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ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Biblioteek- en Inligtingsdiens Library and Information Service Library and Information Service Annual Report 2014 Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Highlights of the year 2 3. Our strategic priorities 3 Repurposing library spaces 3 Advancing information literacy 4 Supporting and sharing institutional, scholarly publication output 5 Enhancing and enriching a full range of information resources 6 Advancing a positive organisational culture of learning and innovation amongst staff 9 Providing a cutting-edge information technology infrastructure to support the changing needs of our users 10 4. Special collections: contribution to research publication output 11 5. Marketing and communication 12 6. Closing remarks 13 Members of the Library Committee 2014 CHAIRMAN Prof TE Cloete The Vice-Rector: Research and Innovation COMMITTEE MEMBERS Prof MI Cherry Faculty: Science Prof LC Jonker Faculty: Theology Prof JH Nel Faculty: Economic and Management Sciences Prof JM Pienaar Faculty: Law Prof JC Thom Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences Prof JL van Niekerk Faculty: Engineering Prof MA Vivier Faculty: AgriSciences Mr J Aspeling Registrar Ms E Tise Senior Director, Library and Information Service Ms E Randall Secretary Ms C de Kock AAC Representative Library and Information Service Annual Report 2014 1 Introduction The Library and Information Service (LIS) strives to provide a world- class and innovative information service and learning space for the University community. Faced with a changing communication environment, we are finding new, creative ways of meeting the challenges facing academic libraries. he scholarly communication environment Furthermore, it is important for libraries to is ever changing and academic libraries identify and develop new services. According to T need to adapt. We see the need for the the Online Computer Library Centre (OCLC) physical distribution of materials diminishing and website, electronic resources consuming the largest part of the materials budget. Even so, libraries face a libraries are increasingly leveraging the raw shortage of collection space, especially when it materials of scholarship and knowledge formation 1 comes to special collections. According to Lavoie, by emphasizing the creation and curation of Childress, Erway, Faniel, Malpas, Schaffner and institutional research assets and outputs, Van der Werf (2014), including digitized special collections, research data, and researcher profiles … We are [t]he boundaries of the scholarly record are both encouraging the development of new ways for expanding and blurring, driven by changes in libraries to build and provide these types of research practices, as well as changing perceptions collections and deliver distinctive services of the long-term value of certain forms of scholarly (Lavoie et al., 2014). materials. Understanding the nature, scope, and evolutionary trends of the scholarly record is an At the Stellenbosch University Library and important concern in many quarters – for libraries, Information Service we have aligned our strategic for publishers, for funders, and of course for objectives with those of the University in scholars themselves. Many issues are intrinsic to general, and specifically those of the Vice-Rector: the scholarly record, such as preservation, citation, Research and Innovation. We are well positioned replicability, provenance, and data curation. to respond to these challenges – ensuring that our services, collections and expertise continue Other challenges include cataloguing backlogs and to make a significant contribution to the success concerns about the visibility of resources in the of our students and the academic excellence of digital environment. our institution. In order to meet users’ needs, academic libraries are reconfiguring their systems and collections according to how faculty and students organise their research and learning workflows, participating in shared approaches to data curation, adopting patron-driven acquisitions models, advocating for open access on their campuses and providing advice to researchers about the research process, outcomes, expertise and so on. Lavoie, B., Childress, E., Erway, R., Faniel, I., Malpas, C., Schaffner, J. & Van der Werf, T. 2014. The Evolving Scholarly Record. Dublin, Ohio: OCLC Research. Library and Information Service Annual Report 2014 2 Highlights of the year In 2014 we introduced a range of new products and services to expand our research performance management services to researchers and to measure their research impact. 2In 2014 we introduced a range of new The second Library Research Week, THE FREDERICK VAN ZYL SLABBERT products and services to expand our with the theme “Get Research SMART MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION research performance management @ your Library”, took place in August In April, the Library and Information services to researchers and to measure 2014. With an eye to develop the skills Service officially became the custodian their research impact. These services and knowledge of emerging researchers, of the Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert include: the programme was developed to focus manuscript collection. The good news • a customised workshop on research on four key areas: was announced at the third Van Zyl performance tools, • reference and citation management, Slabbert Honorary Lecture, which is • a comprehensive brochure to • academic writing, held annually by the Frederick Van Zyl promote research support services, • finding relevant information, and Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership and • managing research. Development. • a decision to implement a suitable unique author identifier system in One of our strategic objectives is to ELECTRONIC RESOURCES 2015. support, promote and enhance research In December 2014, the University output and postgraduate throughput. Council adopted a mandatory self- Furthermore, we completed an The Library Research Week is one of archiving (green open access) policy information literacy framework. The the initiatives through which we aim to for the institution. This policy will be framework describes the development meet this objective. This event, now an implemented in 2015 and will increase of different levels of information literacy established event on our annual Library the visibility of the University’s research competency and articulates principles and calendar, drew more participants output. ways of integrating information skills into than it did in 2013 and we feel that teaching and learning. we have succeeded in making it an In order to enhance, expand and improve event that grabs the attention of our the e-resources collection and access to SUNScholar RANKING target audience. Attendance of specific collections in general, we investigated The institutional repository, SUNScholar, sessions, feedback received and levels of new purchasing and licensing models to continued to grow in 2014. It was ranked engagement from attendees indicate that maximise the limited financial resources 2nd in Africa and 146th globally (out of we have addressed topics relevant to for optimal research impact. To this end 1 983 repositories) in the July 2014 our students and researchers. the Library successfully implemented biannual ranking of open access a system of patron-driven acquisition institutional repositories performed by The Research Commons Social Hours in 2014, where patron usage and The Ranking Web of World Repositories. is an initiative to create and foster a recommendation influences the selection community of researchers and provide and acquisition of electronic resources. SPECIAL EVENTS an opportunity for emerging researchers The Library and Information Service’s to find inspiration, exchange ideas, ENHANCING OUR WEBSITE first Digital Fair was hosted in July. The support each other and socialise, We have undertaken a web usability aim was to introduce students and staff thus encouraging a new generation of study to obtain recommendations that to the cutting-edge electronic resources academics. will help to inform new information that the Library makes available to architecture, the look and feel and the them, both on and off campus. The The Library also presented its fifth functional design of the Library website, fair included presentations on a variety successful Manuscript Lecture as part our mobile site and the SUNSearch of electronic sources and services, as of the annual Stellenbosch Wordfest integrated discovery service. In this way, well as exhibitions showcasing access (“Woordfees”), sharing our unique we hope to enhance access to collections to databases, electronic journals and heritage collections with the wider even further. electronic books. The event was well Stellenbosch community. received and we hope to present it again in 2015. Library and Information Service Annual Report 2014 3 Our strategic priorities Repurposing library spaces 3In 2014 the Library and Information As in previous years, the Carnegie Service continued to improve Research Commons was used to spaces to provide an innovative and its full capacity, which indicates that stimulating environment to support providing a dedicated space for learning, teaching and research. master’s and doctoral students fulfils In the JS Gericke Library the re- a great need. The busiest month carpeting of the lower level provided in the Research Commons was an opportunity to re-arrange shelves October, with 7 797 visits. The total and faculty librarian work stations gate count during 2014 was 64 152 to introduce an additional open visits.