Strategic role of IT for libraries and research: an overview Margaret Coutts University Librarian and Keeper of the Brotherton Collection www.leeds.ac.uk/library

Strategic role of the Library Identify knowledge/information resources for: Institutional academic strategy Wider educational & cultural experience + to greater /lesser extent Institutional management and business processes Ensure access to relevant resources Enable effective exploitation of the resources

Identify knowledge/information resources for:

Institutional academic strategy

Wider educational & cultural experience

+ to greater /lesser extent

Institutional management and business processes

Ensure access to relevant resources

Enable effective exploitation of the resources

From Collections to ’Content’ Core Print E-journals UK Research Reserve Databases/datasets E-books (partial) Content via internet/websites Commercial + open access

Core

Print

E-journals

UK Research Reserve

Databases/datasets

E-books (partial)

Content via internet/websites

Commercial + open access

From Collections to ’Content’ Future ‘Core’ to include: Digital content (internal and external creation) E-learning materials Open access research outputs E-theses Shared research data UKRDS (Mass) digitisation Google programme Blogs, wikis, social networking + ??????? New information management practices Digital curation Digital preservation

Future ‘Core’ to include:

Digital content (internal and external creation)

E-learning materials

Open access research outputs

E-theses

Shared research data

UKRDS

(Mass) digitisation

Google programme

Blogs, wikis, social networking

+

???????

New information management practices

Digital curation

Digital preservation

Born-Digital Print to Digital Print e-learning content Research data Wikis Blogs (mass) digitisation outputs e-journals e-book datasets Open access content databases

Future environment Significant increase in digital resources Long-term reduction of print base Wider content creator base than ever before Greatest potential ever but Greater fragmentation than ever before

Significant increase in digital resources

Long-term reduction of print base

Wider content creator base than ever before

Greatest potential ever

but

Greater fragmentation than ever before

Location of information Library shelves Institutional systems/repositories/services incl management/admin External systems/repositories/services Resource Discovery: crucial to effective information use

Library shelves

Institutional systems/repositories/services

incl management/admin

External systems/repositories/services

Resource Discovery:

crucial to effective information use

Resource Discovery Current situation Data curation Metadata standards and applications maturing Multiple retrieval systems Library Management Systems VLEs VREs or equivalent Portals Search engines Specialist navigation tools/services Giving partial coverage and varying quality

Current situation

Data curation

Metadata standards and applications maturing

Multiple retrieval systems

Library Management Systems

VLEs

VREs or equivalent

Portals

Search engines

Specialist navigation tools/services

Giving partial coverage and varying quality

User behaviour and needs Poor information retrieval methods and critical evaluation ‘ Skimming’ reading habits Young researchers’ use patterns: “ horizontal, bouncing, checking and viewing” ( Information behaviour of the researcher of the future , CIBER Briefing Paper, UCL, 2008) User location Students using library as ‘third place’ (after classroom and home) IT facilities as much as print Major library building developments Researchers typically desktop users

Poor information retrieval methods and critical evaluation

‘ Skimming’ reading habits

Young researchers’ use patterns:

“ horizontal, bouncing, checking and viewing”

( Information behaviour of the researcher of the future , CIBER Briefing Paper, UCL, 2008)

User location

Students using library as ‘third place’ (after classroom and home)

IT facilities as much as print

Major library building developments

Researchers typically desktop users

Research process Cycle of: Content retrieval, use, creation, curation, dissemination, use… Depending on discipline, also includes some/all of: Evidence exploration and interpretation (High vol) Data processing Text mining Sharing of work in progress Within and between institutions Interoperability with admin processes and information systems/services Disseminating/communicating outputs Bibliometrics More fragmentation and varying quality

Cycle of:

Content retrieval, use, creation, curation, dissemination, use…

Depending on discipline, also includes some/all of:

Evidence exploration and interpretation

(High vol) Data processing

Text mining

Sharing of work in progress

Within and between institutions

Interoperability with admin processes and information systems/services

Disseminating/communicating outputs

Bibliometrics

More fragmentation and varying quality

Issues for IT Strategy ‘ Academic’ digital content creation in academic depts and admin services Open access v commercial publications Digital curation Digital preservation Storage of institutional digital content Locally Centralised/decentralised Nationally E-architecture Especially for local content Improved resource discovery Internal content External content High volume data processing Collaborative tools Reliable bibliometric analysis

‘ Academic’ digital content creation

in academic depts and admin services

Open access v commercial publications

Digital curation

Digital preservation

Storage of institutional digital content

Locally

Centralised/decentralised

Nationally

E-architecture

Especially for local content

Improved resource discovery

Internal content

External content

High volume data processing

Collaborative tools

Reliable bibliometric analysis

Issues for IT/academic strategy IT Strategy Information management strategy inextricably linked Avoid emphasis on business processes alone Staff and user skills Content creation Content curation Content discovery and exploitation Learning and research methods Does ‘skimming’ affect quality of results? How should we plan/develop our: Academic standards and practices? Our systems?

IT Strategy

Information management strategy inextricably linked

Avoid emphasis on business processes alone

Staff and user skills

Content creation

Content curation

Content discovery and exploitation

Learning and research methods

Does ‘skimming’ affect quality of results?

How should we plan/develop our:

Academic standards and practices?

Our systems?