But are faculty members really embracing new models of scholarly communication? According to a report issued this week by the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), carried out by Ithaka, the answer appears to be yes.

The report, "Current Models of Digital Scholarly Communication," was conceptual­ized as a "field study," based on conversations, designed to "look squarely at new forms of scholarship and scholarly works and consider them in their own lights." While the approach was not "statistically" meaningful, it revealed a rich cross-section of what innovation in digital scholarly resources looks like today. Among the principal types of digital scholarly resources identified: e-only journals; reviews; preprints and working papers; encyclopedias; dictionaries and annotated content; blogs and discussion forums; and professional and scholarly hubs.