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University of Iowa Libraries' e-Research planning wiki

This wiki is a collaborative workspace where e-Research Task Force members and other participants from the University community can work together to develop a plan to support campus e-research efforts (electronic research, scholarship, and creative activities).

Question or comments? Log in or contact Nicole Saylor (Head, Digital Library Services).

More information:

• Background
• Ideas for programming and services
• Potential stakeholders | interview summaries
• Ideas for funding and sustainability
• Readings
• Examples (e-Research projects at other institutions)
• Narratives (descriptions of individual scholarly efforts using technology)

News

The Libraries' e-Research Task Force was formed in July 2009. Here are our activities so far.

Future statement [draft]

The Task Force has drafted the following future statement for a new Center that will continue and expand on the work of Digital Library Services and the Information Arcade. TF members have also been collecting additional stakeholder interviews and have begun incorporating them into a draft final report.

The [name of Center] serves as The University of Iowa's primary hub for scholars and practitioners of interdisciplinary digital research. The Center offers specialized expertise and a wide range of services and technology for faculty e-research projects, complemented by programs and events that include forums and guest speakers, courses taught in our classroom, and ongoing collaboration among scholars. The Libraries, in close partnership with Informational Technology Services and other campus allies, operates the Center and supports its activities by assisting in the creation and delivery of unique digital content and by encouraging the use of recognized standards and best practices to ensure long-term preservation and access to digital scholarship. The Center strives to serve as an incubator for projects with potential for regional and international impact.

e-Research stakeholder interviews

Task Force members have been busy conducting interviews with potential stakeholders; please see results at the interview summaries page.

Library staff forum notes

Staff members provided the following comments and questions at the e-Research forums:

• What type of services can be offered to academic depts. for, e.g., IR article input? Will DLS staffing change to reflect new priorities? Will workflows change elsewhere in the Libraries? What work will be given up in order to shift resources to new services? Some faculty already tasked with work like putting articles on dept. web pages; would welcome libraries' services if they knew about them.
• Libraries need to be savvy about a return on investment for the University faculty, staff, and students. University understands the value of the acquisitions part of our funding; the staff part is less apparent. Staff need to be more visible; e-Research activities could help show our value.
• What services are currently offered? Signs outside Arcade mostly a list of what we don't do; need help in determining what services we can offer.
• Big picture: e-Research is of a part with liaison framework, scholarly communication task force -- the Libraries reconceptualizing what we do and why we're here. Concerns about disjointedness. Must have a broad plan and vision before heading out to do liaison work with faculty. Immediate need: service/space plans for fall 2009. Short-term changes should be made with long-term goals in mind.
• What faculty projects are accepted? How do we decide whether a project is appropriate for the Libraries? Support for open access projects only? Traditionally has been requirement for DLS projects, but open to change.
• What about students? What services can we offer them?
• Where do former Arcade users go now? Signs, staff to redirect. Unmet need: multimedia instruction for presentations. ITS has been looking for ways to address this, perhaps using student computer fees.
• What should happen with space outside the classroom (formerly housing public workstations)? No money for renovations; no service desk; can't be open nights and weekends. Meeting space for librarian/faculty projects? Label as collaborative project space? Visual display of past projects -- i.e. "your project here"?
• Interdisciplinary centers and programs are key, e.g. Aging Studies Program; different data needs from different disciplines. TF will be contacting centers as part of stakeholder interviews.
• Unlikely that faculty will come to Arcade to work on projects? But their graduate student assistants might. Other options include seeking Univ. administrative support for faculty work release time for e-Research projects.
• E-research teaching opportunities for Arcade classroom; e.g. medieval studies using medieval manuscripts digital collection. Need to take advantage of Arcade space.
• Data sets, esp. in sciences can get v. large. What storage services can we offer? What capacity? Open access or password protected? Communication with ITS re: their storage initiatives is critical; avoid overlap of services. Selling point to faculty: long-term preservation and curation of data.

e-Research Task Force meeting (Aug. 3, 2009)

Meeting notes:

• Wiki site reviewed; TF members will revise and link to additional resources (heavily weighted on humanities currently)
• TF members will contact potential stakeholders for consultation on e-Research needs. Questions may include:
  - What technology do you currently use in your teaching/research?
  - What are your teaching/research technology needs?
  - What are some gaps in support or barriers to doing e-Research?
  - What kind of services and facilities would you like to see provided in support of e-Research?
  - May we share your thoughts on the public planning wiki?
• TF timeline was discussed; members will conduct interviews in August, then begin writing in Sept., to meet proposed deadline of Sept. 30 for the final report

Library staff forums (Aug. 4 & 5, 2009)

The e-Research Task Force would like to invite all library staff to attend one of two listening sessions where TF members will be soliciting input on future directions of the Arcade in support of e-research (broadly defined as electronic research, scholarship, and creative activities).  Who should we be talking to as part of this planning process? What should the Libraries be doing in Fall 2009 to position ourselves for expanded support of e-research?

Agenda:

• Distribution of the framing document to help guide discussion
• Introduction to the planning process/contextual background
• Brief update on Arcade space
• Overview of current digital initiatives underway in support of e-research
• Open the floor for discussion

Sessions:

10:30-11:30 a.m., Tue., Aug. 4

10:30-11:30 a.m., Wed., Aug. 5

e-Research Task Force meeting (July 24, 2009)

Meeting notes:

• Broad agreement that retaining the name Arcade is confusing; recommend a name change
• Potential outcome of TF could be a major grant proposal
• Important to involve Libraries staff throughout process
• Level of service cannot be defined until the need is established
• Programming/services wishlist
• Potential stakeholders to contact

Action items:

• Create wiki to document info-gathering process and proposal generation
• Schedule forums in early Aug. in Arcade classroom
• Post announcement to HAL soliticing ideas from staff