MacKenzie Smith
University Librarian
University of California, Davis
Gary Strong
University Librarian
University of California, Los Angeles
Valorie Hollister
Director of Community Programs
DuraSpace
Last year the Association of Research Libraries/Digital Library Federation (DLF) E-Science Institute was created to help research libraries develop strategic agendas for e-research support, with a particular focus on the sciences. The Institute consisted of a series of interactive modules that took small teams of individuals from academic institutions through a dynamic learning process to strengthen and advance their strategy for supporting digitally dependent research, such as e-science or computational linguistics. The coursework included a series of exercises for teams to complete at their institutions, and culminated with an in-person workshop. Local institution assignments helped staff establish a high level understanding of research support background needs and issues. The first cohort of the Institute included seventy institutions and was well received.
Demand has continued to grow, so the DuraSpace organization is partnering with DLF to continue the Institute into the future. The second cohort is now underway, concluding with a Capstone event immediately following this Coalition for Networked Information meeting. The Institute has been improved based on feedback from the first cohort and is poised to help libraries of all types (large academic, college, corporate, public, government, etc.) develop approaches to digital research support, individually and collectively.
This presentation will include an overview of the challenges facing universities and libraries in dealing with digital research and especially data, the E-Science Institute approach of Strategic Agendas, a case study from a member of the Institute’s first cohort (University of California, Los Angeles), and an overview of the current Institute managed by DuraSpace.
http://www.arl.org/rtl/eresearch/escien/escieninstitute/index.shtml
http://duraspace.org/e-science-institute