Collaborative platformsDissolving boundaries between researchers, publishers and librarians

Sarah Stamford (Selwyn College)Jayne Kelly (Cambridge University Library)

ebooks@cambridge service

• Sarah Stamford - Chair ebooks Advisory Group• Jayne Kelly – ebooks Administrator

• Collaboratively funded initiative of Cambridge College, Departmental, Faculty and University libraries• Co-ordinate University-wide ebook acquisition• Support teaching and learning• Promote awareness • Monitor usage• http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/ebooks/

Some context

• Digital Revolution = opportunities

• Digital publishing = rapid change

• Blurred identities

Discovery and access

• When there is so much information out there, discovering accessible relevant resources quickly is key

• Multiple access points

• Institutional authentication

• The need for the Ama iin t in the Amazon

Using platforms for research

• Flexible linking

• IRIS Project Report: Induction, Research and Information Skills (Arcadia Project by Lizz Edwards-Waller, 2009

• Enhanced visibility

• Researching is active, interactive & disruptive

• ‘Ontology is overrated’ (Clay Shirky)

Platform needs

• Clear usable interface• Collapsible navigation• Resizable text• Full-screen reading• Downloadability• Unlimited simultaneous users/downloads• 24/7 and long-term availability• Stability

Information literacy

“a cluster of abilities that resides within the individual learner, enabling him or her not only to seek out information, but also to assess it for bias, to evaluate its worth and relevance to the learner’s own needs … to define the task in hand; to analyse its argument and the grounds on which the argument is made; and finally to be able to assimilate new information, even if that conflicts with previously held beliefs or convictions.”

‘Developing a new curriculum for information literacy’, Dr Emma Coonan, LTS News, Issue 22

Research results

• Platforms need to integrate research studies and offer opportunities for wide dissemination

• Accessibility of information silos

• Security

Future developments

• Cloud storage?

• Focus groups?

• Research impacts?

• Logging the research process?

• Storing ideas and communications?

• Darwin with a Kindle?

And finally…

• Discovery & access need improvments

• Traditional publishing models are dissolving

• Digital silos are not ideal

• Librarian as intermediator

• Publishers , academics and librarians collaborating

Any questions?

We acknowledge our thanks to Emma Coonan (Cambridge University Library) & Libby Tilley (English Faculty Library) for their contributions.