What is arXiv?
Started in August 1991 by Paul Ginsparg, arXiv.org is internationally acknowledged as a pioneering digital archive and open access distribution service for research articles. The e-print repository has transformed the scholarly communication and knowledge dissemination of multiple fields of physics and plays an increasingly prominent role in mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance, and statistics, recently adding electrical engineering and systems science (eess) and economics (econ) as new subject domains. arXiv is truly a global resource, with almost 90% of supporting funds coming from sources other than Cornell and 70% of institutional use coming from countries other than the USA.
What’s happening?
In January 2019, the administrative and operational responsibilities for the IT infrastructure and user support collaboration for arXiv is moving from Cornell University Library (CUL) to Cornell Computing and Information Science (CIS). Cornell has hosted arXiv since 2001 when its founder, Paul Ginsparg, left the Los Alamos National Laboratory and joined the Cornell faculty in the Physics and Information Science departments. Running the service has always involved a collaboration with CIS as Professor Ginsparg and other CIS faculty lead R&D efforts through several NSF grants and other funding sources, and contribute to the development of moderation policies. This transition is a natural stage in the evolution of arXiv, required for optimum service delivery and infrastructure sustainability.
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Reporting lines will be affected by this change but staffing levels will not. Starting in January 2019, CIS will hold the overall administrative and financial responsibility for arXiv's operation and development, with continuing guidance from its Member Advisory Board (MAB) and its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The arXiv team will maintain the same configuration and will continue to run arXiv's technical infrastructure, oversee the moderation and user support functions, lead development and implementation of policies and procedures, and establish and maintain collaborations with related initiatives to improve services for the scientific community through interoperability and tool-sharing. Instead of reporting to the University Librarian, the arXiv Program Director will report to the Dean of CIS, as she continues to collaborate with the Scientific Director to oversee the operation. Add link to See 2019 org chart
What will be the role of CUL in the new stewardship model?
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The engagement of member libraries in the arXiv’s governance is essential and the move will not have any impact on the strong alliance we’ve build with our library partners. The financial support from libraries and research laboratories will continue to be an important component of arXiv’s business model. In addition to generating revenues to support the operation, it helps us be eligible for the $300,000 per year matching funds from the Simons Foundation. The arXiv membership system is instrumental in leveraging the expertise and commitment of librarians in arXiv’s oversight as it provides an essential public infrastructure in support of open science. Member libraries will continue to participate in the arXiv’s governance through the Member Advisory Board, which provides input for project prioritization, new service offerings, financial planning, use of discretionary funds, future technical developments, and policy decisions. See: 2018-2011 Sustainability PlanPlan.