Developing research (support) in university libraries

Abstract

The starting point for this presentation is the conviction, as expressed by Robert Darnton in The Case for Books (2009), that libraries were never warehouses of books. Instead, they have always been and always will be centers of learning. The implication is that university libraries need to do more than just focus on building collections – no matter how important this traditional role of the library remains – if they want to serve their local research community to the best of their ability. The rise of Digital Humanities, Research Data Management, Open Access and Open Science in general implies that university libraries need to adapt to the changing needs of academics or run the risk of becoming obsolete. Based on the experience gathered through designing research and research support at KU Libraries, this presentation offers a number of recommendations and strategies to respond to the present and future context of organising research (support) in university libraries.