Topic: Libraries
Research Report
June 20, 2024
Generative AI and Postsecondary Instructional Practices
Findings from a National Survey of Instructors
Understanding how instructors are (or are not) using generative AI in their classrooms is vital because most college and university guidelines leave decision making about how, when, and if generative AI use is permitted to the discretion of individual instructors. To gain insight into evolving instructional practices, we included a short four-question section dedicated specifically to generative AI as part of a national survey of instructors.
Blog Post
May 22, 2024
Enhancing College Fluency
First Case Study Report Available
We’re excited to announce the publication of the first case study in the College Fluency Capacity Building Project. Co-led by the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) Library and Ithaka S+R, this IMLS-funded project explores the evolving role librarians play in fostering college fluency and aims to help librarians address the changing information needs of the students they serve. For students, navigating the higher education landscape takes more than just attending and passing classes; it also requires a…
Case Study
May 22, 2024
Navigating Higher Education
Insights from the College Fluency Initiatives at Sinclair Community College
To further examine and develop effective strategies to foster college fluency, the Borough of Manhattan Community College Library (BMCC) and Ithaka S+R have partnered on the College Fluency Capacity Building initiative with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The first case study from this research initiative examines Sinclair Community College in Ohio, a pioneer in developing college fluency with faculty and staff.
Blog Post
May 21, 2024
Research Study on E-Book Publishing
Announcing a New Project from Ithaka S+R
The landscape of scholarly monograph publishing has become increasingly complex, with some business models straddling digital and print realms and others guided by the principles of open access. While the transition towards e-books has prompted numerous publishers to establish proprietary platforms for hosting their content, distribution and aggregation services remain pivotal within this ecosystem.
Blog Post
May 14, 2024
Drawing New Directions for Research Data Services
In response to universities’ strategic need to provide effective data support services to researchers, Ithaka S+R launched the Building Campus Strategies for Coordinated Data Support project in February 2023. In the first two phases of the project, participants conducted an inventory of data services on their campus and interviewed researchers about their research data services support needs. Spring 2024 marked the beginning of phase three during which participants will implement innovative strategies to assist researchers in navigating support services…
Past Event
June 25, 2024
Library Technologies
Join Roger Schonfeld, Ithaka S+R Vice President, Organizational Strategy and Libraries, Scholarly Communication, and Museums, and members of the SCONUL Horizons Strategy Group to explore the evolving landscape on library technologies on June 25 from 1:30 – 3:00pm. The webinar marks the launch of a new project considering the community’s relationship with its suppliers in the context of the increasing vertical and horizontal integration of the provider markets, and growing pressure on library budgets in the UK. The project will be…
Past Event
July 16, 2024
The Library and Institutional Success
The Chronicle of Higher Education and Ithaka S+R are partnering to provide library leaders a professional development program tailored to their unique challenges and goals. This two-week virtual program is designed to empower participants to develop their leadership skills and drive institutional success. The first week of this program will offer librarians a chance to dive into three core seminars. These high-level, large-format seminars will include insights on national trends, the higher ed business model, and the library’s role in institutional initiatives.
Past Event
May 9, 2024
Virtual Forum: The Strategic Value of Libraries
As higher ed faces more challenges, how can libraries play a greater role in student success and in other institutional goals? Today they are offering strategic value to a campus as hubs for student services, learning technologies, and academic innovation. How can libraries—and librarians—continue to play their pivotal roles on campuses in the current environment, where enrollment and budget issues abound? Join the Chronicle of Higher Education for a forum on Thursday, May 9, at 2 p.m. ET, featuring…
Issue Brief
April 18, 2024
Serving Library Patrons Behind Bars
Challenges and Collaborations
Introduction The past several years have seen major shifts in both policy and perception regarding criminal justice in the United States. The distinctly American phenomenon of mass incarceration and its racial and economic underpinnings have made criminal justice reform a major focus of advocacy efforts and a rare example of bipartisan agreement. As a growing quantity of research has begun to illuminate the negative societal impacts of the carceral system, especially on communities of color, focus has slowly shifted to…
Blog Post
April 8, 2024
Maximizing Public-Academic Library Partnerships
Seeking Case Study Partners
Through our Maximizing Public-Academic Library Partnerships project funded by ECMC Foundation, Ithaka S+R is investigating different types of cross-sector library partnerships at a national level, with a focus on identifying their strengths and challenges. These partnerships can range from formalized agreements with shared resources to more informal collaborations where public and academic library leaders convene periodically to address their priorities.
Blog Post
March 28, 2024
New Report on Self-Censorship and Public University Libraries
In the Fall of 2023, Ithaka S+R reached out to 15 library leaders at public research universities throughout the United States and asked them to speak about their current experiences regarding censorship, self-censorship, and academic freedom. Today, we are publishing our anonymized findings from these semi-structured interviews.
Research Report
March 28, 2024
Censorship and Academic Freedom in the Public University Library
Research libraries are expected to provide and preserve collections in support of their institutions’ research and teaching priorities and to support long-term access to cultural, historical, and scientific works. In today’s polarized political environment, both libraries and universities have been at the heart of controversy. In this project, we examine some of the impacts of this polarization at public research university libraries.
Past Event
April 9, 2024
Navigating the Future
AI Applications in Research Libraries
At the National Agricultural Library on April 9 at 11:00am, Ithaka S+R’s Dylan Ruediger will participate in a panel discussion on the intersection of technology, research, and library science and how it accelerates innovative advancements in research and knowledge management for National Library Week (April 7-13, 2024). Panelists Dianne Babski, Alakananda Mitra, and Kate Nyhan will discuss how AI enhances information retrieval, discovery, research services and content creation, and shape the future of scholarly resources. Join the panel to delve…
Past Event
April 24, 2024
Serving Library Patrons Behind Bars
As the landscape of higher education in prison shifts and evolves, libraries are making efforts to expand services in prisons across the country while facing a myriad of challenges, from limited staff capacity to shrinking budgets. With support from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Ithaka S+R conducted an exploratory research project to document the different types of libraries involved in providing services in prison, the service models and missions those libraries are advancing, the challenges of working…
Past Event
April 12, 2024
What Are the Impacts of Polarization on Censorship in Academic Libraries?
Join the EveryLibrary Institute for a discussion of an upcoming report by Ithaka S+R about the censorship landscape for academic libraries, drawing from interviews with 15 deans, directors, and university librarians. The report’s authors Roger Schonfeld and Ess Pokornowski will focus on how this emerging policy landscape and rapidly evolving political climate are impacting the research libraries of public universities. Stay tuned for the report and register for the webinar, scheduled for Friday, April 12 at 1:00pm ET.
Blog Post
March 20, 2024
The Library of Congress Research Experience Survey Is Open
Ithaka S+R is honored to be partnering with the Library of Congress on a research study to better understand the experiences of people who use the library's collections and resources to conduct research. This mixed methods project includes an online survey followed by interviews of selected researchers. The findings from this study will be used to help inform the Library of Congress’ strategy for supporting the researchers that utilize the library’s collections and resources.
Blog Post
March 14, 2024
Mapping Research Data Support Services
A New Report from Ithaka S+R Shares Findings from an International Inventory
The complexity of contemporary research practices have created significant demand for a wide range of support services within university research communities. Libraries and other campus units have responded by developing an array of research data support services to help researchers learn new tools, improve their skill sets, and manage their data across the research lifecycle. Because these services often evolved without central oversight or cross-unit coordination, it can be difficult for users to understand exactly what is available to them…
Research Report
March 14, 2024
The Research Data Services Landscape at US and Canadian Higher Education Institutions
While many universities have made substantial investments in research data services and are likely to continue to make further investments, obstacles such as decentralization and inefficiency, insufficient staffing, lack of technical expertise, and ambiguity about the needs of researchers continue to limit the impact of these investments. In light of these persistent challenges, Ithaka S+R revisited our 2020 inventory of data services and expanded our scope to include Canadian universities. Our findings presented here are based on a comprehensive review…
Blog Post
March 12, 2024
The College Fluency Survey Is Open!
We are thrilled to announce that Ithaka S+R in partnership with the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) Library has launched our new, national College Fluency Survey. This survey is a part of a comprehensive, two-and-a-half-year initiative funded by IMLS aimed at understanding how institutions can better support a critical aspect of student success: college fluency—or the knowledge and abilities that enable students to effectively access, utilize, and advocate for needed college services and resources. Through this project we…
Blog Post
February 28, 2024
Assessing the Diversity of Library Collections
Announcing a New Cohort Project
As we’ve explored in our previous work, academic libraries build collections in the context of their parent institutions—primarily to support the institution’s research, teaching, and learning mission. They also build collections that document and preserve the cultural and scientific heritage of our society to represent a wide range of perspectives. In these efforts, universities and their libraries are developing approaches that address calls for greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) with a focus on creating space for the…