Since the early 2000s, scholarly communication stakeholders have been exploring the potential of XML-first production workflows to streamline digital publishing and improve metadata management across the research ecosystem. If we were to travel "back to the future," what would we find in terms of how far we've come in implementing XML-based or similar digital-first production approaches? What past predictions could we still learn from today? And where are we headed? This panel-style session will bring together scholarly publishing stakeholders to address these questions and more. The discussion will focus on: • What the state of digital-first production is, including how it compares to early projections and opportunities and challenges moving forward. • Why digital-first or single-source production is critical to realizing more rapid research dissemination and consistent, rich metadata — both key to solving global challenges. • How to create a culture of innovation to support the development of digitally-driven production workflows. || Learning Level: Applied || Speakers: Bill Kasdorf; Brian Cody; Randy Townsend; Charles O'Connor

The world of journal publishing is grappling with a sustainability crisis, and much like Big Agriculture's farming methods, corporate publisher practices are testing consumers' trust. Concerns have been mounting about for-profit publishers extracting resources from the academy, especially in light of the Open Access movement, as increasing publishing fees threaten a "pay-to-play" future. At the same time, some corporate publishers have removed guaranteed revenues from society contracts, seeking profits without assuming risk. These factors could lead to further inequities in publishing and funding droughts. What steps are needed to course correct? Similar to the locally sourced/owned farming movement, some argue moving to academy-led publishing models could result in more sustainable business practices. This panel will dig into: How more independent society publishing could promote efficient practices and funnel resources into the academy, Pros, and cons of corporate publishing economies of scale, and Organizational and technical opportunities and challenges when publishing in-house.