The role of an academic library
#SciData17 · Wednesday 25 October 2017
Jez Cope, Research Data Manager
University of Sheffield Library
What is a modern research library?
Why are we involved with Open Research?
What can we do for you?
Submit questions at slido.com/scidata17
These slides at jcope.shef.ac.uk/talks
Not a real librarian
Shh, don't tell anyone!
"I mean, I can get everything online for free now…"
“Librarians consider free access to information the foundation of democracy.”
— Marilyn Johnson (2011), This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All
Discoverability
Metadata
Information management systems
Preservation
Copyright/licensing
Information literacy
Policy
Teaching
Librarians manage information
Librarians facilitate access to information
Research is information…
At the University of Sheffield
Theme 2 (of 6): "Research Excellence & Impact"
"…cohesive offering of library research services…"
"…new models of scholarly communication…"
"…secure digital assets for the future…"
Findable
Accessible
Interoperable
Reusable
(of course…)
Help make your content easier to find
…and therefore more likely to have an impact
Measure that impact with traditional & alternative metrics
F · A · I · R
Help make your content…
articles, books, data, software, whatever
…easier to navigate and understand
F · A · I · R
Ways of storing your content to maintain your sanity
That includes both digital and physical systems
F · A · I · R
Keep your content available over decades and centuries
F · A · I · R
Navigate a complex landscape of rights and responsibilities
F · A · I · R
Evaluate the quality of information sources
F · A · I · R
Stand up for the needs of our users
F · A · I · R
Article Processing Charges (for paid/gold OA)
Institutional repository (for self-archiving/green OA)
Data repository
Data management plans
Writing guidance
Teaching (and developing teaching materials)
Planning
Managing projects
Community building
Infrastructure building
Policy development
Service evaluation
…
Within the Library
IT service
Research office
Research software engineering
Research ethics
Faculties, departments & institutes
RSE
Library
Together
Training · Policy · Lobbying
Hybrid librarian & data scientist
Often embedded in research departments
(More common in the US)
Data skills for all librarians!
Data journals
Short-form monographs
Student journals
Altmetrics
Ask questions
Invite them to contribute
Let them know what you need
Tell people how much you still get from the library
Oh, and please submit your reading lists on time… 😉
Research Support Unit, University Library
CICS, Research Services, RSE at Sheffield
Everyone whose ideas you've just seen!
Thanks for listening!