researchers and academic libraries alma swan key perspectives ltd truro, uk quebec universities...
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Researchers and academic libraries
Alma SwanKey Perspectives LtdTruro, UK
Quebec universities libraries sub-committee conference, Quebec, 9 May 2008
“Researchers and Libraries study”
for the Research Information Network
(RIN),London
http://www.rin.ac.uk/researchers-use-libraries
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Examine the current situation
Record views and expectations
about foreseeable future
On occasions, take a look back
The overall approach
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Methodology
Online surveys: researchers: 2250+ librarians: 300+
Telephone interviews: 30 researchers librarians library educators information specialists
Focus groups: librarians: 4 researchers: 6
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Themes
Digitisation The library as a place Use of resources Finding of resources Way work is done Access
Roles and responsibilities Communication
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A sense of place
Is the library a real place at all anymore?
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Weekly visits to the library
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2001 2006 2011
% r
esp
on
de
nts
Overall
Arts & Humanities
Social Sciences
Physical Sciences
Life Sciences
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Why go at all?
To access print resources
To order inter-library loan material
To talk to a subject librarian
To use the library as a laboratory
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Key issues relating to the library space
Opening hours Browsing Quiet study The library is now ‘an
undergraduate space’
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Roaming
Reading rights: 47% Exercise borrowing rights: 30% SCONUL Research Extra: 11%
Considered a major advance in providing access
Those as yet unaware are very interested
N.B. Those working away from their home institution are increasing
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Print content
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Usefulness of print resources
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Current issues of journals
Back issues of journals
Books
Reference-only items
Archives
Short loan
Special collections
Non peer reviewed items
Arts & Humanities
Social Sciences
PhysicalSciences
Life Sciences
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Digital information
Information wants to be digital
e-journals e-books e-datasets Digital archival collections Digital finding aids
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Digital finding aids
0
20
40
60
80Library catalogues
Cross-institutional catalogues
General A&I databases
Library web site/general portalSubject-specific portals
Subject-specific A&I d/b
Citation databases Arts & Humanities
Social Science
Physical Science
Life Science
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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 full-text databases and then say Web of Science is enough
Easily deterred: Remote holdings Locally held microform, microfilm Locally-held print
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Seeking an article
Electronic full-text locally Google for an easily located version e-mail a friend in another institution e-mail author Inter-Library Loan Subject librarian Level of need versus effort
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Accessing digital information
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Most commonroute
Second mostcommon route
From myoffice/laboratoryFrom home
On the move
From the librarybuilding
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Inter-library lending
Static or declining Decline particularly marked for
journal articles Decline gradual for conference
papers More or less static for books,
theses, audio-visual materials Becoming more challenging to fulfil Increasingly associated with rise of
interdisciplinary research?
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Open access
Librarian awareness is high
Researcher awareness is low
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Veryfamliar
Not at allfamiliar
A&H
Social sci
Physical sci
Life sci
Librarydirectors
Otherlibrarians
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OA education tools
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Discussion with library staff
Resource discovery tools on librarywebsite
Seminars or lectures on OA
Display of promotional material
Promotion of repository
None of these
Librarians
Researchers
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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)
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Does your institution have a repository?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Yes
No
Don't know
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Copyright
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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Proactive advice about establishingcopyright for my own work
Advice about establishing copyright formy own work when specifically asked
An appropriate model agreement
Proactive advice about using workprotected by copyright
Advice about using work protected bycopyright when specifically asked
Librarians: 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
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Future roles for librarians:researchers’ views
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90C
usto
dian
Man
age
IRs
Adm
inis
trat
or
Sub
ject
expe
rt
Tea
ch in
fosk
ills
Man
age
data
sets
Tec
hsp
ecia
list
Arts &humanities
Socialsciences
Physicalsciences
Life sciences
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Future roles for librarians:all groups’ views
0
20
40
60
80
100Teacher of information literacy
Subject expert (library)
Subject expert (embedded)
Administrator
IR manager
Custodian archives, speccollections
Manager of e-science/grid datasetsFacilitator for e-learning
Technology specialist (VREs)
Tech spec't (e-access)
Metatdata manager
IT support expert
Copyright/IPR advisor
Library directors Library staff Researchers
The way they are working
Interdisciplinary research Big science / e-research Medium-to-small science / research pools Virtual Research Environments 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
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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
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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 really important if they
are re-usable
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Metrics
The RAE is fanning the flames now in the UK (and the REF 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?
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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
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Channels, communications
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Researchers
Research managers /
fundersLIBRARY
Institutional management
