Category: Research

Call for Participation: Survey re: ILS and Special Collections Data

Dear Colleagues,

Special collections catalogers (those who spend at least 30% of their time cataloging special collections and/or rare materials) are invited to participate in a survey related to Integrated Library System (ILS) or Library Services Platform (LSP) migration and special collections data.

To participate, individuals must be over the age of 18 and currently employed as a special collections cataloger. Participants must have migrated Integrated Library Systems (ILS) or Library Services Platforms (LSP) in the last 5 years.

Participation within this survey is voluntary. Participants may stop completing the survey at any time. The survey will be anonymous but not confidential. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b8U2I30vUZ49hum

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact

Libby Hertenstein

hertenstein.9@osu.edu

614-247-9802

Office of Responsible Research Practices

hsconcerns@osu.edu

(614) 688-8457

(800) 678-6251

Call for Participation: AI and Scholarly Peer Review

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to request your participation in an online survey on the current state of AI tool use in scholarly peer review. Though the use of AI tools has burgeoned in the past two years, we know exceedingly little about how individuals use these tools for scholarly review, which can have a significant impact on the overall scholarship process, as well as the current structures of editorial boards and academic service.

This research project is being conducted by Principal Investigator Dr. Alex H. Poole, Associate Professor at Drexel University’s Department of Information Science, and Dr. Ashley Todd-Diaz, Assistant University Librarian for Special Collections and University Archives. The questionnaire should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

The survey can be accessed at this link: https://drexel.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5ssGNm8QOknWOW2

Sincerely,

Alex H. Poole

Ashley Todd-Diaz

Call to Participate in a Study: Librarians as Students

Dear Colleagues,

If you are a librarian or an archivists currently pursuing additional degrees, please consider participating in the research study Librarians as Students: A Survey of Librarians Pursuing Advanced Degrees. This study aims to explore the motivations, experiences, and challenges faced by librarians and archivists who pursue advanced degrees while continuing their professional roles. By participating in this study, you will contribute valuable insights into how librarians balance academic and professional responsibilities, manage work/life demands, and shape their career paths. Your responses will also help identify opportunities for improved institutional and community support for librarian/archivist-scholars.

The survey is anonymous and should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. The anticipated sample size is 100 subjects. If you are interested in participating, please click the link below to access the survey: 

Link to survey: rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1NerrXH33GeE7Qy

Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time. If you have any questions about the study, please feel free to contact me at lily.todorinova@rutgers.edu.  

Thank you for sharing your experiences and contributing to this research.

——–

Lily Todorinova

Undergraduate Experience Librarian, Open Educational Research

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

lily.todorinova@rutgers.edu | Meet with Zoom“

Creating a Research Agenda for the Archival Profession: Open Call to Participate

In late July of 2024, the Society of American Archivists received a $150,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grant program to establish a prioritized research agenda for the archival profession that builds upon SAA’s recently adopted Research and Innovation Roadmap. Spearheaded by the Committee on Research, Data, and Assessment (CORDA) and with funding from IMLS, SAA will convene 35 archival experts, educators, community leaders, and grantmakers—archivists from across key sectors and professional positionality as well as relevant non-archivist stakeholders—to be part of a professionally facilitated two-day forum to take place in Chicago on May 1–2, 2025. Travel, lodging, and food for participants will be covered by grant funds. The participants will transform the recently adopted SAA Research and Innovation Roadmap into a research agenda and develop a framework for its implementation and adoption.

Establishing a prioritized agenda is too important to too many stakeholders to consider developing it within CORDA alone, or even within SAA or the larger archival community. This agenda must be the collaborative work of stakeholders representing diverse perspectives in the archival endeavor. It is for this reason that the 35 participants will be selected from an open call application process to form the Research Agenda Advisory Collective.

To ensure the success and thoughtful design of the 2-day in person forum, CORDA in consultation with SAA leadership and funding from IMLS have hired a professional facilitator, RMC (Research Making Change). RMC Research Corporation was our top contender for this project as they worked with the National Endowment for the Arts on a similar project turning a complex strategic plan into a Research Agenda and engaging a diverse group of 46 participants in 7 focus groups. RMC works across education, healthcare and arts industries. Their clients include local, state, and federal agencies; philanthropic foundations; creative services organizations and other nonprofits; higher education institutions; and private businesses. Their research profile, track record of conducting research and program based evaluation, and capacity building across industries, many of which deliver public benefit, is well aligned with the focus and intent of this effort.

Application Evaluation

To select 35 applicants for the 2-day in-person forum, CORDA and RMC have developed an online application that takes approximately 30–45 minutes to complete. The application consists of 9 demographic questions, CV upload, and 2 open-ended questions regarding engagement, experience, and expertise, as well as a positionality statement asking applicants how their lived experiences and/or DEIA-related work connects to the development of the roadmap into a research agenda for the profession.

To ensure an inclusive and diverse group, we have developed a weighted rubric, aligned with the Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to guide the selection of applicants to participate in the 2-day forum, based on the following criteria:

  • In and outside of the profession. Practicing archivists will form the majority of the Collective, including archivists affiliated with allied professional groups including the American Library Association (ALA), COSA, Regional Archival Associations, foundations and funders, as well as international organizations including either IFLA or UNESCO, grant makers, and educators.
  • Geographic location. Participants will primarily represent the United States of America, (West, Midwest, Northeast, South, Pacific, Caribbean). We will also allocate space and budgetary funds for one international participant (e.g. IFLA, UNESCO).
  • Socio-cultural factors. The Collective will represent different race/ethnicities and gender, related to individual and community identity, including the attributes mentioned in SAA’s Equal Opportunity/Non-discrimination Policy.
  • Employment seniority, status, and level. (1) We seek to include archivists that are individual contributors/solo archivists, managers, and senior administrators/executives in the profession. Archivists that are both contract/limited term vs. permanent. Archivists that are entry level (0-5 years), mid-level (6-14 years), and senior (15+ years) in their respective careers.
  • Archives sector. Participants will represent all sectors of the field including: Academic, Government Agency, Non-profit, For-profit, Self-employed, Community Archives, and Religious Archives.

How to Apply

Potential participants will have one month to apply and express their interest, as applications are due on December 20, 2024. Invitations to participate with further details will be sent by late January / February 2025.

Submit Your Application

(1) Classification based on the A*Census II survey and findings, see: https://sr.ithaka.org/publications/acensus-ii-all-archivists-survey-report/

Call for Participation: Research Survey about Copyright

Dear Colleagues, 

I am part of a group of authors that are co-authoring a book on U.S. copyright that explores how copyright has evolved over the centuries and in what types of ways authors, users, and libraries and archives are impacted by it. As part of the project, we are conducting surveys of each of these groups. The survey for libraries, archives and other cultural heritage organizations asks what copyright issues you have encountered and how you’ve managed them. The surveys for general users or users of ephemera ask about how users perceive copyright and use copyrighted works.

I am writing with the hopes that you will: 

1) complete the survey for cultural heritage organizations, and 

2) share the survey for users with your researchers. [I can provide QR codes to the surveys for easy distribution.] 

Note:researchers may fill out either survey, but the ephemera survey is targeted explicitly at those researchers who are utilizing archival collections containing unpublished works. 

A standard disclosure page at the start of each survey provides more information for respondents. The surveys have been evaluated by an IRB and are determined to be exempt. The survey(s) will run through December 9, 2024.

Many thanks to J. Christine Park, Law Librarian in Residence at Gallagher Law Library (University of Washington School of Law) for leading the empirical team handling the survey design, implementation, and analysis. 

Thank you for your time. If you have any questions or problems, please do not hesitate to contact me at hbriston@ucsd.edu

With all best regards,

Heather Briston 

Call for Participation: Research participants for a study on archivists and librarians involved with community engagement and higher ed

Dear Colleagues, 

We are excited to invite participants for a research study titled “Bridging Campus and Community: Librarian and Archivists’ Perspectives on Community Engagement in Higher Education” which will explore community engagement practices among academic librarians and information professionals working in higher education. The purpose of this study is to explore how academic information practitioners understand and carry out community engagement, especially in their work with off-campus publics. This research seeks to identify how information practitioners define community engagement, how they approach their engagement activities, and what challenges and opportunities they encounter. Additionally, the study aims to examine the support structures and competencies needed for effective community engagement in higher education.  

Who Can Participate? 
We are seeking academic information practitioners (librarians, archivists, etc.) who: 

  • Hold an MLIS/MAS or equivalent degree. 
  • Are currently employed in a higher education setting in North America. 
  • Identify community engagement as a priority in their professional work.

What Does Participation Involve? 
To determine eligibility, participants are asked to complete a short pre-screening questionnaire, which will take up to 5 minutes to complete which will close on November 8, 2024. Those who meet the criteria for the full study will be invited to participate in a 90-minute Zoom interview at a mutually convenient time. 

Why Participate in the Full Study? 
Your insights can contribute to a deeper understanding of community engagement practices in academic libraries and the support structures needed to foster this work. Upon completion of the study, the findings will be made open access through the University of British Columbia’s institutional repository, cIRcle, and Simon Fraser University’s institutional repository, Summit.  

How to Get Involved 
If you are interested, please complete the pre-screening questionnaire here: 
ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fQ3NtvBRoDQx1k

We encourage you to share this invitation within your professional networks and associations.  

How will Confidentiality, Anonymity, and Data be Protected?  
Your confidentiality will be maintained throughout the study. If you meet the inclusion criteria and are selected for an interview, informed consent will be obtained prior to participation.  Identifiable data from the pre-screening survey will be securely stored separately from the interview data, and your name will only appear on the consent form and pre-screening survey. All data will be securely stored in a University of British Columbia cloud-based system (i.e., MS OneDrive), accessible only to the research team using encrypted devices. All pre-screening data from ineligible participants will be deleted. 

If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to contact us at Aleha McCauley (Principal Investigator), aleha.mccauley@ubc.ca, University of British Columbia or Heather De Forest (Senior Research Associate), hdefores@sfu.ca, Simon Fraser University.  
 
Thank you for considering participating in this study.  

Sincerely, 
Heather De Forest
Community Scholars Librarian
Simon Fraser University Library
515 West Hastings St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 5K3
hdefores@sfu.ca 

Call for Participation – Digital Collection Development Policy Survey

You are invited to participate in a survey with the goal of gathering information about policies that describe criteria for the selection of Special Collections resources (i.e. rare and unique archival photographs, manuscripts, ephemera, rare books, and donated born-digital items) for digitization and publication in open access digital libraries. These policies are often known as “digital collection development policies.” This study is being conducted by two librarians at the University of Utah’s J. Willard Marriott Library, representing a cross-departmental collaboration between Digital Library Services and Special Collections.

Please click on bit.ly/digcolldevp  to take the survey. 

This survey should take 10-15 minutes to complete and will be open until Monday, November 25th. If you would like additional information about the study, please contact any of the people listed below.

We appreciate your time and participation. Please excuse any cross-postings.

Thanks,

Jessica Breiman, Digital Archives Librarian, University of Utah (jessica.breiman@utah.edu)

Rachel Wittmann, Metadata Strategies Librarian, University of Utah (rachel.wittmann@utah.edu)

The University of Utah’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) has approved this study. Contact the IRB if you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant. Also, contact the IRB if you have questions, complaints or concerns which you do not feel you can discuss with the investigator. The University of Utah IRB may be reached by phone at (801) 581-3655 or by e-mail at irb@hsc.utah.edu.

Request for participation: Recruitment of information professionals in academic libraries

Greetings!

We would like to invite you to consider participating in a short survey that focuses on recruitment of information professionals in academic libraries. It will examine how elements of an academic job description are perceived by participants. The purpose is to identify if any patterns exist in how features of the advertisement are perceived by participants, based on factors including the participant’s work experience, educational background, and individual differences. Anticipated benefits of this study include the potential to identify the most widely appealing factors of academic library advertisements to improve diversity in applicant pools. 

Anyone over the age of 18 who identifies as a librarian and/or archivist is eligible to participate. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to answer approximately 50 questions, which should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. The informed consent and survey are available at: https://towson.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5z1qFAZvYKqs0Vo

Please do not put any information in your response that could be used to identify you. 

The survey will be live for 4 weeks until November 24, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact the Principal Investigator, Ashley Todd-Diaz (atodddiaz@towson.edu). 

Thank you in advance for considering,  

Ashley Todd-Diaz, Towson University, Principal Investigator  

——————————
Ashley Todd-Diaz
Assistant University Librarian for Special Collections and University Archives
Towson University

Call for Participation: Research Survey about Linked Data

Dear colleagues:

We are seeking participants for a research survey to assess the uptake of Linked Data technologies for cultural heritage description in the Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) community. The results from this survey are intended to capture the degree to which Linked Data is being implemented or used by different constituencies, to identify perceptions on added value or pain points of LD, and to infer risks and opportunities for further development in the areas of domain modeling and software development.

This survey will take 5-10 minutes to complete depending on the specific responses. It can be paused at any time and completed at a later point. Your responses are collected anonymously and cannot be tied to your name or email address. No demographic information relating to your person other than your occupational role will be collected. The data collected in this survey will only be shared in aggregate for research purposes.10 respondents to this survey will be drawn at random to receive a $30 Amazon gift card. The survey can be completed here.

If you have any questions, please contact one of the study’s investigators listed below.

Thank you,

Kate A. Bowers (Harvard University, kate_bowers@harvard.edu)

Regine I. Heberlein (Princeton University, heberlei@princeton.edu)

Stephanie M. Luke (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, smluke2@illinois.edu)

RFP: AI for Access

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Survey and Assessment Analyst to support an exciting new project funded by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) sponsored by the CLIR/DLF Born-Digital Access Working Group (BDAWG). The “AI for Access” project aims to assess how U.S. archival professionals are utilizing AI/ML tools to facilitate access to digital archival materials.

Project Overview: The “AI for Access” study is designed to explore the use of AI/ML in archival settings, particularly in the face of increasing digital collection demands. This two-part project includes a comprehensive literature review and a survey distributed to archival professionals to gather both quantitative and qualitative data on their use of and/or perspectives on AI/ML tools.

We are seeking a qualified Survey and Assessment Analyst to:

  • Review and refine our preliminary survey design.
  • Determine appropriate survey models and sampling methods.
  • Oversee the distribution and promotion of the survey.
  • Analyze and synthesize survey findings.
  • Prepare a final report detailing the results.

Key Details:

  • Contract Period: October 1, 2024 – January 31, 2024
  • Budget: $2,500
  • Deadline for Proposal Submission: September 26, 2024, by 4:30 PM EST
  • Proposal Submission: Proposals should be sent via email to Dara Baker at dabaker.research@gmail.com.

How to Apply: Interested applicants should submit a proposal that includes a detailed description of how they will meet the RFP requirements, along with their qualifications and pricing information. Preference will be given to proposals that address all aspects of the RFP comprehensively.

Please review the full RFP document for additional details on the scope of work, evaluation criteria, and submission guidelines.

We welcome any questions regarding this RFP, which should be submitted in writing by September 10, 2024, at 4:30 PM EST. All questions and responses will be shared by September 20, 2024.

We look forward to receiving your proposals and potentially working together on this important project.

Best regards,

AI for Access Project Team–
Christina Velazquez Fidlershe/her/hersHead of Digital CollectionsThe Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley | Huichin Ohlone Land