Libraries should develop a new model for providing information resources and analytical tools for the use of scholars working in the current multidisciplinary research environment. This model, A New Synthesis, based on today’s research experience should replace the present concept of the “collection budget.” Sources are proliferating and traditional scholarly resources are no longer at the core. Research itself has changed. Previously, finding information was primary, but now information is plentiful and today’s challenges are to understand, analyze, and extract insight from these vast resources. To address this challenge, newly designed libraries are appearing that are radically different, reconceptualizing learning spaces, technological infrastructure, and research labs for scholars and students. Yet, the concept of the collection budget is little changed. We must embrace a paradigm that allows us to envision holistically the development and investment necessary to support current research. To enable expanded capacity for supporting today’s Grand Challenge research and to ensure the critical relevancy of academic libraries in this endeavor, we must employ a new synthesis. Sources can no longer be viewed independently from the tools needed to analyze them. Critical elements include: redeploying funds to an array of open platforms; shifting the focus from access to knowledge creation; and investing in spaces, technology, and people that will help researchers solve problems in new ways. We are at a moment when building these services and placing them at the heart of libraries requires fundamental organizational and financial change. Reconceiving current spending on collections is essential to this change.
{"title":"A New Synthesis: Research Resources to Research Experiences","authors":"H. Hickerson","doi":"10.5703/1288284317153","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317153","url":null,"abstract":"Libraries should develop a new model for providing information resources and\u0000 analytical tools for the use of scholars working in the current multidisciplinary\u0000 research environment. This model, A New Synthesis, based on today’s research experience\u0000 should replace the present concept of the “collection budget.” Sources are proliferating\u0000 and traditional scholarly resources are no longer at the core. Research itself has\u0000 changed. Previously, finding information was primary, but now information is plentiful\u0000 and today’s challenges are to understand, analyze, and extract insight from these vast\u0000 resources. To address this challenge, newly designed libraries are appearing that are\u0000 radically different, reconceptualizing learning spaces, technological infrastructure,\u0000 and research labs for scholars and students. Yet, the concept of the collection budget\u0000 is little changed. We must embrace a paradigm that allows us to envision holistically\u0000 the development and investment necessary to support current research. To enable expanded\u0000 capacity for supporting today’s Grand Challenge research and to ensure the critical\u0000 relevancy of academic libraries in this endeavor, we must employ a new synthesis.\u0000 Sources can no longer be viewed independently from the tools needed to analyze them.\u0000 Critical elements include: redeploying funds to an array of open platforms; shifting the\u0000 focus from access to knowledge creation; and investing in spaces, technology, and people\u0000 that will help researchers solve problems in new ways. We are at a moment when building\u0000 these services and placing them at the heart of libraries requires fundamental\u0000 organizational and financial change. Reconceiving current spending on collections is\u0000 essential to this change.","PeriodicalId":287918,"journal":{"name":"\"The Time Has Come . . . to Talk of Many Things\"","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124652221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jordan Sly, Leigh Ann DePope, Cynthia Frank, S. Ritchie
This paper will address the development process of a qualitative evaluation tool to aid in the thorough analysis of library resources at the University of Maryland. Specifically, our project looks at the use and added value of this tool for the building, reflecting, and analyzing the connections between qualitative and quantitative data. This will allow for more meaningful justifications of budgetary decisions compared to cost and use metrics alone. Given the necessity for meticulous review of continuing resources, our project addresses a request for enhanced transparency from the university faculty and library oversight bodies and serves as a useful tool for accountability and justification of impactful decisions for stakeholders internally and externally. We will discuss the extant literature and the need for this type of tool, the development process including the output planning and data input format, the initial reception of the project, and future goals and planning for our initial usage. Additionally, we will demonstrate the use of the tool, model output, and discuss options for visualizations, storage, and retrieval of input data.
{"title":"The Time Has Come... To Build, Reflect, and Analyze Connections Between Qualitative\u0000 and Quantitative Data","authors":"Jordan Sly, Leigh Ann DePope, Cynthia Frank, S. Ritchie","doi":"10.5703/1288284317144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284317144","url":null,"abstract":"This paper will address the development process of a qualitative evaluation tool\u0000 to aid in the thorough analysis of library resources at the University of Maryland.\u0000 Specifically, our project looks at the use and added value of this tool for the\u0000 building, reflecting, and analyzing the connections between qualitative and quantitative\u0000 data. This will allow for more meaningful justifications of budgetary decisions compared\u0000 to cost and use metrics alone. Given the necessity for meticulous review of continuing\u0000 resources, our project addresses a request for enhanced transparency from the university\u0000 faculty and library oversight bodies and serves as a useful tool for accountability and\u0000 justification of impactful decisions for stakeholders internally and externally. We will\u0000 discuss the extant literature and the need for this type of tool, the development\u0000 process including the output planning and data input format, the initial reception of\u0000 the project, and future goals and planning for our initial usage. Additionally, we will\u0000 demonstrate the use of the tool, model output, and discuss options for visualizations,\u0000 storage, and retrieval of input data.","PeriodicalId":287918,"journal":{"name":"\"The Time Has Come . . . to Talk of Many Things\"","volume":"144 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114524331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}