Webcast review
Libraries and the pandemicchallenge
Research Information’s latest webcast, entitled Covid-19 and the Future of the Academic Library, was broadcast to more than a thousand viewers in June
Free to view and open to all our readers, the webcast focussed on how academic libraries have had to change in recent months, on the changes in relationship with other players in the scholarly communications industry, and on the future of libraries in a post-Covid world. Hosted by Europa Science managing
director Warren Clark, and sponsored by IET Inspec, the hour-long webcast featured librarians from across the world: • Lisa Hinchliffe, professor/coordinator for information literacy services and instruction in the University Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the USA; • Kirsty Merrett, research support librarian for research data management at the University of Bristol, UK; and • Rossana Morriello, a research support librarian at Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy.
All three have been regular contributors
to Research Information, and came together to compare the situation at their own institutions in the wake of Covid-19, as well as sharing best practice and offering suggestions for moving forward as universities around the world come out of lockdown and move to ‘the new normal’.
Country overviews Recognising, of course, that the situation is rapidly changing in different countries around the world, the three guests outlined the current state of affairs at their own libraries and institutions. Speaking from Turin, Morriello pointed out that Italy was one of the first countries to be affected by the pandemic, and that universities were some of the first institutions in the country to close, at the beginning of March. They were allowed to reopen from mid-May, she said, adding that academic libraries have only been allowed to open in a controlled way, operating a ‘click and collect’ model for students and researchers needing library services, as well as enhanced distancing and sanitation measures. Hinchliffe pointed out that, in the United
States, reactions to the pandemic and how to handle it were guided at a state level. In Illinois, universities were told to close – but in fact, many had already taken that action independently beforehand. Speaking of ‘small silver linings’ Hinchliffe pointed out that many closures were carried out over the spring break, when there were fewer students in universities, giving the authorities a better opportunity to effect
Sponsored by
IET’s Inspec Analytics wins Best New Product/ Service in The Charleston Advisor’s Eighteenth Annual Readers’ Choice Awards
The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Inspec Analytics, has been named “Best New Product/Service” in The Charleston Advisor’s Eighteenth Annual Readers’ Choice Awards. The awards are given for the best digital
products or services of interest to libraries and academia. The winners are selected by members of the editorial board which consists of senior library staff from a range of US Universities as well as consultants and professionals from the publishing industry. Inspec Analytics, which launched in 2019,
“Researchers were increasingly
requesting online video meetings to discuss their requirements”
is based on the IET’s Inspec database and was developed to support researchers, strategic managers and libraries in assessing the value and impact of research and make strategic decisions about the direction of their projects, departments and collaborations. The Charleston Advisor praised Inspec
Analytics as “a wonderful analytics tool for multidisciplinary collaboration as well as those working in focused fields.” Vincent Cassidy, IET Head of Academic
the closures in a safe way. While stopping short of calling the operation a ‘success’, Hinchliffe said that her university had in fact been moving towards an online library model for more than 20 years, so it was easier to pivot away from being a physical library when required to do so. She hailed this a ‘success for long-term thinking’. In Bristol, Merrett reported that the
Markets, said: “We are delighted that Inspec Analytics has won its first award for Best New Product. We developed Inspec Analytics in response to the increasing demand for insight and impact across the research ecosystem, and we are really delighted that the value of our highly curated data, in powering our precision analytics tool, has received such a positive response from The Charleston Advisor and its readers.” Inspec Analytics is included with the Inspec subscription. Current subscribers may have access to Inspec via platforms including EBSCOHost, Elsevier’s Engineering Village, OvidSP, ProQuest Dialog and Web of Science.
lockdown had been announced at short notice and had taken many at the university by surprise. Despite this, the university and its library were gearing up to provide a full range of services for when the university community returns in the autumn. The university had been operating a hybrid model for some time, and the focus now was on ensuring that students and academics will be able to access the relevant resources in a safe way.
For more information Further information can be found on the Inspec Analytics website:
https://inspec-analytics.theiet.org/
Rossana Morriello
Kirsty Merrett,
Lisa Hinchliffe
28 Research Information August/September 2020
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