LIBRARY RMIT University Library Annual Report 2014 www.rmit.edu.au/library Introduction In 2014 the University Library was once again a major contributor to learning, teaching and research at RMIT. The Library has a unique and highly valued place within the University. It is a ‘home away from home’ for many students, as well as the best source of reliable and scholarly information that supports learning, teaching and research. Over the past few years the Library’s role has expanded significantly. This is due to the growing use of multimedia to support learning as well as our increasingly active role in organising both learning objects and research outputs. Library liaison work is growing in both breadth and depth through involvement in projects like Global Learning by Design and a number of grants and grant applications. The Library (Australia and Vietnam) has put significant effort into adopting an institution-wide approach to service development and excellence. Through staff exchanges between Australia and Vietnam, shared planning and closer working ties we aim to ensure comparable library services are delivered anywhere within the organisation. The growth and new directions of recent years form the basis for a sound future. Craig Anderson, University Librarian. Dr. Craig Anderson University Librarian Contents Supporting Learning and Teaching 04 Supporting Research 10 Improving the Student Experience 12 Developing People 16 Improving Infrastructure 18 Appendices 19 RMIT University Library 04 Annual Report 2014 Supporting Learning and Teaching The University Library is a significant contributor to RMIT’s learning and teaching environment. Videos, interactive games, face to face classes and online objects all support students’ academic success. Library staff spend hundreds of hours per year working with teaching staff to develop and enrich the content provided to students. Joint projects with schools, partners and programs, such as Global Learning by Design, ensure that RMIT’s teaching and learning experience is rich and rewarding. Online learning Grant partnerships » was invited to join a group of academics in the application, Staff are often asked to run multiple The Library was invited to partner titled ‘Badging Subject- research skills classes for hundreds in the following grant applications in Based Skills, Knowledge of students. In response, the Library 2014: and Application: Reimagining is increasingly turning to online » A School of Media and acquisition and evidencing of instructional resources which can be Communication grant-funded learning outcomes’. embedded in Blackboard or accessed project titled ‘The Language » A Learning and Teaching independently by students. of Design: Development and Investment Fund (LTIF) grant dissemination of a model and proposal with the School of In 2014, How to Find Scholarly resources to support a lexicon Media and Communication Resources, an online tutorial was for design’ was successful. to create a writing guide created through a collaboration The Liaison Librarian, Amy for design students, titled between Daniella Hutchings, Liaison Saunders, is a member of ‘Text and Form: Web-based Librarian for Vocational Business the reference group for the academic writing resources Education, and staff from the Business project. for design students’ was Academic Development Group. The » The outcome of an Office of not successful, however, the tutorial highlights key videos, iSearch Learning & Teaching (OLT) project has been submitted as tutorials and Subject Guide material Innovation and Development a Global Learning by Design on finding scholarly resources. Grant proposal with the project for 2015. College of Business is » The Library initiated a pending. Deborah Wright, proposal for an LTIF grant to Liaison Manager for Business, collaborate with the 0505 » Study and Learning Centre is taking place in January 2015. teams with regard to the Learning (Australia), the Vietnam Repository, open educational material, Library and the Learning Skills This grant also strengthened the videostreaming, research skills guides Unit (Vietnam) to develop partnership between the libraries and online training videos. They also a user-centred referencing at RMIT and at SIM as librarians developed targeted guides in the use resource. While the bid was collaborated to deliver a range of face- of resources and worked with the unsuccessful we plan to to-face research skill training sessions Study and Learning Centre (SLC) on collaborate to develop other for RMIT students at SIM who an online quiz. ways to support students’ were enrolled in the Introduction to The Science, Engineering and Health referencing skills. Management and Leading for Change (SEH) liaison team supplied online courses. These sessions mirrored the learning resources for two Semester Partnerships with the training and help available to students 1 projects: Virtual WIL in Health School of Management in Melbourne and Vietnam. and Singapore Institute of Science and the Flipped Classroom. In Management Global Learning by Design Semester 2, Irene Caleb participated in a virtual WIL project with the School of Applied Science, identifying The ability to research is an essential Liaison Librarians from all three potential course resources in several graduate capability. In 2014, the college teams were involved in the formats. SEH team members were School of Management and the University’s Global Learning by Design also involved in other Semester 2 Library were awarded a joint Learning Project, which is led by the Office projects, offering input and feedback. and Teaching Investment Fund of Dean, Learning and Teaching. (LTIF) grant for a project to increase The continuing project provides us From the Business liaison team, Jenny students’ research skills. The project with the opportunity to work with Hurley was engaged in the Applied focused on two management courses academics, educational developers, Industry Practice project for the that are delivered at RMIT Melbourne, learning advisors, and Learning and Graduate School of Business and Law the Singapore Institute of Management Teaching staff. In this forum we are (GSBL). Jenny worked with SLC and (SIM) and RMIT Vietnam. able to develop curricula that can be Careers staff to create a combined reused for the delivery of programs in resource for students to use in WIL, The project employed the Research multiple locations and through multiple and provided advice to the developers Skill Development Framework to channels. about the online information resources develop a series of online library best suited to supporting curriculum. The Design and Social Context (DSC) interventions linked directly to course Liaison Librarians were involved in six Jenny has also been involved in assessment, and to then deliver these projects in Semester 1 focused on identifying key resources and legal into the curricula via Blackboard. early assessment, online learning and research needs for the four courses virtual work-integrated learning (WIL); being redesigned as part of the The project examined whether a further four projects in Semester 2 GSBL project ‘Deployment of the students’ library research skills and focused on capstones, online studios Postgraduate Online Pattern to the course results were improved as a and virtual WIL. Librarians were able to Juris Doctor Units’. result of these interventions; evaluation advise and assist RMIT University Library 06 Annual Report 2014 P to E: from print to P to E and New Academic electronic Street An additional $5.6 million of capital The print to electronic push will also monies were made available in 2014 help smooth any access issues on to develop the Library’s electronic Melbourne City campus related to the resource collection, specifically The Library is ‘e-Preferred’ New Academic Street (NAS) building e-books. While the complete list is This means we will preference the works. During this period, substantial available in the Appendices, significant purchase of an electronic copy of amounts of Swanston Library resources acquired include: any requested book if it is available floorspace will be closed. Eighty per cent of print books and almost » Birkhauser Architecture 2013- in that format. Print copies will all the print journal collection from 2014 e-book collection be purchased when there are the Swanston Library will be moved » Chinese medicine books from specific pedagogical reasons offsite. These items will be available Ovid for obtaining the physical upon request, but physical browsing » ScienceDirect, SIAM and SPIE format. won’t be possible and there may be e-book collections a 24 hour delay for retrieval. Of the » Springer eBook archive material to be moved offsite, 15,000 A proportion of the money was spent equivalent e-book titles have been duplicating print books with electronic acquired. copies. This emphasis on the electronic collection will improve the support we offer to RMIT programs delivered around the world. The last ten years of e-resources Spending of the information resources 16% budget, 2004 vs. 2014 15% 50% *e-Journals 40% *e-Journals Monographs Monographs (Print books and 9% (Print books and individual **e-Resources individual e-book titles). e-book titles). 38% **e-Resources 25% Printed Journals 6% Printed Journals *Operating budget directed towards e-journals. **Capital budget directed towards e-journals 2004 and e-book packages. 2014 07 EduTV: new in 2014 EduTV makes it easy for teaching staff and students to find and watch relevant television