Dynamic Research Support for Academic Libraries is a practical, illustrated guide to emerging models of research support. The book is divided into three parts that examine different aspects of research support by using case studies from international universities.
Part 1 is Training and Infrastructure, which looks at the need for continual improvement in academic libraries and their services to manage new practices in teaching, learning and research. The first case study is the renovation and expansion of the library at El Colegio de México (Colmex) in Mexico City. This combines a requirement for traditional library services with spaces that can adapt to evolving research and teaching practices. The second chapter describes the Biblioteca Digital Ovidiana project, which sought to digitise the Rare Books and Special Collections at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The resulting virtual museum is filled with different galleries, enabling researchers to have both digital and web-based access to the collection. A Developing Librarian digital scholarship pilot training project at the University of Florida is the case study in the third chapter. The aim was to reskill librarians with training and exposure to tools and techniques being used in the digital humanities. The results for reskilling librarians have so far been encouraging.
The second part of the book looks at the increasingly data-driven focus of university research. This begins with the need to prepare graduate students in the effective use of research data. The Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis data information literacy instruction programme is the case study in this chapter. Data literacy is the focal point of a case study at the Digital Social Society Center of Columbia University, New York. The Centre introduced a four-phase research lifecycle to identify a researcher’s progress, assess any needs and organise support. It is anticipated that this framework will help to shape the way the University’s research community evolves. The potential of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as an academic research tool is discussed in a study from the Portland Library and Learning Commons at the University of Oregon. By using layered data-sets, GIS has made information visible, flexible and reconfigurable on a map, increasing the use of ArcGIS in research activities.
Research as a Conversation (Part 3) discusses the important role of academic libraries in the dissemination of research information using online technology and the need for more appropriate academic information literacy programmes. The use of open access (OA) to publish journal articles and conference proceedings at the University of Edinburgh is the case study. It was found that linking OA with research assessment has increased author interest in the importance of OA. The problem of transition between secondary and higher education is the focus of the iKomp MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) at the Uit, The Arctic University of Norway. Expectations are that use of the course will decrease uncertainty for students facing this transition. The final chapter explores the importance of descriptive, rich metadata in making research material findable. The case study is the University of North Texas, where the incorporation of name control into existing digital library collections was accomplished by integrating authorised names during the metadata entry process.
The examples given in this book provide information professionals and students with relevant findings relating to research support in academic libraries. The contributions are authoritative and the projects are well presented. It would be a useful reference for creating a library culture that includes exploration, learning and collaboration.
University of Melbourne
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© 2016 Kylie Hill
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00048623.2016.1262735