Working together: evolving value for academic libraries

14/08/12 Claire Creaser and Valérie Spezi, LISU, Loughborough University

Introduction14/08/12  Background & methodology  Evolving value:- evidence and perceptions of value  Working together:- services for teaching and research staff  Raising the visibility of the library and library services  Recommendations

Background14/08/12  Commissioned December 2011  LISU (lisu@lboro.ac.uk)  Connections between library and academic departments  Enhance working relationships  Marketing services

Methodology14/08/12  6 month research project  US, UK and Scandinavia  8 case studies  Survey of librarians

Methodology14/08/12  Case studies:  4 US; 2 UK; 2 Scandinavia  Identify good practice  Survey of librarians  Triangulate case study findings

Evolving value:- evidence and perceptions of value14/08/12

Evidence of value14/08/12  No systematic evidence gathered  Aware of need  How to assess impact?  Internal drivers  Want to do a good job  Support budget claims  UK with statistics, US with ‘success stories’

Evidence of value14/08/12  External drivers  Benchmarking  Research assessment audits  Student satisfaction  Stronger in UK

Perceptions of value14/08/12 Staff never cease to be amazed at what we can Teaching and actually provide/help research staff often fail them with to realise that it is the (UK) Library that provides We are too key resources… successful in (Scandinavia) providing seamless electronic access… (US)

Perceptions of value14/08/12 10 Average value score 8 6 4 2 0 US UK Scandinavia Management Academics Students

Perceptions of value14/08/12 The library always tries to work hard to get what academic ‘ I feel confident that if staff request I need something … I (UK) know that I can contact them and get I’m not sure that the faculty as help’ a whole appreciate what (Scandinavia) librarians do or understand what they do (UK)

Working together - services for teaching & research14/08/12

Embedded information literacy instruction14/08/12  Working with teaching staff  Relevant to course content  Most highly valued by teaching staff  Vocational subjects  Familiar with evidence-based approach  Spreading to other areas  Culture shift  Pro-active not re-active

Embedded information literacy instruction14/08/12 Pro Con  Academics can see value  Quality of student work  Time-consuming  Not promoted where  Increases formal contact resources scarce hours

Integrated teaching services14/08/12 When you work with someone  One step further and you have a successful class and a successful  Close collaboration partnership the word of mouth  Design, teaching & assessment from other faculty within the  Subject expertise not essential department or in other departments is worth a lot  Developing area  Started in health sciences  Focus on information literacy for research  Example of partnership working

Other teaching support14/08/12 Driven by national changes to nursing education (all nurses to be  Curriculum design educated to degree level) Nottingham developed a new  One step beyond course with a high level of blended integrated teaching learning. The health science  IT tools librarian was directly involved in its design from the outset, over an 18  Podcasts, wikis and month development cycle, blogs identifying relevant resources and developing information skills elements

Integrated research services14/08/12  Research support less well developed  Sacrificed to more teaching support  Depends on individual relationships with researchers  Typical services:  OA publishing/self-archiving  Bibliometrics  Literature searching  Data management

Most valued research support services14/08/12 Scandinavia UK USA 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Promoting newly acquired info. resources One-to-one information literacy training Help with literature searching Support from subject specialist librarians Something else

Research partnerships14/08/12  Collaboration across research process  Preparation of bids  Conducting research  Writing articles  Library needs to demonstrate added value

Data services specialist14/08/12  Purdue University  Pro-active approach  Identified need  Data Services Librarian  Help researchers get more out of their data  Include data management plans in grant proposals  Response to individual need, not general training

Raising the visibility of the library and library services14/08/12

Communication14/08/12  One size does not fit all  Barriers  Academic staff time  Librarian time  Institution specific  Location of building  Institutional culture

Building relationships14/08/12  Disciplinary culture  Personal relationships  ‘the most interesting part in my work’  Very time-consuming  Library office hours within departments  Informal communication

Building relationships14/08/12  Faculty Author Dinner  Co-curricular programme  Book group associated with film festival  Lunchtime lectures  Free lunch!

Marketing14/08/12 We need to market what we offer in anticipation of their ‘… our library is bad specific needs, not their wants at marketing and or what we as librarians think advocacy so that the they should have’. (US) staff doesnt know what we can offer’. (Scandinavia) Market ourselves better, so that we show how we are Personalized communication … is relevant, and how we perhaps the only effective way to can help them’ (UK) encourage the vast majority of faculty to value and use the library’. (US)

Recommendations14/08/12

Individual librarians14/08/12  Promote the relevance of librarianship skills to the digital information environment  Go beyond the comfort zone, for example develop skills in teaching and marketing  Reach out to users by improving communication, building personal relationships, using appropriate language, and following through to build on success

Within the library & its management14/08/12  Support and develop staff  Provide appropriate training opportunities  Collect evidence of the value of library services  Use it systematically with the full range of stakeholders in the service  Document the processes and effective strategies for building partnerships with teaching and research staff

Wider institution14/08/12  Recognise the library contribution by engaging with the library at all levels  Not just liaison librarians with teaching and research staff, but also at senior management level  Uphold the status of librarians and information professionals on an equivalent level with teaching and research staff

Questions?14/08/12 http://libraryvalue.wordpress.com/

Working together: evolving value for academic libraries

by valerie_spezi on Oct 03, 2012

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