The CURL/SCONUL joint eresearch task force
Support for e-Research
Filling the library skills gap
2007-06-14
Martin Lewis
Director of Library Services and University Librarian, The University of Sheffield
Task Force Chair
Support for e-research
Filling the Library skills gap
CURL and SCONUL acknowledge the
generous support of
– the National eScience Centre
– The Research Information Network
What is e-research?
“e-science is about global collaboration in key
areas of big science and the next generation of
infrastructure that will enable it”
Dr John Taylor, Director General of the UK
Research Councils, 2000
e-research: key features
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Collaborative
Multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary
GRID technology
Data
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quantity
formats
metadata
annotation and re-use
curation and preservation
Trends in e-research
• E-research is becoming
multidisciplinary and
interdisciplinary
• E-research is global
• E-research is becoming
mainstream
• “The data network is moving
from being the repository to
being the starting point for
science”
NSF
Cyberinfrastructure
Vision and
Strategic Plan
Why a task force?
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core e-science programme phase 1
2002 RSLG e-science subgroup
2004 Reg Carr presentation to CURL
The Tony Hey challenge
Reg Carr 2004
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Are we up for it?
Can we add value?
Will ‘they’ let us/want us to?
Should it be our job?
If not us, then who?
Discuss!
Why a task force?
• Tony Hey challenge
– CILIP Update March 2004
According to Professor Tony Hey, head of the UK's e-Science
Core Programme, academic librarians 'are concentrating on
only half the plot'. These days, he says, his students in
computing and engineering, and others in scientific disciplines
like particle physics and astronomy, do not use the university
library much, if at all; often they use only the online journals,
so 'there needs to be a refocusing of what libraries do'. This
doesn't mean that university librarians are redundant. Far from
it - they have an absolutely vital role to play, but it is one which
many of them currently ignore.
Why a task force?
• Tony Hey, contd
Librarians as digital curators
That's why Professor Hey thinks that digital curation and
interoperability issues should be so much higher up the
agenda, why he despairs of what he sees as the limited
vision of the Consortium of University Research Libraries
and the Research Support Libraries Group report (it
looked primarily at books and printed resources).
Why a task force?
• Tony Hey meeting with CURL Board July
2004 and members Oct 2004
• 2005 CURL decision to establish Task
Force
• proposal to SCONUL for joint Task Force
(cf TF on Scholarly Communications)
• First TF event – Dec 2005 workshop
TF Members
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Liz Lyon, UKOLN and DCC
Martin Lewis, University of Sheffield
John MacColl, University of Edinburgh
Luis Martinez, LSE
Vicky Wallace, University of Birmingham
Jane Savidge, University of Surrey
Mark Thorley, NeRC
Susan Ashworth, University of Glasgow
Neil Beagrie, BL/JISC
Carmen O’Dell, University of Sheffield
Stéphane Goldstein, RIN
Terms of reference
1. To raise awareness and understanding of the issues associated with
support of e-research in CURL and SCONUL member libraries and to
stimulate discussion about them at institutional level.
2. To position CURL and SCONUL member libraries’ staffs to engage with
their local e-research stakeholders and to encourage them to make
appropriate inputs at the research proposal stage.
3. To identify skills gaps in relation to support of e-research and to assist
member libraries in addressing them.
4. To work with other e-research stakeholders, including the DCC, RLN
and BL, to ensure that information management to support e-research
is a high priority for future investment by funders.
5. To advise the CURL Board and the SCONUL Executive Board on
matters relating to the support of e-research.
Work package #1
Information and awareness
Lead: Susan Ashworth
• Recruit network of e-research liaison contacts in HE
library & information services; establish JISCmail list
• Survey of e-research activity, e-research support
requirements, and e-research support work within HEIs
(coordinate with WP2 needs analysis)
• Survey of the policy and practice of research funders in
relation to data curation
• Disciplinary mapping of existing data curation services
and gaps in provision
Research data curation
EBI
CERN
NERC
UKDA
AHDS
Work package #2
Workforce development
Lead: Jane Savidge
• Training & development needs analysis
• Design, commissioning and delivery of training and
development events for HEI library & information
services staff
Work package #3
Research intelligence
Lead: John MacColl
• Maintain awareness of funding and bidding
opportunities for the eRTF
• Lead on bid drafting
• (with WP1) identify potential case
studies/exemplar projects for development with
DCC
TF workshop Dec 2005
1. What is the role of university libraries in supporting
e-research?
2. What are the risks of
getting involved?
not getting involved?
3. Should e-research data be held locally or in largescale repositories?
4. What skills are needed
to manage and curate e-research data?
to advise researchers on e-research data management?
Do we have them?
5. Who pays for the e-research information
infrastructure?