(26 Apr 2026) All 22 members of the advisory board that oversees the US National Science Foundation (NSF), a leading funder of fundamental science, were fired on 24 April without explanation. Every member of the NSF’s National Science Board (NSB) received an e-mail on Friday afternoon saying that “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump”, their positions…
(23 Feb 2026) Thousands of early modern Japanese books and manuscripts from the libraries of UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco are being digitized to create a resource that will be accessible to scholars around the world. The digital archive, which could ultimately be the largest of its kind outside of Japan, will encompass…
(12 Feb 2026) During recent decades, universities have faced increasing pressure to demonstrate their value and impact by contributing to real-world problem-solving and meeting broader societal needs. The reasons for this increased pressure are complex and numerous—reflecting socio-economic and socio-political considerations, globalization and intensifying competition, and growing demands for accountability and demonstrable public value. At…
(9 Feb 2026) The surprise announcement appeared on the CIA website on 4 February 2026 as “Spotlighting the World Factbook as We Bid a Fond Farewell” The announcement continued: “One of the CIA’s oldest and most recognizable Intelligence publications, The World Factbook, has sunset”. The Factbook began in 1962 as an internal document intended…
By Ruth A Pagell* (2 Dec 2025) The U.S. government’s shutdown during October and November resulted in similar topics for the October and Novembers webinars. The presenters for these two webinars updated the September presentation, focused on Trump’s “Compact for Excellence in Higher Education”, and covered questions from participants based on pervious discussions. The…
(27 Nov 2025) A new Trump administration plan to expand the use of artificial intelligence in US science could greatly boost research productivity. But according to analysts, it also highlights a need for more global cooperation in AI development. The Genesis Mission announced by the White House on November 24 aims to turn much of…
By Ruth A Pagell (31 Oct 2025) The two issues addressed in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s September webinar were international students and academic freedom. Both topics continue to be in the higher education news, and both topics are covered in Ruth’s Rankings. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS: Fees paid by international students are important to many…
(11 Aug 2025) Boston Public Library, one of the oldest and largest public library systems in the country, is launching a project this summer with OpenAI and Harvard Law School to make its trove of historically significant government documents more accessible to the public. The documents date back to the early 1800s and include oral…
(25 Aug 2025) I apologize for being so far behind on my current Ruth’s Rankings article on Impact, but every morning’s news brings more discouraging postings from my government on its involvement in education and research. It makes rankings seem trivial and it makes my colleagues and I feel helpless. By the time I finished…
(24 Jul 2025) The Internet Archive has been designated a federal depository library by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, in recognition of its digital-first approach to providing public access to federal government publications. The designation was confirmed in a letter to the U.S. Government Publishing Office. The Archive holds both physical and digital collections and is…