SAGE announces winner of 2014 ALPSP Travel grant

London, UK - SAGE today announced the recipient of the annual ALPSP International Travel Grant as Meagan Redmond, Academic Liaison Librarian, London Metropolitan University.

The ALPSP International Travel Grant is an award offered by SAGE and ALPSP every year to a librarian or information professional, with the aim of enabling access to key industry discussions on the challenges faced by the librarian and information community. As the research landscape continues to develop, the value and importance of engaged discussions between each stakeholder group has never been more underscored.

Taking part in a survey to explore the challenges and issues faced by librarians in their current roles, Megan was chosen by the SAGE judging panel for her in-depth insight and creative responses in how to help address these issues.

Clive Parry, Global Marketing Director, SAGE commented:

“We saw in Megan’s responses a fresh and pointed examination of the well known challenges currently facing librarians. In a continually changing environment, open discussion between publishers and librarians to address these issues is vitally important. The ALPSP International Conference is a pivotal platform for this, enabling all stakeholder groups to share ideas and learn from each other. We’re delighted to be able to facilitate such dialogue with this travel grant, and to support Megan in attending.”

Welcoming the announcement, Audrey McCulloch, Chief Executive, ALPSP said:

“Librarians are one of the key stakeholders who continue to face increasing pressure on their roles and resources, but whose voice is not always heard in the open access conversation. Publishers have much to learn from open dialogue with them. We are delighted SAGE continues to help facilitate this dialogue through the ALPSP Travel Grant, and we look forward to warmly welcoming Megan Redmond to the conference in September.”

In response to the announcement, Megan Redmond remarked:

“It is crucial for librarians to keep abreast of developments in publishing in order to prepare our services for change. In return, librarians have ideas and information to offer regarding reader preferences, budget constraints and academic trends. Attendances at conferences such as ALPSP are a big part of helping these conversations, thank you SAGE! News of the travel grant to enable me to do this was a lovely surprise. I look forward to attending the conference in September and meeting people in the publishing industry. “

The ALPSP International Conference takes place this year at the Park Inn Hotel & Conference Centre, London Heathrow,  between the 10th and 12th  September 2014. Further details on this year’s conference can be found here

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The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) is the international membership trade body which works to support and represent not-for-profit organisations and institutions that publish scholarly and professional content around the world.  Its membership also encompasses those that partner with and provide services to not-for-profit publishers.  ALPSP has over 320 members in 40 countries, who collectively publish over half the world’s total active journals as well books, databases and other products. www.alpsp.org