Volume 3, Issue 8
Alien Plants by Clive A. Stace and Malcolm J. Crawley
reviewed by Brian Thompson

Alien Plants is a recent addition to the New Naturalist Library, an ongoing series about natural history in the British Isles. It is also a new addition to the Miller Library. While intended for a general reader, these books provide excellent overviews of the latest scholarly research, especially in the UK.

Why are these of interest to scholars in the Pacific Northwest?  While the flora and fauna are mostly different, many of the practices of research, management, and instruction are relevant anywhere. These books are also fascinating for their difference of perspective.

For example, in Alien Plants, invasives are divided into those known prior to 1500, and the “neophytes” that came later. Some of our natives have become their invasives, and I was surprised to learn that “English” laurel was introduced to the British Isles and escaped into the wild there about 250 years ago.

Bogus conference invitations: beware!
researched by Laura Blumhagen

Most scholars are well aware of predatory publishers, who may solicit manuscripts on a wide range of academic topics, offering suspiciously instant "peer review" and hassle-free online publication to authors for money. The bogus conference phenomenon is a parallel trend. Scammers posing as conference organizers, sometimes associated with hard-to-trace publishing firms, prey on scholars seeking an international audience for their work. Sometimes these conferences are cancelled at the last minute, when participation fees have been collected on a no-refunds basis. In other cases the conference does happen but isn’t as advertised; there may be a lack of focus or last-minute changes in the venue or speakers.

At times it is easy to distinguish legitimate conference announcements from questionable ones. Few of us would fall for a scam perpetrated by Scientific Federation: Abode for Researchers, whose website sports the tagline “Created by professionally for scientists” [sic]. But what about an organization that may be new or small, such as the International School Grounds Alliance? How can we tell whether a conference is legitimate when the sponsoring organization is unfamiliar? An International Conference on Ecology, Ecosystems and Climate Change in Athens, Greece might sound impressive, but what is the Athens Institute for Education and Research, exactly?

James McCrostie, an associate professor and journalist working in Japan, has drafted criteria to review before registering for any academic conference. Read McCrostie’s thoughts via the Scholarly Open Access blog maintained by Jeffrey Beall at the University of Colorado. One nugget of wisdom: before you affiliate your work with an unfamiliar organization, ask respected colleagues in your field about their experiences and recommendations.

David Fishman exhibit opens August 3, with a reception August 4

Visit the library to see David Fishman's original photography August 3 through 30. David's work is focused on unusual plants and garden scenes, highlighting the bright colors and striking patterns found in plants. The element of surprise is important in his photographs, and (as in the garden) those who look closer discover more.

Please join the artist for a reception on Thursday, August 4th from 5 to 7 pm.

New to the Library