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Who needs libraries anyway?Researchers’ use of academic libraries
and their services
Alma Swan
Key Perspectives Ltd
Truro, UK
Research Information Network Workshop, London, 30 April 2007
roles and responsibilities
accesse-research
curation
interdisciplinary research
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Aims of the study
Snapshot of the situation at T0
Views and expectations about T1
On occasions, a look back
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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?
Access print resources
Order inter-library loans
Talk to a subject librarian
The library as a laboratory 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70Arts &humanities
Socialsciences
Physicalsciences
Lifesciences
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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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Digital 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
Print e-journals 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 FT d/bs and then say WoS 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 ILL Subject librarian Level of need vs effort
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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,
AVM Becoming more challenging to fulfil Increasingly associated with rise of
interdisciplinary research?
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The way work is done
Interdisciplinary research Big science / e-research Medium-to-small science / research pools VREs 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
Data
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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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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
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
90
Cus
todi
an
Man
age
IRs
Adm
inis
trato
r
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
Measures and metrics
New roles – critically important What will be the outputs? Will we be able to measure them? How will we assess competence and
excellence?
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Channels, communications
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Researchers
Research managers /
fundersLIBRARY
Institutional management
Branding the library
Why? As what? In whose eyes? How?
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Thank you for listening
www.keyperspectives.co.uk
www.keyperspectives.com
Key Perspectives Ltd
