THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE RESEARCH LIBRARYApril 21, 2016@rschon

Roger C. Schonfeld

ITHAKA S+R

JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.

Ithaka S+R is a research and consulting service that helps academic, cultural, and publishing communities thrive in the digital environment.

Portico is a preservation service for digital publications, including electronic journals, books, and historical collections.

ITHAKA is a not-for-profit organization that helps the academiccommunity use digital technologies to preserve the scholarly recordand to advance research and teaching in sustainable ways.

ITHAKA S+R: LIBRARIES AND SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATIONAreas of work• Monographs and books• Research, teaching, and information usage practices • Access impediments• Equity, Diversity, Inclusiveness• Library leadership

THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE RESEARCH LIBRARY

1. The Format Transformation: Print to Digital

2. The Systems Transformation:Managing Collections to Facilitating Workflows

3. The Role Transformation:Providing Content to Facilitating Outcomes

4. Discussion

The Format Transformation: Print to Digital

“What percentage of your library’s materials budget is spent on the following items?”

• Print books

• Print journals

• Online/digital journals and databases

• E-books

• All other items

Source: Ithaka S+R Library Survey 2013

“What percentage of your library’s materials budget is spent on the following items?”

• Print books

• Print journals

• Online/digital journals and databases

• E-books

• All other items

Source: Ithaka S+R Library Survey 2013

“If my library cancelled the current issues of a print version of a journal but continued to make them available electronically, that would be fine with me.”

Percent agreeing strongly.

Source: Ithaka S+R US Faculty Survey 2015

2003 2006 2009 2012 20150%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Humanities Social Sciences Sciences Medical

“I am completely comfortable with journals I use regularly ceasing their print versions and publishing in electronic-only form”

Percent agreeing strongly.

Source: Ithaka S+R US Faculty Survey 2015

2009 2012 20150%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Humanities Social Sciences Sciences Medical

Size of print and digital collections at eleven educational institutions, 2004-2005

Source: The Nonsubscription Side of Periodicals

FORMAT TRANSITIONFOR MONOGRAPHS?Please think about doing each of these things with a scholarly monograph in print format or in digital format, and use the scales below to indicate how much easier or harder is it to perform each activity in print or digital format.

Reading cover to cover in depth Reading a section in depth Comparing treatment of ideas between monographs Skimming in whole or in part Exploring references Searching for a particular topic

Percent of respondents who indicated that each of these practices is easier or harder in print or digital formats.

Source: Ithaka S+R US Faculty Survey 2015

Reading cover to cover in depth

Comparing treatment of ideas between monographs

Exploring references

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Easier in print format than digital

About the same in print and digital format

Easier in digital format than print

Tension #1: Library collecting has shifted towards being exclusively digital in many fields, and, although library collections have not seen the same degree of transition, their digitization has transformed discovery for all.

The Systems Transformation: Managing Collections to Facilitating Workflows

Source: http://www.ariessys.com/software/editorial-manager/

By User:Skylarstrickland, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30191622

DEAD

END

Source: http://www.exlibrisgroup.com/files/Products/Alma/WhyAlma.pdf

A SINGLE USER ACCOUNTAffiliation

Appropriate copy

Authorization

Personalization

Tension #2: Libraries are making a generational transition to new systems platforms but these alone do not provide a discovery and access experience that empowers individual users in a way that meets online consumer expectations.

The Role Transformation: Providing Content to Facilitating Outcomes

A DECLINE IN SELECTING

• Journals licensed through bundles (rather than title level selection)

• Books bought through profile systems (rather than title level selection)

• Open access resources (require different forms of selection, if any)

DISTINCTIVE COLLECTIONS

• Curated materials: Rare books, area studies, archives, etc.

• Celebrating them and resourcing them

• Building and unlocking• Reorganizing the library to

emphasize

DEVELOPING LIBRARY SERVICES

Research practices and where they are heading

Qualitative examination by discipline or field

In close partnership with scholarly societies

For each, interviews and observations with 50-100 scholars

Service opportunities will arise

ART HISTORY

Capturing Images and Managing Personal Image Collections

1.Standards and practices for image capture

2.Vast personal collections, poorly organized

3.Some images may be valuable and should be institutionalized

Source: Supporting the Changing Research Practices of Art Historians

The Departure from Kashima (Deity of the Kasuga Out), Late 14th Century, Japanese. Seattle Asian Art Museum.Photograph: Roger C. Schonfeld.

HISTORYDigital Capture of Archival Records

1.Unbundling access to and analysis of archives

2.Organizing digital captures to create a narrative

3.Opportunities for improved discovery and access

Source: Supporting the Changing Research Practices of Historians

CHEMISTRY

Managing the Lab Group

1.Current awareness for all members2.Data management remains a key

challenge, less so long-term data preservation

3.Publish for impact and future funding

Source: Supporting the Changing Research Practices of Chemists

NEXT STEPS

Religious Studies and Divinity

Agriculture

Public health

Asian Studies

Engineering

INCREASED INTERESTIN SUPPORTING STUDENTSHow important is it to you that your college or university library provides each of the functions below or serves in the capacity listed below?

Gateway: The library serves as a starting point or “gateway” for locating information for my research

Buyer: The library pays for resources I need, from academic journals to books to electronic databases

Archive: The library serves as a repository of resources; in other words, it archives, preserves, and keeps track of resources

Teaching support: The library supports and facilitates my teaching activities Research support: The library provides active support that helps to increase the

productivity of my research and scholarship Undergraduate support: The library helps undergraduates develop research, critical

analysis, and information literacy skills

INCREASED INTERESTIN SUPPORTING STUDENTSPercent of respondents who identified each function as highly important.

201520122009200620030%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Gateway Buyer Archive Teaching support Research supportUndergraduate support

INCREASED INTERESTIN SUPPORTING STUDENTSPercent of respondents who identified each function as highly important.

201520122009200620030%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Gateway Buyer Archive Teaching support Research supportUndergraduate support

INCREASED INTERESTIN SUPPORTING STUDENTSPercent of respondents who identified each function as highly important.

201520122009200620030%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Gateway Buyer Archive Teaching support Research supportUndergraduate support

INCREASED INTERESTIN SUPPORTING STUDENTSPercent of respondents who identified each function as highly important.

201520122009200620030%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Gateway Buyer Archive Teaching support Research supportUndergraduate support

INCREASED INTERESTIN SUPPORTING STUDENTSPercent of respondents who identified each function as highly important.

201520122009200620030%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Gateway Buyer Archive Teaching support Research supportUndergraduate support

INCREASED INTERESTIN SUPPORTING STUDENTSPercent of respondents who identified each function as highly important.

201520122009200620030%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Gateway Buyer Archive Teaching support Research supportUndergraduate support

INCREASED INTERESTIN SUPPORTING STUDENTSPercent of respondents who identified each function as highly important.

201520122009200620030%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Gateway Buyer Archive Teaching support Research supportUndergraduate support

INCREASED INTERESTIN SUPPORTING STUDENTS

Gateway

Buyer

Archive

Teaching support

Research support

Undergraduate support

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Medical Sciences Social Sciences Humanities

Percent of respondents who identified each function as highly important.

INCREASED INTERESTIN SUPPORTING STUDENTS

Gateway

Buyer

Archive

Teaching support

Research support

Undergraduate support

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%Doctoral Masters Baccalaureate

Percent of respondents who identified each function as highly important.

Tension #3: Content remains at the heart of the academic library service portfolio, but as content selection becomes more commoditized libraries are looking beyond their general collections for adding value.

DISCUSSION

THREE TRANSFORMATIONS, THREE SOURCES OF TENSION

The Format Transformation: Print to Digital

Library collecting has shifted towards being exclusively digital in many fields, and, although library collections have not seen the same degree of transition, their digitization has transformed discovery for all.

The Systems Transformation:Managing Collections to Facilitating Workflows

Libraries are making a generational transition to new systems platforms but these alone do not provide a discovery and access experience that empowers individual users in a way that meets online consumer expectations.

The Role Transformation:Providing Content to Facilitating Outcomes

Content remains at the heart of the academic library service portfolio, but as content selection becomes more commoditized libraries are looking beyond their general collections for adding value.

What do publishers need from libraries in this digital transformation?

How can publishers strengthen libraries as they grapple with this digital transformation?

roger.schonfeld@ithaka.org

@rschon sr.ithaka.org

ROGER C. SCHONFELDDIRECTOR, LIBRARY AND SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATION PROGRAM

2 RECTOR STREET18TH FLOORNEW YORK, NY 10006TEL 212 358.6400FAX 212 358.6499

Thank You