pathways to new academic library practices: a south african exploration towards 21 st century...

CMW Aug09 New academic library practices

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Pathways Pathways to new academic library practices: to new academic library practices: a South African exploration towards a South African exploration towards

2121stst century academic research century academic research support support

Clare M WalkerDeputy University Librarian

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

IFLA CPDWL Satellite Conference, Bologna, 18-20 August 2009

Moving In, Moving Up and Moving On:Strategies for Regenerating

the Library and Information Profession


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The Carnegie Corporation-funded Research Libraries The Carnegie Corporation-funded Research Libraries Consortium (RLC) project at the Universities of Consortium (RLC) project at the Universities of

Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal & the Witwatersrand, Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal & the Witwatersrand, 2006-2009 2006-2009

1.Research Portal

2.Research Commons (a physical space particularly for the ‘one stop’ support of young researchers)

3.3. Research LibrariansResearch Librarians


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Cohort of mid-career Research Librarians more knowledgeable about the research process in different disciplines, and better skilled in collaborative and support activities with researchers, than their subject/reference librarian counterparts.

Mid 2009: 36 librarians from 3 university libraries have

participated in one of two two-week local residential Library ‘Academies’ in 2007 & 2008;

15 have further participated in internship programmes for nine weeks each at major university libraries in the USA in 2008 & 2009.

Collectively a “Carnegie research librarians” core team for developing a new, higher level support relationship with graduate research students and academic faculty researchers at each institution.


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ASERL: RESEARCH LIBRARIAN COMPETENCIES (2000)

1. The research librarian develops and manages effective services that meet user needs and support the research library's mission. 2. The research librarian supports cooperation and collaboration to enhance service.

3. The research librarian understands the library within the context of higher education (its purpose and goals) and the needs of students, faculty, and researchers.

4. The research librarian knows the structure, organization, creation, management, dissemination, use, and preservation of information resources, new and existing, in all formats.

5. The research librarian demonstrates commitment to values and principles


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Changes in the library environment, such as technological innovations and legal limitations on the use of information, will continue to offer opportunities for research librarians to gain and apply new knowledge. At the same time, the expertise that librarians have developed in organizing, providing access to, and preserving information will become more important than ever.

The research librarian of the future will have more The research librarian of the future will have more opportunities to support learning, enhance teaching, and opportunities to support learning, enhance teaching, and improve research, providing services to the users of today as improve research, providing services to the users of today as well as anticipating the needs of the users of tomorrow. well as anticipating the needs of the users of tomorrow.

ASERL Competencies, 2000ASERL Competencies, 2000


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““Getting a researcher efficiently Getting a researcher efficiently fromfrom what he or she asks for what he or she asks for toto what is available in a research library is a much more what is available in a research library is a much more complex operation than most librarians realise;complex operation than most librarians realise; it is also more it is also more complex than too many library managers themselves seem to complex than too many library managers themselves seem to understand. Most of it cannot be done remotely through understand. Most of it cannot be done remotely through searching the open internet, no matter how much under-the-searching the open internet, no matter how much under-the-hood programming underlies the utopian 'single search box‘"hood programming underlies the utopian 'single search box‘"

Thomas Mann: 2007


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DO THEYDO THEY• surf the web in the deep sea swell of the disciplines they surf the web in the deep sea swell of the disciplines they serveserve??

• know the top three burning issues/cutting edge areas of know the top three burning issues/cutting edge areas of research in their disciplines? Can they name key research in their disciplines? Can they name key researchers/authors, in the field or in the schools they serveresearchers/authors, in the field or in the schools they serve??

• browse the top online or print journals ToCs in their browse the top online or print journals ToCs in their disciplines and read abstractsdisciplines and read abstracts??

• follow breaking news of research and publications on follow breaking news of research and publications on relevant websitesrelevant websites??

DO OUR RESEARCH LIBRARIANS GO IN DEEP DO OUR RESEARCH LIBRARIANS GO IN DEEP ENOUGH?ENOUGH?

Some questions underpinning the rationale behind Some questions underpinning the rationale behind the Carnegie Library Academy developmentthe Carnegie Library Academy development


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• professional competence in the traditional fields of metadata and the newer fields generated by digital librarianship and data curation

• broad and specialised knowledge of a domain, and the initiative to update that knowledge proactively and to think laterally across domains • the will and initiative to engage with researchers in their domains.

PROFILE OF A RESEARCH LIBRARIAN beyond the basics PROFILE OF A RESEARCH LIBRARIAN beyond the basics of “competent information seeking for known facts”:of “competent information seeking for known facts”:


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WHAT DO RESEARCHERS WANT?Six recent major studies (see References in full text paper)

2007:• Mann, T. The Peloponnesian War and the future of reference, cataloging, and scholarship in research libraries. Prepared for AFSCME 2910, the Library of Congress Professional Guild.• NYU 21st Century library project: designing a research library of the future for New York University: Report of a study of faculty and graduate needs for research and teaching.• Brown, S. and Swan, A. Researchers’ use of academic libraries and their services: a report commissioned by the Research Information Network and the Consortium of Research Libraries. Technical Report. April 2007. 2008:• Housewright, R. & Schonfeld, R. Ithaka's 2006 Studies of Key Stakeholders in the Digital Transformation in Higher Education, Ithaka Report, 2008.• No Brief Candle: Reconceiving research libraries for the 21st Century. Council on Library and Information Resources, 2008.2009• Palmer, C.L., Teffeau, L.C, & Pirmann, C.M.(2009) Scholarly Information Practices in the Online Environment: Themes from the Literature and Implications for Library Service Development. Report commissioned by OCLC Research. 2009.


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SEVEN MOST HIGHLY RANKED ROLES OF SEVEN MOST HIGHLY RANKED ROLES OF RESEARCH LIBRARIANSRESEARCH LIBRARIANS

1.1. CustodianCustodian of print-based and digitised archives and special of print-based and digitised archives and special collections. (72%);collections. (72%);

2.2. Managers of institutional repositoriesManagers of institutional repositories of digital of digital information (61%);information (61%);

3.3. Administration (purchase and delivery)Administration (purchase and delivery) of information of information services (59% );services (59% );

4.4. Subject based information expertSubject based information expert (core role: 46%; (core role: 46%; ancillary role: (33%.);ancillary role: (33%.);

5.5. Teacher of information literacyTeacher of information literacy and related skills (42% and related skills (42% core, 39% ancillary);core, 39% ancillary);

6.6. Manager of the vast datasetsManager of the vast datasets generated by e-research generated by e-research (33% core, 27% ancillary);(33% core, 27% ancillary);

7.7. Technology specialistTechnology specialist facilitating electronic access to facilitating electronic access to information resources (34% core, 37% ancillary).information resources (34% core, 37% ancillary).

Researchers’ Use of Academic LibrariesResearchers’ Use of Academic Libraries


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ROLES THAT RESEARCH LIBRARIANS SAW ROLES THAT RESEARCH LIBRARIANS SAW FOR THEMSELVES INCLUDED:FOR THEMSELVES INCLUDED:

• very important role as very important role as gateway for accessgateway for access for academics for academics (>90%)(>90%)

• providing providing library-based advice or formal traininglibrary-based advice or formal training to to researchers; andresearchers; and

• providing providing library-based skills developmentlibrary-based skills development for for researchers (including guiding researchers through the process researchers (including guiding researchers through the process from simple information management to information from simple information management to information dissemination, but recognising that this may be perceived as dissemination, but recognising that this may be perceived as an intrusion on the research student-supervisor relationship).an intrusion on the research student-supervisor relationship).

Researchers’ Use of Academic LibrariesResearchers’ Use of Academic Libraries


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HOWEVER …

...faculty increasingly valued electronic resources but ...faculty increasingly valued electronic resources but perceived themselves to be perceived themselves to be decreasinglydecreasingly dependent dependent on the on the library for their research and teaching and although scholars library for their research and teaching and although scholars reported general respect for libraries and librarians,reported general respect for libraries and librarians,

“ “the library is increasingly the library is increasingly disintermediateddisintermediated from their actual from their actual research process” research process”

-in other words, in other words, researchers no longer used the library as a researchers no longer used the library as a gateway to information...”gateway to information...”

Ithaka’s 2006 studiesIthaka’s 2006 studies


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...researchers did not always express confidence in the specialist subject knowledge of the librarian:

“I am skeptical that a librarian would actually be able to select a set of books that would be more useful to me than one selected by another computer scientist;”

“I often feel the suggestions of librarians are too broad.”NYU 21st Century library project

““I have far more specialist knowledge than the librarians. As long I have far more specialist knowledge than the librarians. As long as the library continues to provide the materials that I need for as the library continues to provide the materials that I need for research and teaching, I am more than capable of finding what I research and teaching, I am more than capable of finding what I need, either in print or electronically.” need, either in print or electronically.”

Comment submitted by a faculty respondent in the LibQUAL+TM survey conducted at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg November 2008.


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...SIX TRENDSSIX TRENDS in the academic research environment which are in the academic research environment which are likely to shape scholarship in the next decades, and therefore likely to shape scholarship in the next decades, and therefore reflect something about the resources scholars will usereflect something about the resources scholars will use

• ascendance of ascendance of science;science;• development of development of digital humanities;digital humanities;• emphasis on processemphasis on process over product; over product;• “ “mobile and ubiquitous” mobile and ubiquitous” computing;computing;• data delugedata deluge; and; and• rising costs and changing funding models – so that the library rising costs and changing funding models – so that the library on campus must “on campus must “continuously demonstrate its valuecontinuously demonstrate its value.”.”

(Smith: 2008, in (Smith: 2008, in No brief candleNo brief candle))

......characteristics of e-sciencecharacteristics of e-science (i.e. working on problems that (i.e. working on problems that have only become solvable in recent years with improved data have only become solvable in recent years with improved data collection and data analysis capabilities) [will] fundamentally collection and data analysis capabilities) [will] fundamentally

alter the way in which scientists carry out their work and “will alter the way in which scientists carry out their work and “will require a require a corresponding change in the ways in which libraries corresponding change in the ways in which libraries

serve scientists’ needsserve scientists’ needs...” ...”

(Luce, R. 2008. A new value equation challenge: the emergence of e-Research and roles for research libraries. in No brief candle)


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rather more is needed than for LIS professionals to promote their expertise more widely if they to [sic] aspire to involvement at the strategic and policy-making level. For many in the profession this is likely to entail the For many in the profession this is likely to entail the cultivation of cultivation of new attitudesnew attitudes and the learning of new kinds of and the learning of new kinds of skills: skills: and opening up to new ways of thinking…and opening up to new ways of thinking…

Martin, B., Hazeri, A., & Sarrafzadeh, M


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““...the level of knowledge and engagement required goes well ...the level of knowledge and engagement required goes well beyond knowledge of the literature – requires being beyond knowledge of the literature – requires being a trusted a trusted member of the community with recognised authority in member of the community with recognised authority in information-related matters.information-related matters. This new paradigm entails shifting This new paradigm entails shifting library foci from managing specialized collections to emphasizing library foci from managing specialized collections to emphasizing proactive outreach and engagementproactive outreach and engagement

Changes in research libraries must be driven by and reflect the Changes in research libraries must be driven by and reflect the needs of the research communities they seek to support, and the needs of the research communities they seek to support, and the challenges facing research libraries are “to challenges facing research libraries are “to articulate and articulate and advance our role and unique capabilities into the virtual advance our role and unique capabilities into the virtual laboratory environment.”laboratory environment.”

(Luce: 2008, in (Luce: 2008, in No brief candle)No brief candle)


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Andrew KanikiAndrew Kaniki, Executive Director: Knowledge Fields , Executive Director: Knowledge Fields Development at the South African National Research Development at the South African National Research Foundation (NRF), addressing the Carnegie Research Foundation (NRF), addressing the Carnegie Research Librarians’ Academy in October 2008, highlighted Librarians’ Academy in October 2008, highlighted new areas in new areas in the research environment in South Africathe research environment in South Africa in which research in which research librarians (and most specifically the RLC project participants) librarians (and most specifically the RLC project participants) should become should become informed and proactively engaged:informed and proactively engaged:


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• Issues related to South Africa’s Issues related to South Africa’s international research international research competitiveness, reflected in ISI citation ranking, analysis and competitiveness, reflected in ISI citation ranking, analysis and interpretationinterpretation; measuring and providing evidence of progress ; measuring and providing evidence of progress and/or regression in international competitiveness;and/or regression in international competitiveness;

• Use of Use of ISI Web of Knowledge ISI Web of Knowledge and and ScopusScopus for for collection and collection and interpretation of indicators, including citation metrics that are interpretation of indicators, including citation metrics that are discipline specificdiscipline specific;;

• Provision of support for the Provision of support for the NRF application processes NRF application processes (researcher rating system & grant applications); (researcher rating system & grant applications);

• Provision of Provision of information and guidance on who is involved in the information and guidance on who is involved in the system system (nationally and internationally);(nationally and internationally);


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• Identification of Identification of potential reviewers (for NRF rating of researchers & potential reviewers (for NRF rating of researchers & grant proposals)grant proposals);;

• Establishing a Establishing a liaison with institutional Research Offices;liaison with institutional Research Offices;

• Engaging with Engaging with pre-evaluation of research outputs – especially books pre-evaluation of research outputs – especially books (checking accuracy of data reported, especially bibliographic (checking accuracy of data reported, especially bibliographic information);information);

• Facilitation of appropriately completed Facilitation of appropriately completed submissions for Department of submissions for Department of Education research publication subsidies;Education research publication subsidies;

• Assisting researchers with Assisting researchers with research integrity – data sources; research integrity – data sources; references, etc.references, etc.;;

• Becoming engaged in the field of Becoming engaged in the field of scientific data preservation and scientific data preservation and management. management.


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ESSENTIALS INCLUDEESSENTIALS INCLUDE• High levels of High levels of professional competenceprofessional competence including including competence in the field of metadata (cataloguing, competence in the field of metadata (cataloguing, classification, indexing) classification, indexing)

• Broad and also Broad and also specialised knowledge of the domainspecialised knowledge of the domain to to understand the context, and the initiative to update that understand the context, and the initiative to update that knowledge proactively (including the habit of reading in the knowledge proactively (including the habit of reading in the domain)domain)

• Ability to Ability to think laterallythink laterally across more than one domain if across more than one domain if appropriateappropriate

• Interactive and Interactive and pro-active engagementpro-active engagement with researchers with researchers and their domainand their domain


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WHEREWHERE and and HOWHOW do professional academic librarians (and do professional academic librarians (and their employer institutions) expect to acquire their employer institutions) expect to acquire

• knowledge in a discipline-specific domain ?knowledge in a discipline-specific domain ?

• knowledge and in-depth understanding of the research knowledge and in-depth understanding of the research process and the research environment ?process and the research environment ?

• high-level technological knowledge and skills for digital high-level technological knowledge and skills for digital research library practice ?research library practice ?

• credibility as partners in the research enterprise?credibility as partners in the research enterprise?


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BASELINE for South African academic librarians and BASELINE for South African academic librarians and employing institutions (1)employing institutions (1)

• General basic undergraduate first professional qualification:3 or 4 year degree, hybrid or LIS majors with tech emphasis; only minority choose graduate diploma on top of 3 year, 2-major B-degree

• Very infrequently two-degree structure >> limited indepth subject domain knowledge appropriate to academic & research libraries

• Post-basic CPDWL only as higher degree Masters, Doctoral academic studies; limited knowledge or experience of various kinds of research process, methodology: limited transfer into the academic library workplace


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• Socio-economic background: first university graduates in the family

• General high school education and curriculum content tend to be results-focused, not information-focused • English language skills which translate into knowledge skills: perceptions and realities in the context of academic resource material in any subject domain

• Narrow focus: “Why do we have to read something we know nothing about?”

BASELINE for South African academic librarians and BASELINE for South African academic librarians and employing institutions (2) employing institutions (2)


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NEW PATHWAYS TO CPD NEW PATHWAYS TO CPD FOR SOUTH AFRICAN RESEARCH LIBRARIANS (1)FOR SOUTH AFRICAN RESEARCH LIBRARIANS (1)

A “studio approach” to the curriculum as described by Dillon in No brief candle could be modified in a South African context for academic library CPDWL:

• building on the skills and knowledge required to participate in intelligently in the changes affecting libraries, • working with projects involving real clients, testing ground for ideas and potential solutions. • opportunities for the emerging professional to

hear from the fieldwork with an expertoffer concrete responses.

“Coupled with strong theoretical education in human information interactions, we would educate a class of professionals equipped to grapple with the ill-structured problems faced by academic libraries at this time”


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• On–the-job guided professional self-study, reading programmes, writing circles, to instill awareness & critical debate around current issues and developments in research libraries and the research environment;

• Spread South African “scarce skills” by negotiating “coaching” or shadowing programmes within and between university libraries; engage national or international consultants to advise on this;

• engage institutionally with faculty teaching staff across schools to create and teach customised inhouse short course programmes to upgrade subject domain knowledge; include discipline-specific research issues & skills such as statistics, dataset management;

• librarian participation in institutional programmes on research methodology and research writing which target graduate students;


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• incorporate as performance management requirements an annual quota of events and activities designed to enhance acquisition and application of professional knowledge: e.g. reading; attending public or in-school research presentations; participating actively in professional social networking; participating actively and presenting at professional meetings & conferences; publishing and in the literature;

• encourage all academic research librarians to acquire Masters degrees, work towards registration for PhD degrees, to raise the quality of academic library support for institutional research: “good specialist research librarians get PhDs… [and] can do almost everything a good supervisor can do for a PhD student” (Dean of Research, University of the Western Cape);


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• Work with South African qualifications authorities, academic library employers, library schools, the Library and Information Association of South Africa to develop a graduate specialist post-basic qualification to be accommodated in the SA Higher Education Qualifications Framework, with specialisation curriculum clusters for advanced academic subject and research information work and support


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NEW PATHWAYS TO CPD NEW PATHWAYS TO CPD FOR SOUTH AFRICAN RESEARCH LIBRARIANSFOR SOUTH AFRICAN RESEARCH LIBRARIANS

A RADICAL DEPARTURE?A RADICAL DEPARTURE? Or OrBACK TO THE FUTURE?BACK TO THE FUTURE?

“Hiring only staff with a master’s of library and information science (MLIS) degree is unlikely to bring in the breadth of skill and experience that is needed… We need new career paths for people who want to work in academic libraries, and we need the means to support them.”

No brief candle

“The successful research library of the future will have a staff composed of many types of librarians… Scholars with PhDs, MLIS-holding librarians, hybrids with both degrees, and others with neither degree will all have a role to play. Some will be housed in the library, some in academic departments, and some in teaching centers. Some will be unmoored consultants.”

Rentfrow. 2008. in No brief candle


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• Design new research librarian job specifications for academic libraries:

“University administrators and librarians should consider new training and career paths for professionals going into the area of scholarly communication. New leadership programmes need to be developed that reflect the rise in collaborative research, and integrate support services such as those provided by research librarians into the processes and methodologies of research”

(No brief candle)


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To become research librarians, present South African To become research librarians, present South African information professionals need to acquire and continuously information professionals need to acquire and continuously build on appropriate high levels the following build on appropriate high levels the following KASHKASH characteristics characteristics

KNOWLEDGE,

ATTITUDE,

SKILLS and

HABITS

that will bring them closer to membership of the researcher team.

… … so in conclusion…so in conclusion…

BEING and BECOMING A RESEARCH BEING and BECOMING A RESEARCH LIBRARIAN LIBRARIAN


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How do we balance a How do we balance a conservative risk-averse conservative risk-averse naturenature with the need to respond to a with the need to respond to a changing changing environment environment ??

No interventions have a lasting effect No interventions have a lasting effect unless they are internalisedunless they are internalised

New ways to do the familiarNew ways to do the familiar& &

New, altogether unfamiliar things New, altogether unfamiliar things to do.to do.


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…and finally…LIBRARY MANAGERS HAVE A VITAL ROLE

Setting performance goals for acquiring new knowledge and new skills embedding these in a supportive and challenging work environment promotion in the academic institution of a new partnership role for research librarians ‘walking the talk’ while building the bridge to close the credibility gap between the library and researchers using peer influence at the highest level relationship-building in institutional academic and research structures.


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pathways to new academic library practices: a south african exploration towards 21 st century...

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