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The role of libraries in supporting research

Discover the impact of libraries in research support through themes like digitization, access to resources, and future roles for librarians. Explore key issues and challenges faced by researchers and librarians in utilizing library resources effectively.

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The role of libraries in supporting research

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  1. The role of libraries in supporting research Alma Swan Key Perspectives Ltd Truro, UK M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries General Meeting, London, 24 January 2008

  2. Researchers and Libraries study for the Research Information Network • http://www.rin.ac.uk/researchers-use-libraries • Snapshot of the situation at T0 • Views and expectations aboutT1 • On occasions, a look back Key Perspectives Ltd

  3. Methodology • Online surveys: • researchers: 2250+ • librarians: 300+ • Telephone interviews: 30 • researchers • librarians • library educators • information specialists • Focus groups: • librarians: 4 • researchers: 6 Key Perspectives Ltd

  4. Themes • Digitisation • The library as a place • Use of resources • Finding of resources • Way work is done • Access • Roles and responsibilities • Communication Key Perspectives Ltd

  5. Weekly visits to the library Key Perspectives Ltd

  6. Why go at all? • Access print resources • Order inter-library loans • Talk to a subject librarian • The library as a laboratory Key Perspectives Ltd

  7. Key issues relating to the library space • Opening hours • Browsing • Quiet study • The library is now ‘an undergraduate space’ Key Perspectives Ltd

  8. Digital information • Information wants to be digital • e-journals • e-books • e-datasets • Digital archival collections • Digital finding aids Key Perspectives Ltd

  9. Do they find what they want? • Not at all expert: • Use what they’ve always used • Use Google – a lot • ‘Good enough’ tendency • Contrary: ask for FT d/bs and then say WoS is enough • Easily deterred: • Remote holdings • Locally held microform, microfilm • Locally-held print Key Perspectives Ltd

  10. Roles and responsibilities • Custodian of information • Manager of institutional repositories • Administrator of information purchasing and delivery services • Subject information expert • Teacher of information literacy skills • Manager of data • Technology specialist Key Perspectives Ltd

  11. Future roles for librarians:researchers’ views Key Perspectives Ltd

  12. The new kids on the block • Interdisciplinary research • Big science / e-research • Medium-to-small science / research pools • VREs • Data • Metrics • Demands: • New and different resources • New ways to assess and plan for needs • Awareness that these researchers may not know themselves what they need or should consult Key Perspectives Ltd

  13. Big research, different research • Interdisciplinary research • e-research • Semantic technologies bringing new ways to do research • Implications for library services • Not just infrastructural, but cultural too • Cornell’s VIVO Key Perspectives Ltd

  14. Research data • What are libraries to do about this? • Watch out for more funder mandates • Growing importance as outputs in themselves • Big data are safe (ish) • But we should be worrying about small data (who need carers) • Data are only (going to be) really important if they are re-usable Key Perspectives Ltd

  15. Metrics • The RAE is fanning the flames now in the UK (and the RQF in Australia) • Can only produce a range of really good metrics on an open corpus • What metrics do YOU want to see? • Can you help by producing the raw material? Key Perspectives Ltd

  16. Driving the OA agenda • Boldness please! • Promotion via the library website • Information on how funder payments are working and how you administer them (if you do) • Monitor publisher responses to upfront payments • And what is happening with e-books? Key Perspectives Ltd

  17. Open access • Librarian awareness is high • Researcher awareness is low Key Perspectives Ltd

  18. OA education tools Key Perspectives Ltd

  19. Institutional repositories • Maximise the visibility of research outputs • Maximise the impact of an institution • Collect and curate ALL the research output • Showcase the institution’s work • Will form the data layer of the future • i2010 Vision • Single Information Space • Provide the locus for measurement, assessment and management (in association with information in the institution’s CRIS) Key Perspectives Ltd

  20. Search / retrieve Other value adding Aggregate / display Editorial Count / assess Peer review REPOSITORIES and other open content Ingest layer services Key Perspectives Ltd

  21. The U.Southampton conundrum… The G-Factor (universitymetrics.com) Key Perspectives Ltd

  22. Key Perspectives Ltd

  23. Future roles in supporting research, then… • Custodianship of archival collections • Subject expertise • Training in information literacy • Technical expertise • Metadata expertise • Management of the institutional outputs • Strategic role in institutional profiling and publishing Key Perspectives Ltd

  24. Channels, communications Institutional management Researchers Research managers / funders LIBRARY Key Perspectives Ltd

  25. Thank you for listening aswan@keyperspectives.co.uk www.keyperspectives.co.uk www.keyperspectives.com Key Perspectives Ltd

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