Research Data Services: Partnerships

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL)/Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) Joint Task Force on Research Data Services (RDS) formed in 2020 with a two-fold purpose: (1) to demonstrate and commit to the roles research libraries have in stewarding research data and as part of institution-wide research support services and (2) to guide the development of resources for the ARL and CARL memberships in advancing their organizations as collaborative partners with respect to research data services in the context of FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) data principles and the US National Academies’ Open Science by Design framework. Research libraries will be successful in meeting these objectives if they act collectively and are deeply engaged with disciplinary communities. The task force formed three working groups of data practitioners, representing a wealth of expertise, to research the institutional landscape and policy environment in both the US and Canada. This report of the ARL/CARL RDS task force’s working group on partnerships highlights library RDS programs’ work with partners and stakeholders. The report provides a set of tools for libraries to use when assessing their RDS partnerships, including assessing partnerships using a partnership life cycle, defining the continuum of possible partnerships, and creating a catalog. Not all partnerships will last the entirety of a librarian’s career, and having clear parameters for when to continue or sunset a partnership can reduce ambiguity and free up resources. Recognizing the continuum of possible partnerships can provide the framework by which librarians can understand the nature of each group. From cyclical to seasonal to sporadic, understanding the needs of a type of partnership can help libraries frame their understanding and meet a group where they are. Finally, creating a catalog of partnerships can help libraries see the landscape of the organization, as well as areas for growth. This approach also aligns with OCLC’s 2020 report on Social Interoperability in Research Support: Cross-Campus Partnerships and the University Research Enterprise, which highlights the necessity of building and stewarding partnerships. Developing and providing services in a decentralized organization relies on the ability to build trusted relationships. These tools will help libraries achieve sustainable growth that is in concert with their partners, generating robust, clearly aligned initiatives that benefit all parties, their campuses, and their communities.

Awareness of Linked Open Data Among the Employees of Polish Libraries, Archives, and Museums

Purpose/Thesis: This article presents the results of a survey conducted in January 2021 among employees of Polish libraries, museums, and archives, examining their awareness of open linked data technologies. The research had a pilot character and its results will be used to improve the questionnaire and to conduct research on a wider scale. Approach/Methods: The survey method was used in the study. Results and conclusions: On the basis of answers received, it can be concluded that open linked data is not yet very well-known among employees of Polish libraries, museums, and archives. Those most aware of technologies allowing for machine understanding of content shared on the Web are doctorate degree-holders employed in research libraries. Furthermore, awareness of the projects using LOD technologies does not correlate with awareness of these technological solutions. Research limitations: The number of respondents (415) constitutes 1% of all the people employed in libraries, archives, and museums in Poland (based on data provided by the Central Statistical Office of Poland). This is not a large number, but considering the variety among the respondents, the sample can be considered representative. Originality/Value: The awareness of Linked Open Data among employees of Polish libraries, archives, and museums has not been the subject of any study so far. In fact, this type of research has not been conducted in other countries either.

Copyright and information market today: European initiatives and library privileges

Copyright transformation in the digital world is going ahead. The paper describes new European initiatives in copyright regulation, particularly those that exert influence on information market and the work of libraries and other cultural heritage institutions as well as educational establishments. New European directive on copyright officially called The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market allows for broader use of in -copyright material online and across borders within the European Union for the purpose of education, research and cultural heritage preservation. The Directive simplifies digitization and distribution of out-of-commerce works and gives legal certainty to online use of copies of works of art that are in the public domain. One of the Directive articles gives libraries, archives and museums the right to make digital copies of copyright-protected works in their collections but exclusively for preservation purpose and to the extent necessary for preservation. These important reforms incorporate copyright limitations and exceptions in European legislation and open the way to mass digitization projects in European libraries. The paper also briefly describes LIBER (The Association of European Research Libraries) activities to promote short-term and long-term provisions in international and national copyright legislation to take into account public interests during healthcare, environmental and economic crises.

Copyright and information market today: European initiatives and library privileges

Copyright transformation in the digital world is going ahead. The paper describes new European initiatives in copyright regulation, particularly those that exert influence on information market and the work of libraries and other cultural heritage institutions as well as educational establishments. New European directive on copyright officially called The Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market allows for broader use of in-copyright material online and across borders within the European Union for the purpose of education, research and cultural heritage preservation. The Directive simplifies digitization and distribution of out-of-commerce works and gives legal certainty to online use of copies of works of art that are in the public domain. One of the Directive articles gives libraries, archives and museums the right to make digital copies of copyright-protected works in their collections but exclusively for preservation purpose and to the extent necessary for preservation. These important reforms incorporate copyright limitations and exceptions in European legislation and open the way to mass digitization projects in European libraries. The paper also briefly describes LIBER (The Association of European Research Libraries) activities to promote short-term and long-term provisions in international and national copyright legislation to take into account public interests during healthcare, environmental and economic crises.

Research data management and services: Resources for different data practitioners

The emergence of data-driven research and demands for the establishment of Research Data Management (RDM) has created interest in academic institutions and research organizations globally. Some of the libraries especially in developed countries have started offering RDM services to their communities. Although lagging behind, some academic libraries in developing countries are at the stage of planning or implementing the service. However, the level of RDM awareness is very low among researchers, librarians and other data practitioners. The objective of this paper is to present available open resources for different data practitioners particularly researchers and librarians. It includes training resources for both researchers and librarians, Data Management Plan (DMP) tool for researchers; data repositories available for researchers to freely archive and share their research data to the local and international communities. A case study with a survey was conducted at the University of Dodoma to identify relevant RDM services so that librarians could assist researchers to make their data accessible to the local and international community. The study findings revealed a low level of RDM awareness among researchers and librarians. Over 50% of the respondent indicated their perceived knowledge as poor in the following RDM knowledge areas; DMP, data repository, long term digital preservation, funders RDM mandates, metadata standards describing data and general awareness of RDM. Therefore, this paper presents available open resources for different data practitioners to improve RDM knowledge and boost the confidence of academic and research libraries in establishing the service.

Essential Academic Journals Tend to Be of Universal Importance, While Many Journals Available on For-Profit Platforms Appear to Be Ancillary

A Review of: Mongeon, P., Siler, K., Archambault, A., Sugimoto, C. R., & Larivière, V. (2021). Collection development in the era of big deals. College & Research Libraries, 82(2), 219–236. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.82.2.219 Abstract Objective – (1) Present a method of journal appraisal that combines reference list, article download, and survey data. (2) Gauge journal usage patterns across selected universities. Design – Analysis of reference lists, article downloads, and survey data. Setting – 28 Canadian universities. Subjects – 47,012 distinct academic journal titles. Methods – Download data for the 2011-2015 period was sourced from standard Journal Report 1 (JR1) usage reports as supplied by the vendors. Download figures were summed for journals that were available through multiple platforms. Reference list data (i.e., the number of times documents published in each journal were cited by authors affiliated with a participating institution) was sourced from Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science, limiting for the years 2011-2015. An unknown number of researchers at 23 of the 28 participating universities were invited by email to complete a survey. The survey asked respondents to list the scholarly journals they considered essential for their research and teaching (up to 10 journals for each purpose). The three datasets (download, reference list, and survey data) were then merged. Duplicates and non-academic journals were removed. Journals were then grouped into broad discipline areas. A list of “core journals” (p. 228) was created for each institution. These journals produce 80% of downloads, 80% of citations, or 80% of survey mentions at each institution. A journal only had to reach the threshold in one category (i.e., in either downloads, citations, or mentions) to make it onto the core journals list. A “low” (p. 228) survey response rate meant “one mention [was] generally enough" (p. 228) for a journal to be classified as core. Main results – Fewer than 500 titles (n=484, ~1%) made it to the core journals list at all 28 universities. Two thirds (66%, n unknown) of journals did not make it onto the core list of any university. Of the journals deemed to be core, most (60%, n unknown) were shared across all institutions. On average, platforms from not-for-profit organizations and scientific societies contain a higher proportion of core journals than for-profit platforms. Notably, 63.6% of Springer journals, 58.9% of Taylor & Francis journals, and 45.8% of Elsevier’s journals do not appear on the core journal list of any university. Conclusion – Libraries should consider ways to share resources and work more cooperatively in their negotiations with publishers. Further, libraries may be able to cancel entire journal bundles without this having a “sizable” (p. 233) impact on resource access.

Library Staff Need More Support in Order to Alleviate Teaching Anxiety

A Review of: Lundstrom, K., Fagerheim, B. & Van Geem, S. (2021). Library teaching anxiety: Understanding and supporting a persistent issue in librarianship. College & Research Libraries, 82(3), 389-409. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.82.3.389 Abstract Objective – To determine academic librarians’ attitudes towards their teaching, how teaching anxiety manifests itself, and how teaching anxiety affects these attitudes. Design – Online Survey. Setting – The survey was distributed through various library science listservs. Subjects – Any library staff with a teaching component in their role were invited to respond. There was a total of 1,035 initial responses. Methods – The survey questions were based on a previously published survey about teaching anxiety by Davis (2007). However, the survey for this study added questions about formal and self-diagnosis of other types of anxieties, physical and psychological anxiety symptoms, and how teaching anxiety impacts other areas of the respondents’ lives. There were also questions on potential supports to reduce teaching anxiety, as well as potential barriers to these supports. Main Results – It was found that approximately 65% of respondents experience teaching anxiety. Approximately 40% of those respondents were formally diagnosed with anxiety, and approximately 42% were self-diagnosed. There was a significant association between a formal diagnosis of anxiety, and teaching anxiety. There were also significant associations between past training, preparation, and teaching anxiety, with anxiety occurring less with increased training and preparation. Conclusion – Teaching anxiety is a significant issue among library staff. Supports in the form of workshops on teaching as well as coping with anxiety can possibly help to reduce this phenomenon.

Library Workers Experiencing or Observing Sexual Harassment in University of California Libraries is Commonplace and Commonly Unreported

A Review of: Barr-Walker, J., Hoffner, C., McMunn-Tetangco, E., & Mody, N. (2021). Sexual harassment at University of California Libraries: Understanding the experiences of library staff members. College & Research Libraries, 82(2), 237. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.82.2.237 Abstract Objective – To identify whether academic library workers at the University of California Libraries (UCL) system experienced or observed sexual harassment and to measure their reporting and disclosure behavior. Design – Anonymous online survey with open and closed-end questions. Setting – All UCL system campuses (Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Diego, and San Francisco). Subjects – All 1610 non-student employees working in UCL system were invited to participate, 579 (36%) responded. Methods – The authors engaged multiple stakeholder groups to refine and promote this census of UCL non-student workers. The survey was distributed via REDCap and remained open for six weeks of November to December 2018. All questions were optional. Certain demographic information was not collected because respondents might have been identified via deductive disclosure. The first author conducted descriptive statistical analysis and pairs of authors conducted thematic analysis. Main Results – More than half of respondents experienced or observed sexual harassment in the workplace; women were more likely to experience than observe and vice versa for men. Harassment was most likely to be exhibited by a coworker. Less than half of respondents felt that the UCL system administration considered the issue important. Nearly three out of every four respondents who had experienced harassment at work chose not to report or disclose; this did not vary significantly between women and men. Conclusion – Sexual harassment of library workers, often by other library workers, is widespread. Staff training and policies should incorporate the reality of gender harassment and commenting on a person's appearance—the two most common forms of harassment exhibited and observed.

Librarians Are Interested in Finding Research Collaborators

A Review of: Tran, N. Y., & Chan, E. K. (2020). Seeking and finding research collaborators: An exploratory study of librarian motivations, strategies, and success rates. College & Research Libraries, 81(7), 1095. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.81.7.1095 Abstract Objective – To explore research collaboration among librarians, including librarians’ motivations for collaboration, methods for finding collaborators, and how they perceive the success of these methods. Design – Online survey questionnaire. Setting – N/A Subjects – A total of 412 librarians took the survey, and 277 respondents completed the entire survey. Methods – The researchers developed a survey using Qualtrics, including questions focused on whether respondents had sought research collaboration, factors that motivated them to collaborate, methods they used for finding collaborators, and success rates of these methods. Demographic questions were also included. Main Results – The survey results indicated that librarians are very interested in research collaboration, with 91.8% of respondents answering that they had sought collaborators, were currently collaborating, or were interested in seeking collaborators in the future. The top motivating factor for seeking collaboration was to gain expertise that the respondent lacked. The most common strategy for finding collaborators was through a respondent’s current or past place of employment, and this method was rated as extremely successful by more than 50% of respondents. Demographically, 70.1% of respondents worked in academic libraries. Conclusion – The results of this study indicate that research collaboration is of interest to librarians at a higher rate than previously observed. These results can help inform initiatives to support and promote collaboration in library and information science research, as well as provide a groundwork for further research in this area.