New Roles for Research Librarians: Meeting the Expectations for Research Support

By Hilde Daland and Kari-Mette Walmann Hidle

New Roles for Research Librarians: Meeting the Expectations for Research Support presents strategies librarians can use to adapt to the new conditions and growing expectations that are emerging from students and researchers. Even if they have never completed a PhD, or even been engaged in independent research themselves, this book will provide a new roadmap on how to deal with the new work environment.

The book provides different approaches that include the library in the research process, an area that is often neglected by researchers during their planning and strategic work on research projects. Users will find content that offers tactics on how to create a new dialogue between the librarian and the postgraduate student, along with comprehensive discussions on different starting points, and how communication and collaboration can help reach the best of both worlds.

• Explores the new roles available for research librarians and how they can be integral parts of research
• Provides a new roadmap on how to deal with the new work environment that now exists between librarians and researchers
• Discusses the development and systemizing of research support services and strategies
• Offers insights into the collaboration between the librarian and PhD-candidates

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Release date: May 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9780081005774

Hilde Daland

Hilde Daland is a Research Librarian and Research Support Coordinator at Agder University Library. She has presented her work at several conferences and seminars. She teaches information literacy to bachelor, master and PhD students, and has lead projects in research support services and ethical use of sources. Hilde was the project manager of the Citation Compass (2010-2011) and is now the editorial manager for the website, which is a website for referencing and citation styles.

Book preview

New Roles for Research Librarians

Meeting the Expectations for Research Support

Hilde Drivenes Daland

Kari-Mette Walmann Hidle

Table of Contents

Cover image

Title page

Series Page

Copyright

About the Authors

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1. Getting Involved in the Research Environment and the Research Process

1.1. Introduction

1.2. Great Expectations

1.3. Conclusions

Chapter 2. Information Literacy Skills in the Research Process

2.1. Introduction

2.2. Why Should the Library Take Part in Research?

2.3. Developing a Community of Practice for Research Support

2.4. Different Approaches to Information Literacy and Learning

2.5. The Sociocultural Approach

2.6. The Behaviouristic Approach

2.7. The Phenomenological Approach

2.8. Practical Approaches to Information Literacy

2.9. University Strategies and Goals

2.10. Information Literacy and Research

2.11. Searching

2.12. Source Evaluation

2.13. Ethical Use of Sources

2.14. Conclusions

Chapter 3. What Is Research Support From the Library, and What Should It Be?

3.1. Introduction

3.2. The Importance of Liaison Librarians

3.3. Kuhlthau’s Five Levels of Mediation

3.4. What do Researchers Need?

3.5. Best Practices for Research support

3.6. Conclusions

Chapter 4. Getting to Know the Library

4.1. Introduction

4.2. Conclusions

Chapter 5. Meeting Different Expectations: An Approach to the Different Library Users’ Needs

5.1. Andragogy–Teaching Adults or, Rather, Helping Them Learn

5.2. Different Types – The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator

5.3. Ages of Research

5.4. Some Stereotypes of Postgraduates as Library Users

5.5. Getting to Know You…

5.6. Setting up Library Instruction for Postgraduates

5.7. Getting Established Researchers to Attend Library Instruction Courses

5.8. Courses for Researchers – How Do I Make Them Come?

5.9. Conclusions

Chapter 6. What Can the Library Offer and What Can the Librarian Do?

6.1. Introduction

6.2. What Can the Library Offer?

6.3. Research Support From the Library – Formal Research Support

6.4. What Can the Librarian Do?

6.5. Research Support from the Librarian – Informal and Formal Research Support

6.6. Conclusions

Chapter 7. Communication Is Key – How to Make Contact and Stay in Touch

7.1. Introduction

7.2. The First Move

7.3. Formal Contact With the Doctoral Education Programme

7.4. Informal Contact With Postgraduate Students

7.5. Getting Included

7.6. Conclusions

Chapter 8. Important Research Support Services

8.1. Introduction

8.2. The Library in the Research Process

8.3. Mapping out the Research Process

8.4. Data Collection and Literature Reviews

8.5. Success – A Systematic Approach to Searching

8.6. Writing

8.7. Publishing

8.8. Marketing Research and Making It Visible

8.9. Conclusions

Chapter 9. Subject and Discipline Affect Library Needs

9.1. Introduction

9.2. Liaison Librarians Are Essential to Quality Research Support

9.3. Differences in Subjects

9.4. Some Examples

9.5. Differences in different Parts of the research Process

9.6. Conclusions

Chapter 10. More Fun and Better Results – Cooperating in Academic Writing

10.1. Introduction

10.2. Development for the Liaison Librarian?

10.3. Researchers and the Library

10.4. Conclusions

Chapter 11. Conclusions and Suggestions for Further Work

11.1. Final Remarks

Chapter 12. Suggestions for Further Reading

12.1. Introduction

12.2. Research Support From the Library

12.3. Research on Research Support?

12.4. Reports From Institutions and Networks

12.5. Researcher’s Information Behaviour

12.6. Faculty–Librarian Partnerships

12.7. On Differences in Subjects

12.8. Bibliometrics and Altmetrics

12.9. Final Remarks

Index

Series Page

Chandos Information Professional Series

Series Editor: Ruth Rikowski

(email: [e-mail])

Chandos’ new series of books is aimed at the busy information professional. They have been specially commissioned to provide the reader with an authoritative view of current thinking. They are designed to provide easy-to-read and (most importantly) practical coverage of topics that are of interest to librarians and other information professionals. If you would like a full listing of current and forthcoming titles, please visit www.chandospublishing.com.

New authors: We are always pleased to receive ideas for new titles; if you would like to write a book for Chandos, please contact Dr Glyn Jones on [e-mail] or telephone [phone].

Copyright

Chandos Publishing is an imprint of Elsevier

50 Hampshire Street, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, OX5 1GB, UK

© H.D. Daland and K.M. Walmann Hidle, 2016. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions.

This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein).

Notices

Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.

Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.

To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

ISBN: 978-0-08-100566-8 (print)

ISBN: 978-0-08-100577-4 (online)

For information on all Chandos Publishing publications visit our website at https://www.elsevier.com/

Publisher: Glyn Jones

Acquisition Editor: Glyn Jones

Editorial Project Manager: Harriet Clayton

Production Project Manager: Debasish Ghosh

Designer: Mark Rogers

Typeset by TNQ Books and Journals

About the Authors

Hilde Drivenes Daland is a research librarian and research support coordinator at Agder University Library. She has presented her work at several conferences and seminars. She teaches information literacy to bachelor, master and PhD students, and has led projects in research support services and ethical use of sources. She has published articles on information literacy and research support, and is currently the manager of the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions Library Committee’s working group for research support services. Daland has been the project manager of the Citation Compass (2010–2015) and is now the editorial manager for its website which is dedicated to referencing and citation styles.

Kari-Mette Walmann Hidle is Associate Professor at the University of Agder. She holds a PhD in Philosophy of Religion from the interdisciplinary program of Religion, Ethics and Society at the University of Agder. Her research deals with questions of both plurality and unity on philosophical, societal and practical levels. Hidle lectures in vocational studies, in which academic writing, research methods and research ethics are amongst her subjects.

Preface

The library’s role is changing and taking a more active part in university research. This entails new roles and responsibilities for liaison librarians. Familiarity with the research process and research environments at a university is becoming increasingly important. Liaison librarians can no longer rely on the researchers visiting the library and making inquiries. They must spend time communicating with the researchers and marketing relevant library services.

The authors of this book have worked in partnership as a postgraduate student and librarian during a four-year period informally developing research support services. We have been happy to extend that enterprise in writing this book together. Even though we have developed the ideas together and discussed every part of it, Hilde Drivenes Daland has written the book out as a whole. The sections written by Kari-Mette Walmann Hidle are marked by her name.

Without strong partnerships, good co-workers and the sharing of explicit and tacit knowledge we would never have been able to develop professionally or write this book. A special thank you goes out to librarians Birgitte Kleivset, Dina Møll Schoder and Jimi Thaule for perusal readings and comments, and to Professors May-Brith Ohman Nielsen and Pål Repstad and Associate Professor Irene Trysnes for their advice and guidance. We would like to thank Rune Helander for his advice on the cover for this book. We are also grateful to Chandos Publishing and Harriet Clayton for help and guidance throughout the process of writing this book. We would also like to thank the postgraduate students at the University of Agder for sharing their experiences, asking tough questions and simply being engaged and enthusiastic researchers. A special thank you goes out to Ingrid Galtung, Morten Klepp Beckmann and Sivert Urstad for letting their librarian crash their basement office and including her in their community of practice. During the last weeks of our work on this book, this has been greatly appreciated!

Introduction

This book shares experiences of how a postgraduate student and a liaison librarian have worked together to face the challenges of doing independent research and providing research support. The authors completed their master’s degrees together in 2007 and ended up working as a librarian and a postgraduate student at the same university.

Knowing each other from the same undergraduate environment and having faced the same challenges in their master’s work, they were ready to collaborate in a new way in their new professional environment. Many postgraduate students and librarians never have this experience, and it has enabled us to have many useful conversations and discussions, which have led to good results in deeper understanding and collaboration between postgraduates and librarians.

The librarian has led two development projects in research support for librarians. The possibility to discuss library services with the end users and how they preferred to work with the library has been priceless. The project and mapping of the field has resulted in two research articles (Daland, 2013, 2015). The conclusions are that librarians can learn a great deal from working close together with postgraduate students, and that this leads to great contentment for postgraduate students. It is also clear that the library must have, and publicize, a clear research support profile, and that librarians supporting research must be offered training and skills-upgrading programmes to feel confident enough to provide satisfactory research support.

When starting a new job, whether it be a liaison librarian or a new postgraduate student, one needs to be socialized into an environment. Certain ‘rules’ and codes must be acknowledged when entering a new environment and trying to fit into the group. By this, it means that one must know their challenges, their work methods and further understand how their workflow can be enhanced and made more efficient. This also demands a good understanding of one’s own area.

Trying to convince somebody to use a new system they see no need for will be of little use and will be very hard to follow through. Communication is key to understanding, and understanding is key to offering the right product at the right time.

The Outline of this Book

The first chapter will present experiences the authors of this book had during their first period as a postgraduate student and a liaison librarian.

Chapter 2, Information Literacy in the Research Process" will introduce the main theoretical approaches to information literacy, and how these apply to research. It will also discuss how well-developed information literacy skills can affect