A survey of librarians on OA publishing, from AIP.
Librarian Survey on Open Access
Reply
Category Archives: oa.librarians
Research Productivity among Scholarly Communication Librarians
“This questionnaire is intended for librarians whose primary professional responsibilities are in scholarly communication: the system through which research and scholarship is created, evaluated, disseminated, and preserved through formal and informal channels. In the current library environment, specific responsibilities might include scholarly publishing, open access initiatives, library publishing, publication funding (i.e., subvention), institutional repositories, research data services, authors’ rights and/or copyright, impact metrics, digital scholarship, and others directly contributing to the scholarly information life cycle.
This study is exploratory. The purpose is to investigate the research and scholarly productivity of scholarly communication librarians (as defined above). Specifically, the investigators seek to understand the extent to which scholarly communication librarians produce research and scholarship, their motivations for doing so, the nature of that productivity, and the perceived impact of that activity on their professional responsibilities….”
Open Research: Scholarly communication competencies: An analysis of confidence among Australasian library staff
Abstract: Through a nationwide survey of universities and research organizations in Australia and New Zealand, this article investigates the level of confidence that librarians working in scholarly communication have in their current competencies. The results show that while respondents were generally confident across seven competency areas (Institutional repository management, Publishing services, Research practice, Copyright services, Open access policies and scholarly communication landscape, Data management services, and Assessment and impact metrics), the majority combined their scholarly communication tasks with other roles. Challenges across the sector in updating skills and knowledge to keep abreast of current trends and developments were identified, with implications for improving professional development opportunities.
Bradley | Academic Librarians, Open Access, and the Ethics of Care | Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication
Abstract: This paper explores the value of applying the ethics of care to scholarly communications work, particularly that of open-access (OA) librarians. The ethics of care is a feminist philosophical perspective that sees in the personal a new way to approach other facets of life, including the political and the professional. Care, in this context, is broadly construed as “a species of activity that includes everything we do to maintain, contain, and repair our ‘world’ so that we can live in it as well as possible” (Fisher & Tronto, 1990, p. 40). Joan Tronto outlined four elements of care: attentiveness, responsibility, competence, and responsiveness, and highlighted the value of care beyond the domestic sphere (1993). The ethics of care values care and relationships as instructive ways of framing and examining work, and has been applied in diverse disciplines, including education, nursing, social work, and even business. Several LIS professionals have considered the ethics of care in the context of library technologies (Henry, 2016) and digital humanities (Dohe, 2019), among others. The ethics of care can also provide inspiration for OA librarians as we think about the scope and nature of our work. What could open access librarians learn from the ethics of care? How might our practice change or evolve with the ethics of care as an underpinning philosophy? Who do we include in our circle of care while we undertake our work? The ethics of care provides a more expansive way to think about OA librarianship.
James Hilton leaving library role to focus on academic innovation | The University Record
“James Hilton, the University of Michigan’s vice provost for academic innovation and university librarian-dean of libraries, will step down from his library role June 30….
Over his nearly decade of service to U-M, Collins said, Hilton had led the development of digital scholarship services, increased the awareness of and access to U-M faculty research, piloted new models of sustainable open-access publishing, furthered the potential for cooperative collection sharing, preservation and collaboration, and increased the organization’s focus on redressing issues of bias and racism.”
Health Sciences Librarians’ Engagement In Open Science: A Scoping Review
Objectives: To identify the engagement of health sciences librarians (HSLs) in open science (OS) through the delivery of library services, support, and programs for researchers.
Methods: We performed a scoping review guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework and Joanna Briggs’ Manual for Scoping Reviews. Our search methods consisted of searching five bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, LISTA, and Web of Science Core Collection), reference harvesting, and targeted website and journal searching. To determine study eligibility, we applied predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria and reached consensus when there was disagreement. We extracted data in duplicate and performed qualitative analysis to map key themes.
Results: We included fifty-four studies. Research methods included descriptive or narrative approaches (76%); surveys, questionnaires, and interviews (15%); or mixed methods (9%). We labeled studies with one or more of FOSTER’s six OS themes: open access (54%), open data (43%), open science (24%), open education (6%), open source (6%), and citizen science (6%). Key drivers in OS were scientific integrity and transparency, openness as a guiding principle in research, and funder mandates making research publicly accessible.
Conclusions: HSLs play key roles in advancing OS worldwide. Formal studies are needed to assess the impact of HSLs’ engagement in OS. HSLs should promote adoption of OS within their research communities and develop strategic plans aligned with institutional partners. HSLs can promote OS by adopting more rigorous and transparent research practices of their own. Future research should examine HSLs’ engagement in OS through social justice and equity perspectives.
Advocating for Open Access to Legal Information
Challenges and opportunities of facilitating access and use of open access resources to users by librarians in federal and state universities in Nigeria | Emerald Insight
Abstract: Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges and opportunities of librarians in federal and state universities in Nigeria in facilitating access to open access resources.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a positivist research paradigm, descriptive survey research approach was employed in the study. Five research questions guided the study. The population of the study was 79 librarians. There was no sampling. A questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection, and the data were presented in figures and tables.
Findings
The major findings of the study were that librarians are aware of open access resources. They make the resources available/visible to users by linking them to the library website and promote the use of Google and Google Scholar searches. The librarians were of the view that free online resources are important for the research process. The major challenges they face in giving users access to these resources are lack of metrics and evidence to demonstrate the value of free content.
Research limitations/implications
The study only assessed e-resources’ librarians in the sampled universities at the time of this study. It may be necessary to assess the perception of users towards open access resources.
Practical implications
Adopting and implementing these opportunities to enhance users’ access and use of the resources will improve service delivery without doubt. Though this study is not exhaustive, it has provided insight into the inherent opportunities of using open access resources.
Originality/value
For the library management and librarians, the creation of awareness on available open access resources and facilitating access to users through different strategies will not only increase access but also improve teaching, learning and research. It will also increase users’ awareness on accessing other sources apart from through subscription.
Librarians as gate-openers in open access publishing: A case study in the United Arab Emirates – ScienceDirect
The advent of open access (OA) has changed the scholarly communication landscape resulting in disruption of traditional relationships between different stakeholders. Thus, the gatekeeping role of academic librarians has been impaired. However, by assuming the role of gate-openers, librarians have become facilitators of OA uptake in the United Arab Emirates. Results of the UAE librarians survey show that they are aware of OA routes and predatory journals; they are using different instruction methods to educate users on OA resources and publishing; and they harness OA resources along the traditional subscription-based products. Readers of international library journals need to be aware of efforts undertaken by their peers to advance OA mandate outside the Eastern European and North American context, often dominating scholarly communication studies.
Librarians as gate-openers in open access publishing: A case study in the United Arab Emirates – ScienceDirect
The advent of open access (OA) has changed the scholarly communication landscape resulting in disruption of traditional relationships between different stakeholders. Thus, the gatekeeping role of academic librarians has been impaired. However, by assuming the role of gate-openers, librarians have become facilitators of OA uptake in the United Arab Emirates. Results of the UAE librarians survey show that they are aware of OA routes and predatory journals; they are using different instruction methods to educate users on OA resources and publishing; and they harness OA resources along the traditional subscription-based products. Readers of international library journals need to be aware of efforts undertaken by their peers to advance OA mandate outside the Eastern European and North American context, often dominating scholarly communication studies.
Developing scholarly communication competencies: How a post-master’s degree residency program can provide career preparation | Tavernier | College & Research Libraries News
Developing scholarly communication competencies: How a post-master’s degree residency program can provide career preparation
by Willa Tavernier
Vol 82, No 4 (2021) April
“…During the final semester of my MLIS, IU-Bloomington advertised its inaugural diversity residency for an open scholarship librarian—the position which I now hold. This three-year residency based in the Scholarly Communication Department, is collaboratively funded by the library and the university. Over the first two years of my residency, I have developed competency in institutional repository management and publishing services, assessment and impact metrics, and outreach and instruction. A high level of institutional support, the length of the residency, and the agency I had in developing projects, together with substantial professional development funding and mentorship, were key contributors to developing these competencies….”
Impostor Phenomenon and Skills Confidence among Scholarly Communications Librarians in the United States | Owens | College & Research Libraries
Abstract: This survey-based study sought to measure the experience of impostor phenomenon among library personnel supporting scholarly communications in academic libraries in the United States. Additionally, the survey sought to assess confidence levels in key, professionally defined competencies and the factors most significantly affecting those confidence levels. Results indicated that, on average, scholarly communications librarians experience impostor phenomenon more frequently and intensely than academic librarians more broadly. The length of time spent working in libraries was negatively correlated with levels of impostor phenomenon, as were hours spent in specialized continuing education activities and number of research publications. Implications for improving training and mentoring opportunities to decrease impostor phenomenon are discussed.
A survey of medical researchers indicates poor awareness of research data management processes and a role for data librarians – Milewska – – Health Information & Libraries Journal – Wiley Online Library
Abstract: Background
The European Parliament’s directive on open data indicates the direction to follow for all public institutions in Europe. The portal Polish Platform of Medical Research (PPM) required more information about researcher attitudes and training requirements for strategic planning.
Objectives
The aim was to assess (1) the status of knowledge about research data management among medical researchers in Poland, and (2) their attitudes towards data sharing. This knowledge may help to inform a training program and adapt PPM to the requirements of researchers.
Methods
The authors circulated an online survey and received responses from 603 researchers representing medical sciences and related disciplines. The survey was conducted in 2019 at seven Polish medical universities and at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine. Analysis used descriptive statistics.
Results
Data sharing was not widespread (55.7% only shared with their research team, 9.8% had shared data on an open access basis). Many cited possible benefits of research data sharing but were concerned about drawbacks (e.g. fraud, plagiarism).
Discussion
Polish medical scientists, like many researchers, are not aware of the processes required for safe data preparation for sharing. Academic libraries should develop roles for data librarians to help train researchers.
Conclusion
Fears about the dangers of data sharing need to be overcome before researchers are willing to share their own research data.
Digital Scholarship Outreach and Lab Coordinator
“Reporting to the University Librarian and working with a cross-departmental team of library staff, this position will play a key role in designing and piloting a new academic library-based model for supporting digital scholarship work that contributes to equity, diversity, and sustainability. The Outreach and Lab Coordinator will play a central role in planning and carrying out this model, as well as assessing, documenting, and sharing the model, and adding to our knowledge of how to accelerate, connect, inspire, and expand digital scholarship on equity, diversity, and sustainability. …”
open access track: SLA 2021 Annual Conference | 3-31 August | Special Libraries Association
Adventures in Science-Technology: Exploring Scientific Communication Challenges for Researchers
3:45 PM – 4:45 PM EDT on Wednesday, August 11
Open Access Resources, COVID, and Providing Science Information
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM EDT on Thursday, August 12
Journal Selection Showdown: 90 Minutes to Improved Scholarly Communication Consultations
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EDT on Friday, August 13…