Help shape scholarly access

An effort intended to serve research needs to be shaped by the communities that make research possible. We invite self-nominations and nominations of colleagues for the Steering Committee of Advancing Federated Identity for Library E-Resources, the cross-sector initiative convened by SeamlessAccess.

The deadline is 27 November.

As outlined in our launch announcement, the initiative will investigate barriers to federated access and develop practical, community-supported recommendations. Its purpose is to help researchers reliably reach the scholarly resources their institutions provide, while respecting privacy and the requirements of the organizations supporting that access.

Representation by design

The committee’s composition places libraries and their institutions at the center of this work. Its nine voting seats comprise:

• Three academic library or library consortium representatives
• Two institutional identity and access management (IAM) representatives
• Two publisher or service provider representatives
• Two federation or national research and education network (NREN) representatives

Two additional non-voting liaisons will connect the committee with relevant community expertise.

Together, library and institutional IAM representatives hold a majority of voting seats. Publishers, providers, and federation operators bring complementary experience essential to developing recommendations that can work across the full access journey.

Equitable participation also requires attention to whose experience is missing. Selection will consider geographic diversity, institution types, and perspectives alongside relevant expertise. We encourage nominations that broaden the initiative’s reach beyond established networks.

Open participation, clear responsibilities

The public charter and accompanying Steering Committee Terms of Reference set out the committee’s responsibilities, composition, and selection criteria. Candidates will be assessed against those criteria by the initiative’s founding group, drawn from SeamlessAccess, Internet2, NISO, and SNSI leadership. Relevant organizational and commercial interests must be disclosed; funding does not confer a seat.

The committee will guide priorities, review findings, and determine progression between phases. Discovery comes first: evidence gathered across communities will shape the recommendations. Regular public updates and opportunities for input will support transparency and accountability throughout the work.

Members should expect approximately one monthly meeting plus preparation and review. Those who are not seated will have opportunities to contribute through Discovery or later phases.

Nominate yourself or a colleague

We seek people who can bring their community’s experience while working toward the shared interests of research.

Read the project charter and Steering Committee Terms of Reference, then submit a nomination. The deadline is 27 November.

Dependable scholarly access is a shared responsibility. Help shape how we deliver it.