenue models and ensure that arXiv sets an example of a transparent and reliable community-supported service through its governance model.  We are grateful for the library community’s engagement and recognition. We greatly appreciate the contributions of the Scientific Advisory Board, Member Advisory Board, and 140+ moderators to the service's success.  Press Release: https://www.library.cornell.edu/about/news/storiesnews/arxiv

Looking back at arXiv's 25 years (and forward to Open Repositories, next week!), I read through all the old arXiv news on the arXiv.org website, as well as Paul Ginsparg's recent "Preprint Déjà Vu: an FAQ," and put together this timeline (PDF). It's really interesting to note the start up of additional subject area services at other institutions (and their later consolidation to LANL), the addition of new subject areas, the start up and decommissioning of mirrors, and a lot of other arXiv milestones. It's an idiosyncratic summary, but it was fun to put together. Enjoy.