Engaging the Research Community through Collaborative Collection Management

1. Engaging the Research Community through Collaborative Collection Management WESLINE/IGRS Colloquium 12 September 2007 Sally Curry, RIN/CURL CCM Programme Adviser Engaging the Research Community

2. Key points • Introduction, RIN, CURL and CCM • Challenges for research libraries • Some CCM solutions • Researchers’ use of Libraries • Communication with academics and researchers • CCM as a vehicle for meaningful dialogue Engaging the Research Community

3. CURL RIN Focus • CURL: to increase the ability of research libraries to share resources for the benefit of the local, national and international research community • RIN: to enhance the UK research information infrastructure CCM: to support collaboration between libraries Engaging the Research Community

4. RIN CURL CCM Programme Supporting collaboration between libraries • Raising the profile of CCM with relevant stakeholders • Supporting the concept of the UK Distributed Research Collection • Providing readily accessible information about collaborative working and current and previous CCM activities through the CoCoMan website • Creating a simple UK framework for CCM activities without unnecessary bureaucracy Engaging the Research Community

5. Challenges for libraries • Lack of space • Institutional focus on undergraduate needs • Budgets static and less than they were in relative terms • Reductions in numbers of specialist staff • Lack of active support for the library at top institutional level or from researchers Engaging the Research Community

6. Solutions through Collaboration • Selection and Purchase: detailed knowledge of what is available elsewhere allows informed decision making – possible consortial purchases • Inter-library stock transfers: builds collections and protects the UK research resource • Resource discovery through subject gateways, collection description, serials holdings • Storage: UKRR is making de-selection easier and helps with the reuse of space for ‘learning’ • Shared digitisation and retroconversion projects Engaging the Research Community

7. Issues for research support • Many libraries are torn between best provision for undergraduates and for researchers • Institutional focus currently on facilities for undergraduates • Alienation of researchers from the library, reduction in both time and opportunities for staff to engage with researchers Engaging the Research Community

8. Researchers and Libraries • RIN: Collaborative Collection Management: Research Use and Practice Survey (CoCoRUPS) - Dr Elizabeth Salter Engaging the Research Community

9. CoCoRUPSStudy • Importance of browsing for humanities research process • Reactions to centralised storage almost entirely negative - accessibility highly important • Issues over the concept of ‘low-use’ • A lack of opportunity for research active library users to discuss their use of collections Engaging the Research Community

10. Researchers and Libraries • RIN/CURL: Researchers’ use of Libraries Study Engaging the Research Community

11. Researchers’ use of Libraries: Visits The percentage of researchers who visit their library at least once per week and predicted percentage for 2011 Engaging the Research Community

12. Researchers’ use of Libraries: Findings • Provision of increased desk-top resources has led to reduced visits to the library and little recognition by users of the role of libraries in providing this service • Increase in group learning spaces equals more noise and further discourages researchers’ use of the library • The Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences users (the greatest users of traditional library services) - want to be able to browse in their local library not have to order items from a local store or through ILL Engaging the Research Community

13. Researchers’ use of Libraries: Liaison Engaging the Research Community

14. Researchers’ Use of Libraries: Communication • Most librarians find it relatively easy to liaise with researchers … however typical comments from interviews and focus groups were: • Researcher: ‘I rarely see my subject librarian unless I go to the library to find them’ • Librarian: ‘We always have to go to them.’ ‘For them, talking to librarians doesn’t seem to be an obvious connection to make’ Engaging the Research Community

15. Researchers’ Use of Libraries: Conclusion “There are some significant differences between researchers’ and librarians’ views as to the future role of libraries in supporting research, and there is a need for dialogue between them to ensure that library services and expertise are developed and deployed in the most effective way.” Researchers’ Use of Academic Libraries and their Services Engaging the Research Community

16. Collaboration with researchers CoCoREES and CoFoR • Involvement of principal academic association • BASEES were project consultants and had major role in the research mapping exercise to profile academic research in each partner institution • Desiderata List - all partners asked to consult internal academic opinion on • a prioritised list of up to five products for potential consortial purchase • Principles of cost sharing and sharing of access Engaging the Research Community

17. CoFoR communication “The early and continuing involvement of relevant scholarly associations, such as BASEES, not only lends academic credibility to a CCM scheme but also offer opportunities for dialogue with researchers and cooperation over data collection” THE CURL-CoFoR PROJECT, Final Report of the Project Management Team Engaging the Research Community

18. CCM - Engaging the research community • Academic staff more aware of issues around collection management leading to stock protection and support in some cases and a more considered approach to our older stock and its possible disposal or transfer Engaging the Research Community

19. CCM - Engaging the research community “Discussions with academic researchers about retention and ongoing development of parts of the REES research collection gave us an opportunity to • raise broad issues of collection development and management in a positive way (as opposed to the more usual negative drivers of space shortages and constrained budgets) • encouraged the School to designate adequate library funds for REES from within their allocation” Engaging the Research Community

20. Engaging the research community By involving of the research community with these issues, CCM can be a vehicle to: • raise interest and awareness of library issues amongst the academic community • raise the status of specific research collections • help to secure funding for the collections • Identify the collection as a priority for opportunities such as digitisation projects Engaging the Research Community

21. … and finally • Google/Oxford Digitisation project – CCM on an international scale • … and not a monolingual endeavour • Oxford Digitisation project - not just books everything that is print based, journals Parliamentary publications, grey literature • much of the material is multilingual with a high proportion of works in French, German, Italian and Spanish Engaging the Research Community

22. Google Book Search • GBS is the means of access • GBS is intended to meet the needs of the general user rather than the scholar / researcher • but - not an easily usable tool • This underlines the importance of ease of access • Access through OULS catalogue – coming shortly Engaging the Research Community

23. Now available through Google Book Search: Los seys libros de la Galatea Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Published: 1618 Original from Oxford University You can download – or go and see the original Engaging the Research Community

24. Useful URLs • RIN/CURL Report: Researchers’ Use of Academic Libraries and their Services: http://www.rin.ac.uk/researchers-use-libraries • CoCoRUPS: Report will be available shortly on the RIN website • CoCoMan: CCM website to be announced within the next month • Google Books: http://books.google.com/ Engaging the Research Community

25. Contact details Sally Curry • Tel: 0191 222 8655 •  or: 020 7412 7737 • Mob: 079 200 28471 • Fax: 0191 222 6235 • sally.curry@rin.ac.uk Engaging the Research Community