Sharing library experiences from around the world
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Anne Powell INASP Miriam Conteh-Morgan University of Sierra Leone What are the common themes for research libraries around the world? What are the differences? What can we learn from each other? And how can publishers and libraries work together to ensure that researchers everywhere have access to the materials they need, and the skills to evaluate and use those materials? This session will be led by a librarian who has worked for many years in both African and international university contexts. She will share experiences of new developments and challenges through her career and current work helping African students develop their critical thinking skills
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Sharing library experiences from around the world
- 1. Sharing library experiences from around the world Miriam Conteh-Morgan, University of Sierra Leone @micm80 Anne Powell, INASP @annepowellINASP Sioux Cumming, INASP @sdcumming
- 2. What will be covered in this session • What are some common themes for research libraries around the world? • What are the differences? • What can we learn from each other? • How can publishers and libraries work together to ensure that researchers everywhere have access to the materials they need, and the skills to evaluate and use those materials?
- 3. I hold this truth to be self-evident… …that ALLlibraries are created EQUAL
- 4. DISCUSSION POINTS •Life in two places •More commonalities than differences? •How the library is leading change: Examples from University of Sierra Leone
- 5. OHIO AND SIERRA LEONE Pop 7.7 m Pop 11.7 m
- 6. A TALE OF TWO LIBRARIES OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY MAIN LIBRARY (1876) UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE LIBRARY AT FOURAH BAY COLLEGE (1827)
- 7. • 70+ faculty librarians (2013) • 17 libraries across 7 campuses, plus 8 special collections • State flagship university • Factoid: Cat loving • 20 faculty librarians (2019) • 7 libraries across 3 campuses, plus 1 special collection • National flagship university • Factoid: Christian ministers
- 8. ALL LIBRARIES ARE CREATED EQUAL • Service to a chosen public • Always think they are underfunded/need more funds • Always want … IT staff, equipment, space… • Dedicated staff (with an image problem?) • Creative staff and users
- 9. THE CAPILLARIES OF THE ACADEMIC BLOOD SUPPLY
- 10. WHAT IS DIFFERENT OR COMMON? • Scale and pace of change (scholarly communication; researcher trainings; innovations on campus) • But the focus tends to be on DEFICITS: • Clouds the inclination to look more closely and get a clearer image of libraries and librarianship in Africa • Clouds the inclination of libraries in Africa to look more closely at their strengths and opportunities
- 11. “In many ways, the experience is not that different, surprisingly. In all positions that require pushing a change agenda through, it is a matter of understanding the governance structures and ensuring you are able to communicate clearly to those people who are in a position to make decisions.” (Danny Kingsley, Jan 2019, comparing Cambridge University Library with her time at Australian National University, www.researchinformation.info/interview/truly- exciting-time) “Libraries are oddly fractal. They feature strangely recurring patterns.” (Stuart Kells (2018), “The Strange Magic of Libraries”, www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/04/09/the-strange-magic-of-libraries)
- 12. HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN SIERRA LEONE STRATEGIC REORGANISATION
- 13. Transforming Sierra Leone’s HE System • AQHEd-SL – consortium of 7 HEIs, international partners (including INASP), professional bodies and a gender advocacy group aiming to transform teaching and learning • As a support unit, the library saw an opening and exploited its capilliary role 16/04/2019 13
- 15. USL LIBRARY-led INITIATIVES • Discovery platform to leverage teaching, learning and research – ILS, IR + E-journal publishing • Cross-institution training on academic writing for early-career researchers • E-resource training of early-career researchers and students • Writing center for students – critical thinking skills development
- 16. FRAMING THE DISCUSSION COLONIAL POSTCOLONIAL DECOLONIAL “The demonstrated existence of Northern dominance and influence does not imply Southern passivity, nor uncontested domination. Knowledge production [Global librarianship] is now negotiated, and creative ways of participating are devised…[a] complex interweaving of Northern paradigms and Southern Tier experiences.” Robert Morrell. “The global south is changing how knowledge is made, shared and used” The Conversation, March 25, 2019. theconversation.com/the-global-south-is-changing-how-knowledge-is-made-shared-and-used-113943. [25March, 2019. Review of Colliyer et al. Knowledge and Global Power: Making New Sciences in the South. University of Witswaterstrand Press, 2019
- 17. • Supporting critical thinking skills • Helping students and researchers navigate trustworthy journals • Recognizing biases • Publisher negotiations/access support 16/04/2019 17 University library roles in the era of fake news
- 18. INASP’s critical thinking online course • Online course for student self study • Toolkit for face to face discussion materials • Pilot and development of materials – Classroom sessions – Faculty support mechanisms • Transfer of content Taster unit: moodle.inasp.info/course/view.php?id=141 16/04/2019 18
- 19. INASP’s critical thinking online course “I have been able to learn a lot from the course. And also I have been inspired to share with others for the benefit of all. …I look forward to apply what I have been learning. And I'll be visiting the modules for reminding myself of important things from modules.” - Student, Mzumbe University, Tanzania Taster unit: moodle.inasp.info/course/view.php?id=141 16/04/2019 19
- 20. It is vital that Southern researchers have the opportunity to publish their research and for it to be discoverable by other local - as well as global - researchers
- 21. Southern journals face challenges in being respected internationally. This can limit the perceived credibility of the published research. The challenges for Southern journals Lack of financial and structural support Lack of familiarity of international publishing standards Under-represented in international indexes and rankings Legitimate but unfamiliar journals wrongly labelled as “predatory”
- 22. A far-reaching set of criteria for assessing Southern journals www.journalquality.info Jointly hosted by
- 23. Understanding local contexts and challenges faced by Southern journals The JPPS framework builds on many years of work by AJOL and INASP in supporting the dissemination of Southern journals and understanding the various local contexts and challenges faced by these journals. Susan Murray Executive Director of AJOL ” “ Susan Murray with Mr Adhikari from NepJOL
- 24. Reassures readers and authors that journals meet international standards to a particular level Guides journal editors on improving publishing processes Acknowledges journals that have attained internationally recognized publishing standards
- 25. NOTE: JPPS does NOT assess quality of research content, only publishing practices www.journalquality.info/criteria Over 100 criteria based on: Inclusion standards set out by international journal indices and industry guidelines * Experience of contexts and practices in developing country journal publishing Testing and feedback from journal editors in Africa Assessment criteria *Including DOAJ, SciELO South Africa, Clarivate, Scopus, WAME, FAME, COPE
- 26. New title - has been publishing for less than two years, but meets basic inclusion requirements Two stars - compliant with additional publishing practice quality criteria Three stars - consistently excellent in the technical and editorial publishing best practices set out in the JPPS framework criteria One star - has met the basic inclusion requirements for at least two years No stars - not currently meeting the basic criteria for inclusion on a JOL platform Inactive - has not added new content to the JOL platform in over one year Assessment criteria
- 27. of assessed journals available only at of JPPS level added to each journal’s site provided to the editor, highlighting areas to improve of every journal on a JOL platform Assessment Report Display Official list www.journalquality.info How it works by experts in international publishing Over 900 journals across six JOL platforms have now been assessed against the JPPS levels
- 30. Dr Anuja Abayadeera, Editor Sri Lankan Journal of Anaesthesiology “I am thrilled with the two-star status as it is, but I have stirred the editorial board that we have to achieve three-star status. I am determined to work towards it. Thank you so much for the constant support you have given me to work on the journal.”
- 31. Seeking funding for: Implementing the JPPS framework for southern journals beyond the JOLs Training and advisory support via face- to-face and online methods to journal editors to address knowledge and skills gaps Next steps www.journalquality.info @INASPinfo | @JOLsProject |@AJOLinfo
- 32. Think. Check. Submit. helps researchers identify trusted journals for their research. Through a range of tools and practical resources, this international, cross-sector initiative aims to educate researchers, promote integrity, and build trust in credible research and publications. thinkchecksubmit.org 16/04/2019 32 Navigating trustworthy journals: Think. Check. Submit.
- 33. • Geography – of journals and researchers • Language • Selection of materials in line with institutional and national priorities • Hidden biases in metrics • Access 16/04/2019 33 Recognizing biases
- 34. Questions Comments Discussion What role do libraries have in addressing critical thinking/navigating fake and low- quality resources? 16/04/2019 34 Over to you …
- 35. MIRIAM CONTEH-MORGAN DEPUTY UNIVERSITY & CAMPUS LIBRARIAN UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE miriam.conteh-morgan@usl.edu.sl | mcmorgan@ipam.edu.sl | Twitter: @micm80
Editor's Notes
- Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change
- Online course for student self study INASP will pilot and deliver an online critical information skills course for student self-study. A prerequisite, which may help determine the institutions and departments, is that students will need access to computers with live internet connections to work on the online course modules over the length of the learning approach. Face to face discussion materials A special feature of this project will be the provision of a toolkit of open learning materials which faculty can use in a classroom setting after students have completed each online module, reinforcing the content and making it relevant to each class. Pilot and development of materials In this pilot phase, INASP and faculty members will collaborate to Develop learning material for the classroom sessions that complement the online course content Develop support mechanisms and materials for faculty members in guiding students through this learning approach, if identified as necessary Host and manage a pilot of the blended learning approach, review pilot feedback and modify the learning approach and materials if necessary Transfer of content By 31st March 2020 INASP will alongside WG3, put processes in place for sustainable re-use and revision of the face to face toolkit Deliver the online content to the Sierra Leonean team to host and install the course on the project Learning Management System.
- Many challenges face journal publishing in the Global South. Some of these challenges are local – such as lack of funding or resources or unreliable internet or limitations in language skills. But some challenges are international. The Global South has for many years been underrepresented in metrics such as the journal impact factor, and when metrics are based on citations, this problem becomes self-perpetuating and inequalities and biases persist. There is also a lack of familiarity with international publishing standards and practices – and the significant risk of legitimate but unfamiliar journals being wrongly labelled as “predatory”.
- In response to this challenge, African Journals Online (AJOL) and INASP developed the Journal Publishing Practices and Standards (JPPS) to demonstrate the quality of the southern journals, as well as guidance and support to operate to the same standards and processes as journals published in the Global North. It has been applied to journals on the JOL platforms in Africa, Asia and Central America.
- JPPS assessments provide an important guide to authors and readers as they navigate a complicated scholarly publishing landscape and JPPS badges provide reassurance of the credibility of Southern journals. Equally important, however, is improving equity in scholarly publishing, giving small, scholar-led journals in lower- and middle-income countries access to the same tools as the rest of the world – and helping them to meet the same expectations too.
- We discussed in the original submission the background to JPPS and how the criteria were developed. A key point to emphasize if that this was at the request of Southern journals and developed with Southern editors to be relevant to their contexts.
- These criteria measure factors such as the amount of information included on a journals’ website; the transparency and robustness of the peer-review process; and the journal’s archiving policy. The JPPS assessment process rates each JOL partner journal into one of the following six rating categories: One star – has met the basic requirements for at least two years Two stars – compliant with additional publishing practice quality criteria Three stars – consistently excellent in all the technical and editorial publishing best practices set out in the assessment criteria of JPPS WORKING TOWARDS JPPS STARS No stars – not currently meeting the basic criteria for inclusion on a JOL platform New title - has been publishing for less than two years, but meets basic requirements INACTIVE - has not added new content to the JOL platform in over one year Journals assessed against the JPPS criteria are given one of six levels: inactive title; new title; no stars; one star; two stars; and three stars. The JPPS badges for each journal are displayed on the JPPS website (www.journalquality.info), where the definitive list of assessed journals can be found, and also on the Journals Online websites. As such, they also form part of the Think. Check. Submit. checklist. The JPPS badges provide assurance to authors and readers that the journals meet an internationally recognized set of criteria at a particular level.
- Reports have been sent to journal editors in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Central America and Africa and the JPPS site and JOLs platforms now display badges for all these journals (over 900 journals in total). In the first assessment of the Asian and Central American journals, 35 journals were awarded two-star status and 64 were awarded one star. We have received overwhelmingly positive responses.
- The initial assessments were labour-intensive but reassessments should be quicker because they are not assessing all journals at once and particularly focusing on changes since the previous assessment. Spot checks will also be conducted to ensure that journals have maintained the practices required at a particular level. AJOL and INASP have been grateful for funding and encouragement from Sida and DFID over many years to support the development of the JOLs platforms and, more recently, the JPPS initiative. We are pleased to have continued support from Sida for this work over the next year but are also keen to discuss other funding opportunities to extend this work. On the technical side, we are working towards an online form (and database) to streamline the assessment process. This would be a tool that new journals could use in applying to join a JOL platform and also that journals already on the platforms could use in their applications for reassessment. Extensions to JPPS might also include going beyond the JOLs platforms in partnership with other Southern journal platforms. In addition, we hope to roll out a full online course in journal quality following feedback and refinement from the current pilot.
- Sioux? Say that INASP is part of this
- A few suggestions from me but I know you have some already planned: What chimes with your experiences from this talk? What is different? How far does the library role extend? What role does library have in addressing critical thinking/navigating fake and low-quality resources? What are the challenges? How can libraries worldwide support each other?