Responding to Change: Reinventing Librarian Identities in the Age of Research Mandates

Abstract

This chapter outlines libraries' (and librarians') changing identities in the new world of research mandates from funders, institutions, and publishers. As libraries respond to the demands of these mandates on their users at the individual, departmental and institutional levels, they need to revise their approaches to relationship building and user engagement, as well as maintain flexibility in the face of changing roles and skill requirements. This chapter will (1) outline the changing scholarly ecosystem; (2) summarize major terms and concepts to understand the process of producing research outputs; (3) discuss the perspectives of the major players in the research enterprise; (4) present some of the challenges that research mandates and the changing research environment have brought to libraries; and finally (5) review ways in which libraries have successfully addressed them. The focus here is on the academic research setting, although many of the strategies outlined can be equally applicable in both non-academic research and nonresearch funding contexts.

Research Data Management (RDM) and the Evolving Identity of Academic Libraries and Librarians: A Literature Review

“…Now academic libraries are shifting their focus to the management of digital collections and re-shaping support services due to shifts on the scholarly ecosystem (Pinfield, Cox, & Rutter, 2017;Fowler & Hines, 2018). The dominance of technology has increasingly affected the information environment, leading to significant changes in the image and the identity of libraries and other organisations (Glusker & Exner, 2018;Rowley, 2006). Cox, Pinfield, and Rutter (2018) suggests that major changes in technology and scholarly communication have affected libraries' identity through the re-shaping of activities, values, and brands.…”

Underrated or overstated? The need for technological competencies in scholarly communication librarianship

“…Other literature has also tended towards such descriptions. Bonn (2014) describes a broad expectation that librarians be "fluent in the language of SC" (p. 132); Glusker and Exner (2018) describe how the cross-disciplinary nature of SC "calls into play librarians' skills as translators" (p. 105). Saunder's (2015) focus group discussion on technology skills perhaps best matches how this study's participants conceived of their tech competency need:…”

“…The literature has explored the skills and knowledge needed by librarians working in SC at a number of levels. Some research has looked broadly at the future of academic libraries, considering which services need to be expanded and what skills staff will need to deliver them, often particularly in reference to research support (Auckland, 2012;Glusker & Exner, 2018). Other studies investigate the roles of specialists in areas such as bibliometrics or research data management (RDM) (e.g.…”