Building a transatlantic digital scholarship skills exchange for research libraries - Research Libraries UK Skip to content Home About us Executive Board of Directors Our Members Our History Our work Reshaping Scholarship: RLUK Strategy 2018-21 Our strategy reflects the commitment of our libraries to transformations in research, innovation in collections, and cultural change in our institutions. Capturing Covid-19 Capturing Covid-19 is a series of activities undertaken by RLUK, which aims to understand the impact of the pandemic on member institutions and the wider higher education sector. Covid-19 and the digital shift in action report RLUK – AHRC scoping study The role of academic and research libraries as active participants and leaders in the production of scholarly research, Final report on the role of research libraries in the production of scholarly research Headline findings and recommendations Digital shift Information on the work RLUK has undertaken in response to the challenges and opportunities posed by the digital shift. Digital shift forum Digital shift manifesto Manifesto webinar Digital Shift case studies Networks and activities Associate Directors Network (ADN) Collections Strategy Network (CSN) Digital Scholarship Network (DSN) New Directors Network (NDN) Special Collections Leadership Network RLUK OAPP News RLUK Bulletin RLUK Newsletters Reports . The role of academic and research libraries in scholarly research Covid-19 and the digital shift in action The initial responses of RLUK member libraries to Covid-19 Events RLUK Player RLUK Conference DCDC Conference Member login Member login Search for: Building a transatlantic digital scholarship skills exchange for research libraries Home/Building a transatlantic digital scholarship skills exchange for research libraries Previous Next Building a transatlantic digital scholarship skills exchange for research libraries On April 26, 2021, fifty colleagues from Research Libraries UK’s Digital Scholarship Network (DSN) and CLIR’s Digital Library Federation’s Data and Digital Scholarship (DDS) working group came together to explore the possibilities and benefits of creating a transatlantic digital scholarship skills exchange. Those working within research libraries will know that digital scholarship can be complex. As a loosely defined umbrella term, it can include a wide variety of processes, services, and applications from GIS and data mapping, to computational analysis, from the application of artificial intelligence to library processes, to research data management. As a result of its multifaceted nature, those working around digital scholarship within research libraries need a wide variety of ever changing skills to reflect the ongoing development of techniques, practices, and tools. These skills not only relate to increasingly complex technical processes, but also include more generic skills such as enabling effective advocacy, developing grant applications, and project management. Although formal training programmes and courses are available, on a wide variety of topics relating to digital scholarship, not all of these are applicable to research library environments. They can be expensive and it can sometimes be difficult to translate classroom-based learning into real-world application and practice. As a result of these challenges, a number of bespoke and tailored training and skills development programmes have been created to support digital scholarship within research libraries and cultural institutions, at institutional, regional, or national levels. There is also a wealth of knowledge and expertise contained within the community, both the result of formal training, real-world experience, and self tuition. How might we harness this wealth of collective expertise, knowledge, and experience for the mutual benefit of one another and the research library community?  Before answering this, we needed to know more about motivations. The importance of skills development The joint meeting began with an open question: why are we here? Why are we interested in developing our skills around digital scholarship processes and tools within research libraries? And how would a transatlantic skills exchange meet our skills needs? Through a short Mentimeter poll, colleagues immediately identified that skills development was either quite (49% of respondents) or really important to them as individuals (40%).  The motivations for skills development varied, but career development, the necessity of skills development for individual roles, and the individual passions and interest of colleagues in these areas all ranked highly. Having established that skills development was important to colleagues, and for a variety of reasons, our final question centred on where colleagues were currently receiving their training from. Potentially reflecting the diverse and emerging nature of many digital scholarship processes and projects, colleagues gave a variety of responses from that they relied on self-tuition for their skills development (29%), learnt informally from colleagues (16%), or received training from national consortia or associations (23%). Immediately, from this short Mentimeter survey, we confirmed that: Skills development is important Colleagues are interested in developing their skills for both professional and personal reasons A skills exchange would sit alongside self-tuition, informal learning from colleagues, and national programmes as another source of skills development. A transatlantic skills exchange: what might it look like? The session then considered: what might a skills exchange comprise of and are there any models from which we can learn?  Colleagues from the DLF DDS outlined the success of their consultation model, which previously formed part of the DLF’s eResearch network. The DDS consultation model is centred on the mutually beneficial exchange of expertise centred around a specific challenge or problem posted by a colleague. It enables the creation of a community of practice of colleagues working in an area through which questions or challenges can be posed, and responses made by the community. Getting to know one another….. The majority of the session was then dedicated to one of the most important elements of a potential skills exchange: bringing colleagues together from different institutions who had a similar interest around skills. Through a series of small group breakout rooms (consisting of 2-5 people), colleagues came together to share their own experiences and perceptions of digital scholarship within their institutions, the areas where they would like to develop, and the topics around which they might offer their expertise. Through a series of slightly larger groups, colleagues then discussed what the potential benefits of establishing a transatlantic skills programme might be, the potential features of any such programme, whether there are good examples from elsewhere from which we might learn, and how it might be sustained. Through lively and enthusiastic group discussion, a series of jamboards were quickly filled with ideas and questions. Expression of interest: join an international community of practice Having established the collective enthusiasm for establishing such a programme, colleagues were asked to complete a short expression of interest if they were interested in participating in its first iteration. So what happens now? Next steps? Members of the DLF DDS and RLUK’s DSN were delighted by the positivity and enthusiasm shared on behalf of colleagues during the joint session. Colleagues embraced the opportunity of creating a transatlantic skills exchange programme that was community driven, providing a safe and supportive place to share ideas, thoughts, and most importantly, challenges and problems. Colleagues commented that it was refreshing to be able to come together with colleagues from different institutions, from another country, and find that they were experiencing the same challenges and issues as they were.  Missed the discussion? catch up below! Watch the session presentations Register your interest (RLUK and DLF colleagues) The colleagues leading this work are: Jason Clark, Professor, Lead for Research Informatics, Montana State University Library, and DLF DDS co-convenor. Sara Mannheimer, Data Librarian and Associate Professor, Montana State University Library, and DLF DDS co-convenor. Beth Clark, Head of Digital Scholarship, London School of Economics, and RLUK DSN member. Susan Halfpenny, Teaching and Learning Manager, University of York, and RLUK DSN member. Matt Greenhall, Deputy Executive Director, RLUK Thanks go to Gayle Schechter (Program Associate, CLIR/DLF), Louisa M. Kwasigroch (Director, Outreach and Engagement at CLIR and Interim DLF Senior Program Officer), Kirsty Lingstadt (Deputy Director, University of Edinburgh and RLUK DSN co-convenor), Eleonora Gandolfi (Head of Digital Scholarship, University of Southampton and RLUK DSN co-convenor), and Melanie Cheung (RLUK Executive Assistant). Author spotlight: Matt Greenhall, Deputy Executive Director Matt is the Executive lead for the digital shift, digital scholarship, and copyright and licensing strands of RLUK’s strategy, Reshaping Scholarship. Having trained as a historian, and having previously worked in the archive and museum sectors, he has an interest in encouraging cross-sector collaboration between the information, cultural, and academic communities. He has a particular interest in supporting communities of practice to come together to explore some of the common challenges facing the research library community. Melanie Cheung2021-05-18T10:59:16+01:00May 18th, 2021|Comments Off on Building a transatlantic digital scholarship skills exchange for research libraries Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! FacebookTwitterRedditLinkedInWhatsAppTumblrEmail Related Posts Helping small publishers help themselves, & libraries too – what institutions want to see in transformative OA proposals Gallery Helping small publishers help themselves, & libraries too – what institutions want to see in transformative OA proposals Building a Transatlantic Digital Scholarship Skills Exchange for Research Libraries: Moving Forward Gallery Building a Transatlantic Digital Scholarship Skills Exchange for Research Libraries: Moving Forward Covid-19 and the digital shift in action report Gallery Covid-19 and the digital shift in action report A framework for thinking about the ‘new normal’ Gallery A framework for thinking about the ‘new normal’ Back to the future: reflecting on the Libraries of the Future Gallery Back to the future: reflecting on the Libraries of the Future Correspondence address RLUK PO Box 3671 Stoke-on-Trent ST8 9BL Tel: 020 7862 8647   Registered address RLUK Room 257 Senate House Malet Street London WC1E 7HU Our work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Cookie settingsACCEPT Manage consent Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Necessary Necessary Always Enabled Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Cookie Duration Description cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics 11 months This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". cookielawinfo-checbox-functional 11 months The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". cookielawinfo-checbox-functional 11 months The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". cookielawinfo-checbox-others 11 months This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary 11 months This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance 11 months This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". viewed_cookie_policy 11 months The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. Functional Functional Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Performance Performance Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Analytics Analytics Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Others Others Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. SAVE & ACCEPT Go to Top