supporting research from the inside: the embedded librarian
TRANSCRIPT
Promotion and advocacyNew LIS Roles supporting
dissemination of research: a national and international perspective
Supporting research from the inside:
The Embedded Librarian
Nicolás Robinson-GarcíaUniversity of Granada
Spain
Content
Daniel Torres-Salinas, PhD
University of NavarreSpain
Why should librarians support research from the inside?
What could librarians be doing embedded in research groups?
How can librarians make a difference on research performance? Concluding remarks
2 h classes (including mentorship)
1 h answering emails
- 30 min deleting spam and retrieving mails that weren’t spam
- 30 min actually answering mails
30 min coffee break
30-60 min criticising the department head, dean or vice-chancellor
1 h teaching PhD students how to perform a research study
1 h dealing with the computer, fixing Windows error messages, etc.
1 h adapting the degree to the Bologna Process, adapting subjects to the ECTS credits
30 min doing paperwork in order to apply for funding for research
30 min doing research
Why should librarians support research from the inside?
From researchers’ point of view
Academic libraries are facing a dramatic situation…
From librarians’ point of view
From librarians’ point of view
… and we know it better than anyone else
Source: Research Information Network. Researchers’ use of academic libraries and their services. 2007
1. Good libraries help institutions recruit and retain top researchers
From librarians’ point of view
2. Libraries help researchers win research grants and contracts
3. Libraries promote and exploit new technologies and new models of scholarly communications
5. Outward-facing libraries contribute to institution-wide initiatives
6. Specialist staff work in partnership with academic departments
From librarians’ point of view
Embedded librarians and data curators are
the future!
Tomás Baiget (FESABID 2011)
What could librarians be doing embedded in research groups?
Focused on the userNOT focused on the library
Focused on their workspace
NOT focused on our workspace
Focused in small groupsNOT on all users
Specialised in a topicNOT generalists
They depend on the area of expertise
NOT on their library skills
They provide analysis and synthesis
NOT materials
In contextNOT out of context
Embedded librarian vs. Academic librarian
Data manageme
ntPublishing Dissemina
tionAssessmen
t Funding
I need some help with…
Researcher
reads collects writes publishes
Articles, manuals, patents…
DataResearch studies, reviews
Articles, manuals, patents…
Embedded
Librarian
provides, organizes
manages, preserves
prepares the output
disseminates
Improving research output
SCIENTIFIC CAREER ACADEMIC CAREER
An embedded librarian must…
Have the necessary skills to use any type of scientific database Control and keep up to date with new publishing tools Have deep knowledge of scientific communication
Know which are the institutions that evaluate scientific activity Know which is the criteria they follow Master the necessary tools that can ease and help to meet these criteria
… in order to…
Manage preprints, postprints and disseminate Recommend journals Recommend possible collaborators Channel communication with journal editors and reviewers and edit manuscripts
Assist researchers on when and how to apply for promotion Assist researchers on their career development in order to meet evaluation agencies criteria Prove researchers’ output quality when justifying their performance
Improving research careers
Gaining visibility
Data manageme
ntPublishing Dissemina
tionAssessmen
t Funding
What we have managed to do embedding with
researchers
Future challenges
Researchers don’t like to share their data− Each one has its own way of doing things− There is too much competition
Researchers just want to get published− Internet is not important for them− If there is no benefit, why do it?
Researchers don’t know we can help them− Proving our worth winning grants well make them listen to us
How can librarians make a difference on research performance? Concluding remarks
Measuring results
How can librarians make a difference on research performance? Concluding remarks
Measuring results
And not forgetting that the aim
is to improve this!
Embedded librarians are NOT research policy makers or advisors
Who pays for all this?
Some questions that need to be answered
Co-location
Co-funding
Co-managemen
t
Relations
Embededd librarian vs. Knowledge agents
Some questions that need to be answered
Sadly, it became obvious that many of the senior staff in the libraries saw their function as keepers and builders of collections, rather than providers of services focussed on their users’ needs
I eventually gave up trying to get Librarians to do the role, as I found that individuals with good degrees or doctorates often had better skills than those taught in UK library schools
Steve Thornton, Pandora’s Box - The Development of the Knowledge Agent Concept at Dstl (Knowledge Management, 2002)
Steve Thornton (informal conversation)
Promotion and advocacyNew LIS Roles supporting
dissemination of research: a national and international perspective
Thank you!Questions,
comments…
Promotion and advocacyNew LIS Roles supporting
dissemination of research: a national and international perspective
Nicolás Robinson-Garcí[email protected]
@nrobinsongarcia
Daniel [email protected]
@torressalinas