The document discusses the challenges facing research libraries in Europe due to economic crisis and the rise of digital technologies and data-driven science. It argues that libraries must reinvent themselves, focusing on services that support data sharing, mobile access, and embedding within research workflows. Libraries also need to work with universities to develop strategies around managing and providing access to large amounts of research data.

1. Mobilising the knowledge economy
for Europe
Wouter Schallier
Executive Director of LIBER (Association of European Research
Libraries)
wouter.schallier@kb.nl
www.libereurope.eu
Ex Libris, Jerusalem,16 November 2011

2. Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

3. Contents
1. Economic crisis
2. Mobile devices
3. E-science and primary data
4. Conclusions
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

4. Economic crisis
 Severe budget cuts: typically 10-20% spread over 3 years
 Information/knowledge remains crucial business for
universities and innovation
 Libraries are obvious partners in this business but will
have to re-invent themselves from scratch
 More public-private partnerships
 Business process analysis
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

5. What this means for libraries
 Fundamental questions about role of libraries: how we
contribute to better research? What services do we
provide to whom?
 Choices have to be made (not everything can be done
and definitely not in the same way as before)
 Do we still need ILL if Amazon can provide the same documents
in a cheaper and a quicker way?
 Special attention to hidden (staff) costs
 What should be done in house, what can be outsourced?
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

6. … and for library collections
 E-only (large scale digitisation is very much needed)
 Active partner in research or dark archive?
 Primary research data is a must
 Owning all information resources is no longer an ambition
 Collection assessment: analysis of user needs/usage; data analysis;
very flexible and customised acquisition/subscription (cost per usage)
 Market collections
 Open Access will be part of several important business models
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

7. Library services for researchers
 Library collections/services 24/24-7/7 available
 More and better datamining and visualisation techniques
to connect publications, and publications and data:
access to data is an issue, but original analysis even
more.
 Data enrichment
 The portal is just one of the information channels: the
researcher wants to wake up with a personalised list of
recommended readings
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

8. Services for researchers (2)
 Reputation of universities/project teams/researchers will
become more important than reputation of journals
 Need for trustworthy long term accessibility
 Embedment in the research workflows: DP strategies
from data creation
 Institutional/subject based respositories:
 Better linking
 Better interoperability
 More consistent functionalities
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

9. Universities need CIO’s
 Lots of data is produced, analysed and exchanged in and
between universities:
 Where is the strategy to deal with all this info?
 How is this data stored?
 How is it made available for re-use inside and outside the
organisation?
 Do we still need to make a distinction between published and
other data (documentary, administrative, grey and raw data)?
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

10. Libraries will organise differently
 New profiles
 Thorough business process analysis
 Centralisation or even outsourcing of back end services
combined with de-centralised front end
 Division of tasks on an international level
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

11. Mobile devices
 Researchers are constantly on the move and will carry
their information ID on them
 Are increasingly sharing raw research data with
colleagues in an informal way
 Want secure data traffic and storage
 Want to consume, produce and publish from their devices
 Social media = share = publish
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

12. Sharing data is a necessity not a luxury
 The world is changing: From an information to a (primary) data
society
 Data deluge: now and even more in the future
 Mission of research institutes: doing research and disseminating the
results
 We need NEW models for scholarly communication
 Current models are too slow and too rigid
 Cf. Obama admin, EC: open public data
 Universities, university presses, libraries and data centres
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

13. Science
Image: Cern/Maximilien Brice
Image: NASA
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

14. It’s all about laaaaaarge amounts of data
 “Data are no longer considered as interim products to be
discarded once the research reporting them is published.
Rather, they have become important sources of
scholarly content to be used and re-used.”
Borgman, The role of libraries in e-science
Raw data from a central Pb+Pb event for 40 rows of the Main TPC
Image: http://na49info.web.cern.ch/na49info/Public/Press/pictures/mtpc40rowsRawData.gif
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

15. Making data usable/useful
 Data description and identification
 Organisation http://na49info.web.cern.ch/na49info/Public/Press/LogBook.html
 Data protection, privacy regulations, ethical issues
 Visualisation
 Interpretation
 Preservation
 Persistent link between publications and datasets
 Integrated search
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

16. Making data usable/useful (2)
 Validation and peer review of data
 Data quality and integrity
 Interoperability
 Repositories
 Control over correct usage
 Selection
 Data publication
 Citation
…
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

17. E-science is not science fiction
 Large scale computing resources
Data -intensive
 Carried out over the internet
 Collaborative (team science, virtual science communities)
 Distributed (networked science)
 Interdisciplinary
 Heterogeneous
 Quick and wide dissemination
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

18. The paradox of e-science
 I share my data because I want/need your data
Vs.
 I don’t share data because it doesn’t help my career
 It is MY data and I keep them safely stored on my laptop
 I don’t want other people to make misuse of my data
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

19. Opportunities for data exchange
http://www.ode-project.eu/
 Data sharing is
 smart: it is efficient, avoids duplication, stimulates the
advancement of science
 about transparency: it allows re-analysis
 about enrichment: it adds value to traditional publications
 rewarding: requirement for publicly funded research
 3 perspectives: researchers, publishers, libraries and data
centres
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

20. There is no other way
 E-science is a reality and Open Access goes hand in
hand with it
 Research output needs stable and trustworthy
 Access
 Storage
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

21. Challenges for research libraries
 Directly contribute to more efficient/transparent research
(open scholarschip, open knowledge)
 Getting embedded in the research and education
workflows
 Mobilising (less) resources for new priorities in new areas
in a different way with different people
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011

22.  Thank you!
 Questions/comments?
 Become a member of LIBEREurope in LinkedIn
 http://www.slideshare.net/libereurope
 Twitter: @LIBEREurope
 wouter.schallier@kb.nl
Ex Libris, Jerusalem, 16 November 2011