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Showing papers in "Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication in 2020"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Open pedagogy is the theory and practice of engaging students as creators of course content rather than requiring them to be consumers of it as mentioned in this paper, where students created an open textbook and each student authored a chapter about libraries and the field of librarianship in an assigned non-North American country.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION This case study describes the experimental use of open pedagogy to teach graduate-level library and information science (LIS) students in a newly developed course on international and comparative librarianship Open pedagogy is the theory and practice of engaging students as creators of course content rather than requiring them to be consumers of it In this case, students created an open textbook; each student authored a chapter about libraries and the field of librarianship in an assigned non-North American country The textbook was developed under a Creative Commons license as an open educational resource (OER), allowing free use, remixing, and repurposing in future sections of the course or in similar courses offered in LIS programs at other institutions METHOD The author used student perception data collected from a voluntary survey instrument and from a compulsory reflection paper assignment to assess the efficacy of implementing an open pedagogy framework in the course RESULTS Collected data suggests the experiment produced results perceived by the majority of students as efficacious in the given context DISCUSSION Students were enthusiastic in their embrace of creating renewable versus disposable coursework, and they expressed great satisfaction with the course outcomes of contributing to the professional literature, building the discipline’s nascent OER record, and having a publication to feature in their curricular and professional dossiers CONCLUSIONS Massive shifts in teaching and learning demand radical transitions Open pedagogy is a response to that demand that requires additional research and experimentation

10 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors tracked the changes in research data management services and staffing among Association of American Universities (AAU) libraries over the past 5 years and compared them to the libraries' goals for RDM in their strategic plan.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Research data services have been adopted by many academic libraries. This study tracked the changes in research data management services and staffing among Association of American Universities (AAU) libraries over the past 5 years and compared them to the libraries’ goals for research data management (RDM) in their strategic plan. METHODS This quantitative study examined libraries at the 60 U.S. AAU institutions. In order to examine longitudinal changes, portions of Briney et.al. (2015a) were used as a basis for measuring data librarian staffing and services. These trends were compared to the contemporary strategic priorities of libraries interviewed by Meier (2016), as well as against strategic plans of 2014 and 2019 available online. RESULTS & DISCUSSION While there have been modest increases in libraries in the sample population offering data services, most of those gains have been among the libraries that did not consider RDM a priority in 2014. Interestingly, some of the libraries that mentioned RDM as a priority in 2014 have lost data librarian positions. Over half of the libraries in this study now provide or support a data repository. Many library strategic plans that mentioned RDM as an explicit goal 5 years ago now no longer mention it. CONCLUSION Data librarian positions, data services, and data repositories have now become common features of large research university libraries. However, research data services are no longer as prominent in many library strategic plans at institutions where such services are more established, and libraries instead seem to be moving on to the work of rethinking the nature of the services or expanding them. Data: https://scholarsphere.psu.edu/concern/generic_works/t1g05ff42r

9 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A qualitative analysis of position announcements focusing on the ways libraries expect these librarians to engage with SC issues and responsibilities, rather than describing the prevalence of SC-related functions, was conducted by Hackstadt et al. as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION In 2012, the Association of Research Libraries reported that 95% of libraries identified their libraries as leaders of scholarly communication efforts on campus. While academic librarians have long been responsible for SC issues, institutions have explicitly tasked positions with these responsibilities increasingly over time. This qualitative analysis of position announcements focuses on the ways libraries expect these librarians to engage with SC issues and responsibilities, rather than describing the prevalence of SC-related functions. Specifically, this study asks the following questions: (1) How do administrators communicate leadership expectations of SC librarian roles through job advertisements? (2) In what ways could these leadership expectations be challenging or problematic for SC librarians in non-administrator positions? METHODS This study is a qualitative content analysis of scholarly communication librarian position announcements posted to ALA JobList between January 1, 2016, and July 31, 2019. The advertisements are predominantly from North American academic libraries. Qualitative content analysis is systematic but allows for flexibility of interpretation in describing themes and categories. The coding scheme developed over multiple readings of the data and the author identified categories through the process of subsumption. RESULTS & DISCUSSION Prevalent themes in position announcements include leadership, expertise, and development. Leadership responsibilities appear as management duties or, often in non-administrator positions, as an expectation to take initiative or be an exemplar. SC librarians are expected to be experts, often as the library’s campus liaison or as educators in a variety of SC issues. They may also be tasked with developing institutional repositories or SC programs, though it is not always clear in the advertisement what support is available. These themes are discussed in terms of the SC librarian as a boundary spanning role. Boundary spanners are positions within an organization that communicate with the outside environment. They may also serve as filters for information coming into the organization or facilitate communication between departments or units in an organization. CONCLUSION In SC librarian job advertisements, positional authority is often absent from positions that have a responsibility to lead or develop SC efforts, programs, or initiatives. Non-experts may bestow some level of authority to experts. However, leadership and development tasks may prove difficult for a SC librarian who lacks the ability to make decisions or organizational changes. Suggestions for institutions and potential further research are discussed. External Data or Supplements: Hackstadt, A. (2020). Data from: Leadership, Development, and Expertise: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Scholarly Communication Librarian Position Announcements. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/YIXNPG , Harvard Dataverse.

7 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors surveyed practitioners of scholarly communication, as defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), regarding their attitudes toward and experiences with education in scholarly communication.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Scholarly communication has arisen as a core academic librarianship competency, but formal training on scholarly communication topics in LIS is rare, leaving many early career practitioners underprepared for their work. METHODS Researchers surveyed practitioners of scholarly communication, as defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), regarding their attitudes toward and experiences with education in scholarly communication, job responsibilities, location within their academic libraries, and thoughts about emerging trends in scholarly communication librarianship. results Few scholarly communication practitioners felt well-prepared by their graduate training for the core set of primary and secondary scholarly communication responsibilities that have emerged. They deploy a range of strategies to fill the gap and would benefit from support in this area, from more robust education in graduate programs and through continued professional development. discussion The results of this survey support the assertion that as academic libraries and academic library work have increasingly recognized the importance of scholarly communication topics, library school curricula have not developed correspondingly. Respondents indicated a low level of formal pedagogy on scholarly communication topics and generally felt they were not well-prepared for scholarly communication work, coming at a significant opportunity cost. CONCLUSION Scholarly communication practitioners should create and curate open teaching and learning content on scholarly communication topics for both continuing education as well as adoption within LIS curricula, and LIS programs should develop accordingly, either through “topics” courses or by integrating scholarly communication into and across curricula as it intersects with existing courses.

6 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors illustrate how academic librarians can structure a copyright education program for graduate students according to models of graduate student persistence, and demonstrate how students at the transition, development, and research stages of their education are served by differing types of copyright education such as tutorials, workshops and consultations.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION This article illustrates how academic librarians can structure a copyright education program for graduate students according to models of graduate student persistence. Adapting copyright education to stages of graduate persistence can help academic librarians find ways to strategically allocate resources while best educating students. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM The article examines how students at the transition, development, and research stages of their education are served by differing types of copyright education such as tutorials, workshops, and consultations. At the large research library where the authors implemented this model, the multi-staged structure of the program allowed librarians to educate students about a broad array of copyright topics throughout their graduate programs instead of addressing issues solely related to dissertations and theses at the end of their studies. Implementing this model of copyright education for graduate students has implications for program scale, instruction across disciplines, and the reduction of graduate student anxiety. NEXT STEPS This program is subject to iterative improvements, and in the future the authors would like to expand early-stage graduate programming and investigate graduate student perceptions of copyright education.

6 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: SBU authors might believe that publishing in established and prestigious journals could secure their career’s advancement and libraries can encourage authors to negotiate with publishers to obtain a discount or waiver of APCs, when possible.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of Stony Brook University (SBU) author perspectives on article processing charges (APCs). Publishing an article without restrictions, also known as open access publishing, can be a costly endeavor. Many publishers charge APCs ranging from hundredsto thousands of dollars to publish an article without access restrictions. Authors who cannot obtain funding from grant agencies or their institution must pay APCs on their own. Do APCs fundamentally impact how authors choose their preferred publication venues? METHODS A cross-sectional survey was designed to learn SBU author perspectives on, and concerns about, APCs. RESULTS Responses mainly came from the sciences. Many SBU authors preferred to publish in a prestigious journal or journal of their choice rather than in an open access journal. Most authors published their articles in open access journals even if they were required to pay APCs. Many authors found that it was difficult finding funding for APCs and some expressed their concerns about the double charging practice. DISCUSSION SBU authors might believe that publishing in established and prestigious journals could secure their career’s advancement. Authors who chose to pay open access journals with APCs might be following publishing criteria. Libraries can encourage authors to negotiate with publishers to obtain a discount or waiver of APCs, when possible. Institutions should negotiate shifting journal subscription costs toward hybrid open access publishing. CONCLUSION Data will be used to inform how the SBU Libraries can help authors locate funding opportunities for APCs.

5 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe their experience promoting and supporting OER usage at three small, private LAC, each at a different stage in developing formal programs to assist faculty interested in adopting and creating OER.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Liberal arts colleges (LAC) are arguably ideal environments for the use of open educational resources (OER) given their shared emphasis on innovative pedagogy and individualized learning. However, library-led OER initiatives at LAC have just started to make progress. LAC librarians have very few models or sources of advice to which they can turn when planning OER initiatives suitable to their particular institutional context. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAMS In this article, librarians describe their experience promoting and supporting OER usage at three small, private LAC, each at a different stage in developing formal programs to assist faculty interested in adopting and creating OER. The authors discuss strategies employed, obstacles encountered, and lessons learned, providing practical advice for achieving OER success in the LAC environment. NEXT STEPS The authors believe practical advice for the LAC context will benefit librarians at various stages of OER program implementation.

5 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a pilot graduate student education program whose framework shows interdependencies between data management practices, uses a flipped classroom model to allow maximum time for implementation, and whose primary activities are entirely student research based.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Data management education has been part of library service models for almost 2 decades. This paper describes a pilot graduate student education program whose framework shows interdependencies between data management practices, uses a flipped classroom model to allow maximum time for implementation, and whose primary activities are entirely student research based. lLITERATURE REVIEW Education in data management encompasses many different formats (in-person, online, synchronous, asynchronous). Within this instruction, Data Information Literacy competencies help define student-learning objectives for data management tasks. Currently data management education is a combination of theory and active learning, with students asking for more hands-on practice. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION This program is an 8-week, in-person, flipped classroom series that addresses all data life cycle stages and aligns with many Data Information Literacy competencies. It is entirely student research data focused in that activities require that they use their projects, with significant time allocated to implement these practices while in the classroom. NEXT STEPS With a 69% retention rate and student improvement in seven foundational data management concepts, this program is considered a success. Future work involves converting this program to a credit-bearing course.

4 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper aims to provide a point of reference for other libraries as they consider how to scale up their data curation programs as well as contribute to discussions around prioritization of services, program assessment, and communication with stakeholders.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION As funders and journals increasingly create policies that require effective data management and data sharing, many institutions have developed research data management (RDM) programs to help researchers meet these mandates. While there is not a standard set of services for these RDM programs, some institutions, particularly those with repositories that accept data deposits, provide data curation services as a way to add value to research data and help make data more accessible and reusable. Stakeholder communities within the field, such as the Data Curation Network (DCN), are also developing guidelines, procedures, and best practices to support and expand data curation practices. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT This paper examines the data curation activities defined by the DCN, and describes an activity undertaken by library staff at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to create a structured model of these tasks to more easily conceptualize and communicate data curation within these two institutional settings. The purpose of this paper is to describe how this model provided a basis for the implementation and expansion of data curation services at each institution and concludes with overall lessons learned. NEXT STEPS As we develop our services, libraries have an opportunity to make the often-invisible work of curation more transparent. This paper aims to provide a point of reference for other libraries as they consider how to scale up their data curation programs as well as contribute to discussions around prioritization of services, program assessment, and communication with stakeholders.

4 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a qualitative analysis of the university's reappointment, promotion, and tenure (RPT) documents with a quantitative analysis of faculty publications recorded in Digital Measures from 2015-2019 is presented.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION This study reflects a mid-size university library’s first attempt to assess faculty research output to shape future scholarly communications efforts. METHODOLOGY The assessment combined a qualitative analysis of the university’s reappointment, promotion, and tenure (RPT) documents with a quantitative analysis of faculty publications recorded in Digital Measures from 2015-2019. The RPT documents were coded to determine which indicators of scholarly value were emphasized, then compared with data on where and how faculty were publishing. RESULTS Within RPT documents, peer review was frequently emphasized, but open access and predatory publishing were not mentioned. The majority of publications occurred in hybrid journals, and publishing was concentrated among only a handful of publishers, with 11 publishers responsible for 62% of faculty’s research output. OA journal publications have risen slightly in recent years but still accounted for only 20.7% of UCCS publications. However, predatory publishing was very low, accounting for less than 5% of UCCS publications. DISCUSSION More education is needed on the importance of open access and how to assess the quality of a journal. RPT criteria consistently mentioned certain indicators of scholarly quality, but these indicators were often vague and preferential to traditional publishing models. Both open access and predatory publishing remain low, and additional education may help faculty feel more confident in exploring alternative publishing models. CONCLUSION Assessing the research output of faculty and how scholarship is being evaluated within each college can help libraries to tailor their efforts to promote open access publishing. However, the lack of OA support in the RPT criteria suggests a larger cultural shift is needed to make faculty not only aware of OA, but also encouraged and supported in publishing OA.

3 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A variety of models have emerged by which these services may be developed or implemented as discussed by the authors, including hierarchical models and those based more on individual interest, and of critical importance with any model, however, is the identification of support and opportunities for engagement from library administration and management in order to grow and assess the implementation of research data services.
Abstract: Research data services in academic libraries is often perceived as the purview of liaison librarians. A variety of models has emerged by which these services may be developed or implemented. These include hierarchical models and those based more on individual interest. Of critical importance with any model, however, is the identification of support and opportunities for engagement from library administration and management in order to grow and assess the implementation of research data services.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a case study describes a project at UNC Chapel Hill in the law library to ensure that their faculty publications were included in HeinOnline's database and that HeinOnline Author Profiles were accurate.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: When U.S. News & World Report announced that it would rank law schools’ scholarly impact, U.S. News asked law schools to work with HeinOnline, a legal database, to ensure the accuracy of the database-created faculty author profiles because they would be using Hein’s database to gather citation metrics to measure scholarly impact. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM: This practice article describes a project at UNC Chapel Hill in the law library to ensure that their faculty publications were included in HeinOnline’s database and that HeinOnline Author Profiles were accurate. This case study helps librarians tackling either similar law library projects or similar projects throughout academia as metrics gathering for scholarly impact in a variety of manners, including educational rankings, becomes more prevalent. NEXT STEPS: Following this project, Hein contacted UNC to inform the law library they had identified an additional 119 articles for faculty members not previously attached to UNC faculty Hein Author Profiles. Some implications from this project are unclear and changing methodology, scalability issues, authority control concerns, lack of capturing interdisciplinary works, and an increased workload for librarians. Librarians, especially Scholarly Communications Librarians, are well equipped to promote our faculty’s scholarship by understanding the methodology of these educational ranking systems and by connecting our faculty and their research to the database tools of our field. This article represents just one field, but the implications apply more broadly.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: For instance, this article found that scholarly interest in zines has increased steadily and by 1,700% over 28 years, and that scholars in the fields of Library Science, Education, Feminist Studies, and Media Studies are most likely to study zines; and that zine scholars pursue a wide and varied range of subtopics most prominently concentrated in “riot grrrl” studies, “collection development,” “music criticism, and a suite of articles about aspects of art.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Zine scholarship is a relatively new academic field that has emerged since the late 1990’s. Now that two decades have passed since the publication of Stephen Duncombe’s seminal text, Notes From Underground, it is possible to take a landscape view of how and why zine scholars have studied zines in peer-reviewed journal publications. Knowing how scholars have studied zines can teach us about how zines and zine culture have contributed to academic knowledge. We can also learn which subjects are understudied as zine scholars continue to investigate these curious ephemeral print objects. METHODS This study uses citation analysis to uncover how scholars have explored zines and zine culture as objects worthy of academic inquiry between the dates of 1990 and 2018. The purpose of this study is to examine whether (and how) zines have held influence as objects worthy of study over time, to determine which disciplines tend to treat zines as a valuable academic pursuit, and to reveal what subtopics those scholars tend to focus on. RESULTS& DISCUSSION This study analyzes 163 peer-reviewed articles published between 1990 and 2018, and finds that a) scholarly interest in zines has increased steadily and by 1,700% over 28 years; b) that scholars in the fields of Library Science, Education, Feminist Studies, and Media Studies are most likely to study zines; and c) that zine scholars pursue a wide and varied range of subtopics most prominently concentrated in “riot grrrl” studies, “collection development,” “music criticism,” and a suite of articles about aspects of art. More nuanced analysis based on discipline and subtopic are discussed in the findings. CONCLUSION This study makes clear that zines are influential and worthy objects of study, not just as a form of print media, but as educational and pedagogical tools in the classroom, as evidence of activism, political movements, third-wave feminism, cultural critiques, cultural movements, and much more. Future scholars may use this study to build upon more established topics as well as those that are understudied.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the perceptions of faculty in fine arts disciplines and uncover any benefits or barriers they identify when they consider their creative work within an institutional repository, including financial concerns, uncertainty about what would happen with the ownership of their work, copyright, sharing their contributions in collaborative works, and the added time it might take to deposit materials.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Institutional repositories capture the intellectual output of a specific institution, but this often does not include the creative works done by those in the fine arts. METHODS In-depth interviews with faculty in fine arts disciplines were used to explore their perceptions of institutional repositories and to uncover any benefits or barriers they identify when they consider their creative work within an institutional repository. Fourteen faculty from architecture, art, dance, film, music, and theater were interviewed, with an emphasis on the performing arts. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Benefits included the accessibility of works within the institutional repository (IR) to the wider public, the ability to use deposited content for promotional purposes, and the connection the repository has to the institution. Barriers included financial concerns, uncertainty about what would happen with the ownership of their work, copyright, how to share their contributions in collaborative works, and the added time it might take to deposit materials. Faculty also had several expectations. By understanding fine arts faculty perceptions, libraries can improve outreach to these disciplines regarding repository services and be prepared to include the types of works being created in the arts, if appropriate.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe how a small, regional university library went from a low knowledge base of OS to having OS more thoughtfully and thoroughly considered across many aspects of scholarship.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Strategies for how, when, and why to communicate on the topics of Open Scholarship (OS) are many and varied. Here, the author reflects on how a small, regional university library went from a low knowledge base of OS to having OS more thoughtfully and thoroughly considered across many aspects of scholarship. DESCRIPTION OF APPROACH The author discusses how, over a three-year period, the library turned OS from being seen as a topic only the library deals with, to a nuanced conversation present across many levels of a university. This was done in three broad stages: first, upskilling librarians; second, reaching out to others working in this space and creating conversations across campus; and third, broadening conversations to different audiences whilst beginning to embed OS in institutional practices. NEXT STEPS Collaborative engagement across various levels has worked well for this university. The library will continue this approach to further embed OS in the culture of the institution while looking to further collaborate across the institution, and working with colleagues and OS advocates in other organizations, groups, and bodies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a pilot project undertaken with the aid of a Master of Information Studies practicum student to create scholarly communications reports for liaison librarians, which provide background knowledge and discipline-specific information about the scholarly communications landscape, particularly within the institutional context.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION The typical trifecta of liaison librarian positions (collections, reference, and teaching) is shifting to include additional skillsets and competencies, particularly scholarly communications. While liaison librarians adapt to these changing roles, the question of how to upskill and train liaison librarians in scholarly communications is timely and still in flux. The lack of time required to improve these competencies and skills is an oft-cited challenge. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT To address the challenge of lack of time, this article describes a pilot project undertaken with the aid of a Master of Information Studies practicum student to create scholarly communications reports for liaison librarians. These reports provide background knowledge and discipline-specific information about the scholarly communications landscape, particularly within the institutional context. The goal of the reports is to provide liaison librarians with greater contextual knowledge of their disciplines and the publishing patterns within their departments. This article will discuss the methodology behind creating these reports as well as feedback from liaison librarians on their relevance and potential use. NEXT STEPS The initial pilot was promising, however using a practicum student to create such reports may not be sustainable. Other possibilities include holding “research report retreats” for liaisonlibrarians to complete their own reports with a scholarly communications expert on hand. Additionally, institutions without a master’s program in library and information studies could consider the creation and updating of such reports as a backup project for existing fulltime or student staff.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used the analysis of the music industry in the book Rockonomics: A Backstage Tour of What the Music Industry Can Teach Us About Economics and Life as a lens to consider the structure of scholarly publishing and what could happen to scholarly publishing going forward.
Abstract: This article uses Alan B. Krueger’s analysis of the music industry in his book Rockonomics: A Backstage Tour of What the Music Industry Can Teach Us About Economics and Life as a lens to consider the structure of scholarly publishing and what could happen to scholarly publishing going forward. Both the music industry and scholarly publishing are facing disruption as their products become digital. Digital content provides opportunities to a create a better product at lower prices and in the music industry this has happened. Scholarly publishing has not yet done so. Similarities and differences between the music industry and scholarly publishing will be considered. Like music, scholarly publishing appears to be a superstar industry. Both music and scholarly publishing are subject to piracy, which threatens revenue, though Napster was a greater disrupter than Sci-Hub seems to be. It also appears that for a variety of reasons market forces are not effective in driving changes in business models and practices in scholarly publishing, at least not at the rate we would expect given the changes in technology. After reviewing similarities and differences, the prospects for the future of scholarly publishing will be considered.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the processes, challenges, and lessons learned in developing three research exhibits, that is, cultivating faculty partnerships, reformatting academic research to multimedia formats, and integrating technology to showcase scholarship.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION To support faculty in communicating their research outcomes to the academic community and the wider public, the Royal Roads University (RRU) Library established Showcase, a physical venue in the library designed to promote institutional research. While professional literature mainly focuses on the use of library exhibits for outreach and community engagement, more literature is needed on applying museum interpretation practices to the development of library exhibits, and the use of library exhibits for knowledge mobilization of research outcomes and promotion of institutional scholarship to the wider community. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE This article discusses the Royal Roads University Library’s practices to develop the ‘Showcase’ brand by curating research-based exhibits as a scholarly communication initiative to support institutional research dissemination. It provides a brief description of the Showcase venue and infrastructure. It then describes the processes, challenges, and lessons learned in developing three research exhibits, that is, 1) cultivating faculty partnerships; 2) reformatting academic research to multimedia formats; and 3) integrating technology to showcase scholarship. NEXT STEPS It concludes by outlining the next steps for developing this initiative and the practice of curating academic research exhibits.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe a pilot project at a mid-sized research university to integrate an Open Badge into the institutional repository (IR) alongside research articles, which was intended to indicate that the research article in question complies with a national funders' open access (OA) policy.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION This paper describes a pilot project conducted at a mid-sized research university to integrate an Open Badge into the institutional repository (IR) alongside research articles. The Open Badge was intended to indicate that the research article in question complies with a national funders’ open access (OA) policy. METHODS This study employed a two-step process to investigate the value of badges: first, researchers were surveyed to ask their opinions about using badges in the IR; second, user testing was done with a small group of researchers to assess whether badges are easy to apply during the process of depositing an article to the IR. RESULTS A minority of respondents to the survey indicated that they saw value in an open badge. Participants in the testing component revealed several areas where the overall interface to the IR submission process could be improved. DISCUSSION It was clear that there are opportunities to promote open practices relating to national funders’ open access policy in our sample. However, any incentive represented by an open badge may be overshadowed if the infrastructure in which it is presented is not sufficiently streamlined. CONCLUSION Scholars are not willing to spend much, if any, additional time to indicate compliance with an open access policy. Adding an open badge was neither an incentive nor a disincentive for promoting open practices.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Open Action Kit as mentioned in this paper is a suite of tools to help practitioners plan, execute, and assess open advocacy weeks, particularly Open Access Week, to support career progression in open advocacy work.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Like the scholarly communication system it aims to transform, open advocacy work is broad in scope and reflects many influences, practices, and players. Despite having a rewarding mission, scholarly communication librarians frequently juggle multiple roles, may experience isolation and career stagnation, and produce outputs that are not readily understood. METHODS These challenges inspired the creation of the Open Action Kit, a suite of tools to help practitioners plan, execute, and assess open advocacy weeks, particularly Open Access Week. This resource sought to make explicit parallels between the activities and scope of open advocacy work and leadership skills that could aid in career progression. RESULTS The project’s aims and structure matured to focus on a broader, critical appraisal of the nature of scholarly communication work. Its encouragement of dialogue between its members and audience more thoroughly recognized and addressed the tensions between open advocacy work and professional success. DISCUSSION Open advocates expressed many frustrations with their work: they often felt isolated or burnt out, hindered by structures or expectations from their organization. While relational work is fundamental to the cultural change inherent in scholarly communication work, the overly simplistic, quantitative measures typical of library assessment do not accurately capture its nuance or complexity. CONCLUSION Centering the relational components of open advocacy work is necessary for it to be successful, sustainable, and appropriately valued. While the Open Action Kit has not been updated since 2017, it serves as a useful model for translating and centering relational work through distributed leadership, advocacy, and skill development.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a survey was conducted to understand accessibility practices in relation to institutional repositories, and the results suggest that accessibility should be prioritized in future creation of policies and allocation of library resources.
Abstract: INTRODUCTION Libraries have proposed institutional repositories as a means of providing universal access to university research. However, in recent years, it has become clear that universities and libraries have neglected web accessibility in constructing services including open access publishing programs. METHODS To better understand accessibility practices in relation to institutional repositories, survey responses were collected from repository managers. The survey consisted of five multiple choice and two open-ended questions regarding remediation and accessibility practices used by repository managers. RESULTS & DISCUSSION While the importance of accessibility has been well documented, survey responses showed that few policies and practices have been put in place to ensure accessibility in institutional repositories. Key barriers to accessibility included lack of organizational resources, lack of time, inadequate training, and product restrictions. CONCLUSION These results suggest that accessibility should be prioritized in future creation of policies and allocation of library resources.