A bright future for research libraries

The Research Information Network (RIN) has just published "Ensuring a bright future for research libraries", a guide aimed at vice-chancellors and senior institutional managers to ensure that library and information services evolve in tune with researchers' needs. I participated as a member of the working group and it turned out to be a rather interesting and useful exercise.

The guide provides a framework of issues that need to be considered when developing library and information services. One of the framework headings curation, preservation and disposal includes a section on research data:

"cooperate with research funders, others institutions and specialist agencies in developing a coherent and comprehensive framework of services to ensure that valuable research data are managed effectively from the point of creation, preserved and made accessible to others."

A selection of good practice examples are also offered and the LSE Data Library features there as a research support service that establishes close connections between library and researchers.

Datasets Seminar in Madrid

On Monday I will be participating in a seminar organized to discuss the issues around the inclusion of data in digital repositories. The event has been organized by the Consorcio Madroño, a consortium of universities in Madrid with the aim of fostering inter-library collaboration. The seminar will also bring Alicia Medina from UNED, Stuart Macdonald from the University of Edinburgh and Dr. Celia Russsell from Manchester University.

I have been told that the presentations will be filmed and made available on the web. As soon I know where I will post it here. 

 

Institutional and National Research Data Management Services

Last week the second event organized as part of the Scoping Digital Repository Services for Research Data Management project took place at the Said Business School. The aim was to hear about examples of services to support researchers with their data management duties and encourage discussion amongst service units in Oxford. We had a great group of speakers coming from: 

• San Diego Super Computer Data Central, 
  
• the UK Research Data Service, 
  
• the Digital Curation Centre, 
  
• the UK Data Archive, 
  
• the NERC Environmental Bioinformatics Centre, 
  
• the Archaeology Data Service and 
  
• Oxford Legal Services. 

Throughout the day a wide range of services were described including infrastructure and tools for storage, access, discovery, use or preservation as well as services related to support, advice and training starting as early as possible in the research lifecycle.  The final panel discussion between some of the service units in Oxford evidenced the need for coordination and funding to provide the range of support services that Oxford researchers need. 

The presentations are now available at: http://www.ict.ox.ac.uk/odit/projects/digitalrepository/Workshops-DataServices.xml