SCOAP³ Governing Council meeting May 26^th 2014

The SCOAP³ Governing Council held its first meeting in the first year of operation at CERN on May 26th 2014, with attendance by 25 delegates out of the 29 seats attributed so far. Excerpts from the meetings are available. The meeting heard reports on the first months of the SCOAP³ operations and in particular:

• 29 Memoranda of Understanding signed, with participation of over 2’000 libraries in 35 countries;
• Positive conversations and outlook in a dozen more countries;
• 2000+ libraries have received or will be receiving refunds/credits from Elsevier, Springer and IOP;
• No subscriptions are due in 2014, irrespective of the libraries’ participation to SCOAP3;
• By the date of the meeting 1’700 articles were already published, with authors from 80 countries;
• The Executive Committee oversaw the start of operation and prepared the Governing Council meeting;
• The Repository Strategy and Support Working Group assisted the release of the repository and a development plan;
• The Outreach Working Group set out a communication plan and a series of news to release;
• The Procedure Committee prepared the Governing Council rules of procedure;

Among others, the following decisions were taken by unanimous accord:

• Approve the Governing Council rules of Procedure;
• Add a seat for the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research as an international organization contributing to SCOAP³
• Appoint two more members to the SCOAP³ Executive Committee and a Governing Council Deputy Chairperson;
• Organise the first SCOAP³ Forum at the end of 2014, and consider regional fora;
• Prepare for the establishment of an Audit Committee and a Sustainability Working Group as of end 2014;
• Adjourn for a next session at the end of 2014.