Research Goes On: Post-Observatory Astronomy Resources in Eva Isaksson Helsinki University Library / Library LISA VII conference 19.6.2014

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 1 There have been some changes in Helsinki… in a nutshell:

• Astronomy Department was merged in 2010 with the Department of Physics after 175 independent years • Helsinki Observatory Library was merged with the new Helsinki University Library • Everything was moved physically: astronomers, collections, the librarian… • Large parts of the collections were sent away • Later, Kumpula Campus Library cut 40% of its printed collections in 2012-2013 • Outcomes?

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 2 From here: To here: Kumpula Science Campus Helsinki Observatory - largest in Nordic Countries www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 3 Helsinki Observatory 1834-2009

• Inherited collections from Turku, former site of the university - founded by Queen Christina of Sweden in 1640 • The Helsinki observatory was built in 1834 • No major changes or upheavals for 175 years • Full of old instruments, manuscripts, separata, books, photographic plates, maps, exchange collections, reprints, staff publications, journals, ephemerides, etc.

Starting point in 2009: 810 shelf metres of print

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 4 Where did everything go? 1: it was sent elsewhere

University of National Finnish National Helsinki Central Repository Library Library Archives in Kuopio Recycling

Other takers: • Tuorla observatory (Russian language books) • Finnish Horological Museum (books+journals on clocks) • Department of Physics (reprints of department of astronomy publications) • etc.

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 5 Where did everything go? 2: it was kept (sort of)

Exchange Pre-1950s books Catalogs and Kumpula Campus Collection in as museum atlases in remote Library ”active” remote storage exhibits storage collections

• The observatory library was the last department library to be merged – and there was barely enough space left to accommodate the remaining collections • A large part had to be put into remote storage (more or less expensive) – a temporary solution

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 6 New Actor in the field: Helsinki University Library

• 2010 merger of all the faculty, department and other library units of the University • Independent institute with own budget and own policies • ~220 employees • 24,3 M€ annual budget • 1.9 million annual visits • 81 shelf kms • 33.300 e-journals, 356.400 e-books • 4 campus libraries, open to all

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 7 New Main Library 2012 Kumpula Campus Library

• Right at the heart of the largest science campus in Nordic Countries • Mathematics, statistics, computer science, chemistry, physics, geophysics, meteorology, astronomy, geosciences and geography collections • Print collections reached a maximum in 2010 when Observatory collections were added • Meanwhile, other disciplines had started going e-only to save space

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 8 Boxed journals Transplanted astronomers visit Kumpula Campus Library For a welcome coffee + cake www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 9 Kumpula Campus Library renovation 2012-2014

• Desperate need to save expensive space and to start going e-only to follow new collection policies • Major renovation underway • Printed collection cut 40% (more later?) • Printed journals stored in boxes for a year (until autumn 2014)

Printed astronomy journals cut: from 388 shelf metres (Observatory) to 86 shelf metres (now)

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 10 Boxed journals Books at the Observatory 2009 Books

1950 now

Merged collection at Kumpula 2011

Collection after cuts at Kumpula 2014

11 Collections provide sources for new research – the right sources?

Publications by Helsinki astronomers 2005-2013 (Web of Science)

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 12 Survey: what are astronomers really using (or citing)?

• Scopus cited sources survey: 17 849 references in University of Helsinki astronomy publications 2005-2013 • How many of those were accessible online? How many were not?

Method: 1. Harvest astronomy articles with DOIs from local research database 2. Search Scopus with DOIs 3. Harvest references (easy) 4. Identify all 17 849 by hand (painstaking)

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 13 Articles: almost all were available

• 99% were available at the time of writing either online or in printed form

93 % of cited articles available online 6% available in print 1 % not available in the library

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 14 University of Helsinki co-author map foraaa astronomy publications (WOS data 2005-2013)

Caveat: the cited sources could originate from coauthors, i.e. from other libraries

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 15 Books: steady use of printed library books

• E-books hard to detect from references and not widely used until about 2013 on Ź missing here

70 % of cited books available in print 30 % not available in the library

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 16 Books again Current book collection at Kumpula 2014

1950 now

What astronomers cited 2005-2013

17 Other surveys, similar results

• Questionnaire to Helsinki astronomers re: printed journal use, June 2014 • 91% never use printed journals anymore • Top 5 print journals are popular magazines or general science journals

Most often read in print: Tähdet ja avaruus (Finnish) Nature Science How often did you Scientific American use a printed journal Sky and Telescope 2010-2014? Astronomisk Tidskrift (Swedish)

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 18 Thesis citations survey 2013

• Bachelor’s theses at Department of Physics 2012, with astronomy B.Sc. theses • Notable differences in citing practices: • References to course materials & course books, theses (most of these are online) • References to online image & data sources • Almost no references to conference papers • Cited journals practically always online

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 19 Question from LISA VI: can the merger effect be measured?

• Yes? From 2010 onwards, Helsinki astronomers suddenly started citing much more (even considering that they also publish somewhat more)

This is the cited articles Merger availability 2010 graph shown earlier Ļ

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 20 Comparison of A&A citations for 4 Finnish astronomy institutes

• Yes?Yes? Sharp changes in 2010 for Helsinki and another university – with astronomy reorganized

Citations 2005- 2010 for Finnish A&A publications (WOS)

(*) Big reorganization for Helsinki & Ļ Aalto univ.

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 21 A&A Finnish collaboration network map 2005-2013

Planck collaboration? Something else? The reasons could be complex, as bibliometrics seldom gives straight answers 22 Conclusions? Maybe…

• Big changes – we not only left the old Observatory, but also entered a new collection policy era • Astronomers seem productive and almost print-free (they only need more e-books) • A new generation will be using e-only sources

Helsinki University library BookNavigator

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 23 Thank you! Our astronomy books were stacked in new location last week

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