‘Working together: evolving value for academic libraries’ is a six-month research project investigating the value of academic libraries for teaching and research staff. SAGE commissioned LISU to undertake the research in December 2011. Now halfway through the project, two UK case studies are complete, and those in US and Scandinavia are underway. Some initial results have been compiled into a short presentation to coincide with the UKSG conference.

1. Presentation for UKSG, March 2012

2. Background
 6-month research project
 Value of academic libraries for teaching and
research staff.
 Building on existing research
 How libraries can
 Better market their services
 Improve perceptions with key decision makers.
 Much evidence of library support for research
 Less evidence on their support for teaching

3. Methodology
Literature
review • Literature review
To inform...
Final report • Case studies
with Case • 2 UK
triangulated studies • 4 USA
results • 2 Scandinavia
Regional Confirmed by...
surveys
• Survey of librarians

4. Place of the Library within the institution
 Structure mirroring University structure
 Named library contacts for departments
 Library represented at SMT level
 Learning &Teaching Committee
 Research Committee
 Panel undertaking University-wide review of all
subjects

5. Library support for teaching staff
 „We support academics in any way we can‟
 Proactive as well as reactive to academics‟ needs
and requests.
 Group sessions branded as „teaching sessions‟ or
„information sessions‟, not „information literacy‟
 Exploring integration into the institutional VLE
 Conduit between publishers and academics in how
best to provide material for students
 Recognising need to understand academics‟
needs
 and the range of different types of academics

6. Library support for research staff
 Information skills training for academics on a one-to-
one basis
 going out to their office
 Skills training for doctoral students
 Support with working up grant applications
 REF
 OA repository, & support for OA publishing
 Publication database
 Bibliometrics, citations
 Research community
 Library events about issues such as impact, data
management, bibliometrics, public engagement
 Research hub within the library for academic staff and
doctoral students

7. Communication
 Meetings and face-to-face
 Departmental meetings
 Library faculty user group (staff + students)
 Departmental library representatives
 Involve academics
 University committee structure
 Promotion
 Email / Print and electronic newsletters / Blog
 Importance of personal relationships and informal
communication

8. Marketing
 „Marketing is important‟
 Learn from others
 Outreach by one section of the library, e.g.
Special Collections team, promotes the library
overall
 Learning & Teaching Support team targets
promotion to individual academics
 Terminology and branding
 Organised “drop-in sessions”, but clients did
not know what they were.

9. Faculty’s perception of the value of the Library
 Differs by discipline and by individual
 Avoid jargon
 E.g. „information literacy‟ – what is it, why do
we need it?
 „how to use the catalogue‟?
 or a „research thing‟?
 Engage with academics to change
perceptions
 Find out where inaccurate perceptions exist
 Target promotion and awareness raising

10. Evidence of value
 Mainly anecdotal evidence - but increasing use of
surveys to gather hard evidence
 Feedback from staff - e.g. bibliographies have
improved as a result of library skills interventions
 Don‟t just gather evidence –use it
 E.g. sessions run and hits are analysed longitudinally
and by subject area, to identify areas to target.
 KPIs
 E.g. book orders turnaround; reading list provision;
high demand items

11. Drivers for evidence of value
 Value for money
 Student fees
 NSS
 REF and league tables
 University strategy
 Show that library is important part of wider
institution
 Improve and innovate

12. Next steps
 Complete the case studies
 Wider survey of librarians in the three
countries
 Final report by end of June

13. How you can get involved
 Let us know your views
 Add comments to the blog
 http://libraryvalue.wordpress.com/
 Respond to the survey
 And pass the link on to your colleagues
 Contact us via the web site, or at
lisu@lboro.ac.uk