Engaging the Research Community Engaging the Research Community through Collaborative Collection Management WESLINE/IGRS Colloquium 12 September 2007 Sally.

Engaging the Research Community

Engaging the Research Community through

Collaborative Collection Management

WESLINE/IGRS Colloquium 12 September 2007

Sally Curry, RIN/CURL CCM Programme Adviser


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


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


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


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


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


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


Researchers and Libraries

RIN: Collaborative Collection Management: Research Use and Practice Survey (CoCoRUPS) - Dr Elizabeth Salter


CoCoRUPS Study

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


Researchers and Libraries

RIN/CURL: Researchers’ use of Libraries Study


Researchers’ use of Libraries: Visits

The percentage of researchers who visit their library at least once per week and predicted percentage for 2011

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2001 2006 2011

Per

cen

t

Ov erall

Arts &Humanities

SocialSciences

Phy sicalSciences

Life Sciences


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


Researchers’ use of Libraries: Liaison

Senior staff

Established staff

Recently -appointedstaff

Postdoctoralresearchers

Postgraduateresearchers

Don't know 6.5 6.9 6.5 7.5 5.6

Difficult 5.6 3.6 1.6 3.9 2.3

Not v ery easy 32.4 31.0 30.1 35.3 28.8

Easy 35.6 37.3 42.2 34.6 40.8

Very easy 16.0 17.0 15.7 14.7 18.6

Senior staffEstablished

staffRecently -

appointed staffPostdoctoral researchers

Postgraduate researchers


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’


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


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


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


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


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

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


… 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


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


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


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/

http://www.rin.ac.uk/researchers-use-libraries

http://books.google.com/




Contact details

Sally Curry

Tel: 0191 222 8655 or: 020 7412 7737 Mob: 079 200 28471 Fax: 0191 222 6235

[email protected]

Engaging the Research Community Engaging the Research Community through Collaborative Collection Management WESLINE/IGRS Colloquium 12 September 2007 Sally.

Documents

research community researchers

research use

academic research

research community challenges

research community solutions

research community issues

ability of research

researchers ccm