University Library Research Agenda

  1. Library Priorities
  2. University Library…

Introduction

The following agenda indicates areas and characteristics highly valued by University Library, directly in support of its Mission, Vision, and Strategic Priorities. In pursuit of these highly valued areas, Library administration will provide enhanced support of any library employee’s research projects that connect with or integrate prioritized research areas. While broad questions are posed in an effort to spark research ideas, research in a priority area does not have to be limited to these questions. Research projects may include applied or translational research and the questions and metrics contained in this document take this into account. Research may be used to inform practice at University Library and/or Herron Art Library and, though encouraged, may or may not be widely disseminated. An individual’s research is at their own discretion; there is no requirement for research to align with the Library’s research agenda.

University Library Mission & Vision

The Mission of the University Library is to:

  • INFORM the IU Indianapolis campus and wider community of learners through our educational resources, technologies, and expertise.
  • CONNECT people with our resources, our services and each other.
  • TRANSFORM the lives of our community members by facilitating discovery, creativity,teaching, learning and research. University Library actively partners in the transformationof information to new and more accessible formats.

We envision a library that promotes excellence in research, fosters civic engagement, supports student success, and impacts local, national, and international library practice.

While our primary mission is to serve the IU Indianapolis community, University Library also seeks to be an innovative leader among urban academic libraries and to advance the field of librarianship.

IU Indianapolis University Library Research Mission

University Library encourages faculty and staff to engage in research that advances Library services and processes; contributes to the overall educational and research mission of the campus; and informs and improves the field of librarianship overall.

Potential Funding Sources

While research funding is not an expectation, research may be enhanced by obtaining funding. To assist with identification of potential funders, a brief list is included here. Those seeking funding support for research should contact the Library’s Director of Development for assistance.

Potential Funders (not an exhaustive list):

  • ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries)
  • Central Indiana Community Foundation
    • Library Fund
    • Minde Browning Professional Development Grants
  • IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services)
    • LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) [administered by Indiana StateLibrary]
    • Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries
  • InULA (Indiana University Librarians Association)
  • IU Libraries Herbert S. and Virginia White Professional Development Award
  • Lyrasis Catalyst Fund

Research Characteristics

  • Civically Engaged
  • Collaborative
  • Inventive/Innovative
  • Measurable
  • Open
  • Translational

Priority Research Areas

The following have been identified by University Library Administration as priority research areas. These areas overlap and integrate with one another, particularly in the area of diversity and civic values, which have a relationship with all priority research areas.

Priority Research Area 1: Academic Libraries and Community Engagement

Background

In addition to providing a physical infrastructure and supporting the research needs of faculty and students, it is essential that an urban academic library create community engagement opportunities to include local neighborhoods, businesses, cultural heritage institutions, and K-12 schools. The Library’s work in this area aligns the overall strategic direction of the library and overall mission of the IU Indianapolis campus to support civic engagement. The library relies on the Library Community Board to make connections with potential neighborhood collaborators and provide constructive feedback. The Board also facilitates discussion of initiatives that extend outside of traditional academic partnerships. Continuing the campus commitment to community engagement, this group makes certain the Library is involved outside of our own walls. Across campus and throughout the city of Indianapolis, there is a need to capture and preserve the historical record. Since 2006, the library has actively pursued sustainable community and cultural heritage relationships specific to facilitating the creation of online collections. The library supports services that include: digitization, determining terms of ownership and copyright, determining selection criteria, preservation and online access.

University Library recognizes the importance of connecting with future IU Indianapolis students. Those relationships begin by engaging with the K-12 community. One example of engagement is meeting high school research needs. IU Indianapolis receives annual requests for research instruction sessions from high school teachers interested in introducing their students to college level research. The library recognizes this as an opportunity to strengthen the pipeline of students to IU Indianapolis.

Related IU Indianapolis Programs

  • IU Indianapolis Arts and Humanities Institute (IAHI)
  • IU Indianapolis Office of Community Engagement
  • IU Indianapolis Welcoming Campus campaign
  • Polis Center Spirit and Place Festival

Related Local/National/International Library Programs

  • American Library Association (ALA)
  • Campus Compact
  • Digital Library Federation (DLF)
  • Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)
  • Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC)
  • Indiana Library Federation (ILF)

Possible Collaborators

  • Community organizations
  • IU Indianapolis Office of Community Engagement

Questions

  • How do the Library’s community engagement efforts impact the Indianapolis community?
  • What is the impact of the Library on community users?
  • How are the Library’s digital collections meeting the needs of the community partners and the community more broadly?
  • What impact does the Library’s engagement with K-12 schools have on the IU Indianapolis - student pipeline?

Suggested Metrics

  • Annual K-12 school visits
  • Connectivity with other community partners
  • Digital collection cited in research, integrated into kindergarten through post-secondary teaching curricula, or referred to in community venues
  • Digital collection data reuse and remix
  • Google Analytics-digital collection usage

Priority Research Area 2: Diversity and Social Justice

Background

The University Library is committed IU Indianapolis's diversity mission, "To educate, advocate, engage, and empower the IU Indianapolis Community by cultivating partnerships and resources to create and sustain an environment that is inclusive, equitable and diverse." We carry out this mission through our collections, teaching, hiring and retention practices, space considerations, community outreach, programming, professional development opportunities, and services. To achieve these goals, University Library has articulated a diversity statement and an annual strategic plan.

The University Library provides students, faculty, staff, and community users with equitable access to resources and services, to increase information access, and to aid in the sharing of knowledge. The University Library supports an organizational culture and climate that fosters equity and inclusion and where inequities are remedied when identified. The Library also works to recruit and retain diverse employees through innovative hiring practices and provides regular professional development around diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

Related IU Indianapolis Programs

  • University Library Diversity Council
  • University Library Diversity Scholars Program
  • IU Indianapolis Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • IU Indianapolis Office of International Affairs
  • IU Indianapolis Multicultural Center
    • Multicultural Leadership Empowerment Program
    • Norman Brown Diversity and Leadership Scholars Program
    • Multicultural Peer Educators (MPEs)
    • Cultural Dinners
    • Learning Communities-Culturally Responsive Teaching
  • IU Indianapolis Office of Equal Opportunity
  • IU Indianapolis Student, Staff, Faculty Affinity Groups
  • IU Indianapolis Social Justice Education (SJEd)
  • Programming Calendar

Related Local/National/International Library Programs

  • American Library Association (ALA)
    • Committee Work:
      • ALA Council Committee on Diversity
      • ALA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Implementation Working Group
    • Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL)
      • ACRL Diversity Standards: Cultural Competency for Academic Libraries
      • ACRL Diversity Alliance
      • ACRL Dr. E. J. Josey Mentoring PRogram for Spectrum Scholars
      • ACRL New Roles and Changing Landscapes Committee
  • San Francisco Public Library

Possible Collaborators

  • IU Indianapolis Diversity Enrichment and Achievement Program (DEAP)
  • Olaniyan Scholars Program
  • IU Indianapolis Multicultural Center
  • IU Indianapolis Office of Equal Opportunity
  • IU Indianapolis Office of the Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Questions

  • How do we ensure collection diversity (e.g. representative of underrepresented authors and content)?
  • What are the impacts of a diverse collection?
  • How do we ensure the accessibility of all Library resources, services, and spaces?
  • How do we engage in outreach to underrepresented groups that supports their success?
  • What is the impact of organizational and professional development offerings that support a welcoming working environment for Library personnel?
  • How do we embrace diversity in our hiring practices?

Suggested Metrics

  • Campus climate survey
  • Collections data
  • Evaluation against accessibility standards
  • User feedback and testing
  • Instructional data on underrepresented groups

Priority Research Area 3: Impact of Library Space and Services on User Experience

Background

University Library lists first amongst its Strategic Directions the need to provide, maintain, and enhance informal academic space for students in order to assure their success. This entails maintaining an environment conducive to study and collaboration, as well as providing users with support for the use of library resources both in the building and elsewhere.

The library recognizes the need to continue research on the users’ library experience to enhance their creativity, discovery, and learning, and that the services and spaces it provides for its users are critical to supporting their academic and research needs.

Related IU Indianapolis Programs

  • Ruth Lilly Law Library
  • Ruth Lilly Medical Library
  • Herron Art Library
  • IU School of Dentistry Library

Related Local/National/International Library Programs

  • NC State University
  • Grand Valley State University
  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • ALA and ACRL benchmarks/standards for library space

Possible Collaborators

  • Campus Outreach Group
  • University Library personnel
  • Architect’s Office

Questions

  • Do informal learning environments in the library have an effect on student learning and success?
  • How might improvements to users’ library experience impact their interaction with library resources and services?
  • How do we ensure the accessibility of all library spaces and services?
  • What impact does wayfinding have on user experience?

Suggested Metrics

  • Observation studies
  • User feedback via surveys, focus groups, interviews
  • I Heart UL

Priority Research Area 4: Libraries and Faculty Success in Research and Teaching

Background

Under priority three of the IU Indianapolis Strategic Plan, goal ten states that the campus will, “Invest in and develop faculty and staff so that individuals realize their fullest potential to contribute to IU Indianapolis’s excellence and success.” University Library is uniquely poised to assist faculty with research and teaching endeavors, which is also reflected in our own strategic directions.

The Library has a long history of providing services for teaching faculty through librarian and staff collaboration. Liaison librarians create and maintain web-based research guides for their disciplines that are integrated into Canvas, along with supporting the Curriculum Builder which allows faculty to insert eBooks and other digital resources directly into their Canvas course sites. Course reserves are also an available service for teaching faculty, which allows class textbooks to be placed on hold at the Library for short-term student use throughout the semester. Librarians also lend their expertise in the classroom by assisting with assignment development, embedded digital humanities work, or co-instructing with teaching faculty.

Faculty success in research is also important to the Library as we seek to support the University’s mission to accelerate innovation and discovery through research and creative activity and contribute to the well-being of the City of Indianapolis, the State of Indiana, and beyond. Librarians also provide public access compliance assistance, data management, and literature review services. The Library also hosts ScholarWorks, the University’s institutional repository, which promotes archiving and access to the products of campus research.

Related IU Indianapolis Programs

  • Division of Undergraduate Education
  • Undergraduate Affairs Committee
  • Program Review and Assessment Committee
  • Center for Teaching & Learning; The Forum Network
  • IU Indianapolis Faculty Council Research Committee
  • IU Indianapolis Faculty Council Library Committee
  • Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR)
  • Office of Academic Affairs
  • IU School of Medicine, Office of Faculty Affairs | Professional Development | Diversity

Related Local/National/International Library Programs

Possible Collaborators

  • Research Metrics Librarian at Ruth Lilly Medical Library
  • IUB Scholarly Communications Department

Questions

  • How does the Library contribute to faculty research?
  • How does the Library contribute to demonstrating the impact of faculty research?
  • How does the Library’s collaboration with faculty in the classroom impact student success?
  • How does the Library contribute to faculty success in the classroom?

Suggested Metrics

  • Faculty surveys
  • Class evaluations
  • Metrics from P&T dossiers and success rates
  • Liaison interactions/consultations

Priority Research Area 5: Libraries and Student Learning and Success

Background

University Library plays a pivotal role in the education of students. Through effective classroom pedagogy and assessment, librarians are partners with faculty, educators focused on teaching information literacy and critical thinking skills from the first-year through graduate school. University Library has articulated a definition of information literacy as well as learning outcomes upon finishing general education requirements and upon graduation. Students who develop these skills succeed more often in school and flourish in society. Our work, outlined in University Library Strategic Plan goal five aligns with IU Indianapolis Strategic Plan priority one “The Success of Our Students,” goals one, two, and three.

University Library is also cognizant that student success goes beyond the classroom. There are a myriad of factors and external pressures (e.g., cost) that impact student success. University Library is committed to supporting students in and outside of the classroom through initiatives that have the potential to contribute to their success such as open educational resources (OER) and student employment.

Related IU Indianapolis Programs

Related Local/National/International Library Programs

Possible Collaborators

  • IU Indianapolis University College
  • IU Indianapolis Program Review and Assessment Committee (PRAC)
  • IU Indianapolis Institutional Research and Decision Support
  • Individual schools & departments doing portfolio and/or rubric assessment
  • University Information Technology Services (UITS)
  • IU Indianapolis Center for Teaching and Learning

Questions

  • What is the library’s impact on student learning?
  • What are the information literacy gains across the undergraduate experience?
  • What is the library’s impact on student success?
  • How are information literacy competencies transferred to or used in other assignments, courses, and after graduation?
  • What are the effects of library instruction on success outcomes for diverse student populations (e.g., first-generation, under-represented groups, English language learners, etc.)?

Suggested Metrics

  • Pre and post-tests
  • End-of-class evaluations
  • Student final projects scored using the AAC&U IL VALUE Rubric
  • Improvement in work between drafts as seen through portfolio analysis
  • Performance on information literacy tests (e.g., tutorials)
  • Faculty feedback to teaching librarians (e.g., evaluations, emails)
  • Student employee retention, graduation rates, etc.
  • OER adoption rates, cost savings for students versus traditional texts
  • Job attainment post graduation (or post being a student library employee)
  • Survey or focus groups regarding Student Employment Program participation

Priority Research Area 6: Resource Development/Access Innovations and Efficiencies

Background

Traditionally, academic libraries have attempted to acquire all the scholarly resources - both books and journals - required to support the teaching, learning, and research missions of their universities. The publishing explosion and the unprecedented inflation of journal subscription costs in recent decades make this traditional purchasing mindset unsustainable. As a result, many academic libraries, University Library included, have turned to more innovative, access-based approaches to meeting the information needs of their users. At the same time, it is imperative that we capture efficiencies and continue to look for ways to reduce costs while expanding access to information resources.

University Library’s overall strategic directions encourage engaging in new collecting models and shared collections initiatives, expanding resource sharing services, and developing unique collections. The Library has rich expertise in the areas of resource sharing, shared collections, acquisitions, and special collections. The Library’s current efforts to assess the current status of its electronic resources leverages existing data analysis and negotiation expertise.

The Library wants to document the shifting resource development and access strategies it is developing and deploying in order to share them with other libraries and influence the future of library collections. In particular, the elements and impact of the Library’s new Resource Acquisition Model should be documented and translated into presentations and publications. Innovations in services, through both technology and process improvement, are also of significant interest.

Related IU Indianapolis Programs

  • Herron Art Library
  • IU School of Dentistry Library
  • Ruth Lilly Law Library
  • Ruth Lilly Medical Library
  • University Library of Columbus

Related Local/National/International Library Programs

  • Academic Libraries of Indiana
  • Partnership for Shared Book Collections
  • Rosemont Shared Print Alliance
  • Project ReShare

Possible Collaborators

  • Academic Libraries of Indiana
  • IU Indianapolis library personnel (both internal and external to University Library)
  • Open Access Button
  • Partnership for Shared Book Collections

Questions

  • How do we ensure collection diversity (e.g. representative of underrepresented authors and content)?
  • What are the impacts of a diverse collection?
  • How can we improve our methods and processes to be more efficient?
  • How can we expand access to information resources?
  • How do the library's collections support student success and IU Indianapolis's research mission?

Suggested Metrics

  • Collections data
  • Participation in national initiatives, including co-authorship of white papers and reports
  • Documentation of service implementations

Priority Research Area 7: Role of Technology in Academic Libraries

Background

Providing technology to users has always been one of the guiding principles of librarianship. As technology has become more ingrained in people’s lives and tech companies try to move towards more personalized devices and services, libraries will need to find ways to continue to provide access to cutting edge tech and providing assistance in using it.

University Library is also only one of many libraries that are connected through their use of a multitude of open source software. This software is rarely used completely off the shelf, with the library making adjustments to its functionality or to its presentation. As users and developers of these programs and as members of the library community it is the responsibility of the library to disseminate the experiences and any features deemed valuable to the development community.

Libraries have long strived to be early adopters of many emerging technologies to ensure that users had access to resources that they need to complete their work at the library. Due to rapid iteration and evolution of emerging technologies, it is important for the library to have a rigorous assessment plan in order to monitor effectiveness.

Related IU Indianapolis Programs

  • Institutional Research & Decision Support
  • University Information Technology Services
  • Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab
  • 3D Printing Labs-Herron, etc.

Related Local/National/International Library Programs

  • Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T)
  • Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)
  • Code4Lib
  • Invest in Open Infrastructure Initiative
  • Library Information Technology Associate (LITA)
  • New Media Consortium

Possible Collaborators

  • DuraSpace
  • Indiana University Bloomington Libraries
  • IU Indianapolis School of Informatics & Computing
  • Samvera
  • University Library Campus Outreach Group
  • University Library Operations department

Questions

  • Does access to more library provided technology resources lead to better outcomes for students?
  • How does the technological proficiency of library personnel impact student and faculty success?
  • How does library involvement with open source software development impact design and facilitate cross-institutional partnerships?
  • How do libraries continue to effectively offer technologies as the tech industry moves from providing software as a tool to providing software as a service?
  • What are the implications of the Library’s investment in emerging technology?

Suggested Metrics

  • User feedback surveys
  • Statistics of student technology issues and resolutions
  • Changes made to open software and metrics on their reporting
  • Public technology audit
  • Personnel technology audit

Priority Research Area 8: Scholarly Communication and Open Access

Background

University Library is a nationally-recognized leader fostering a transformational change in scholarly communication. Over the past 15 years, the Library has regularly increased investment in systems, policies, expertise, and person power to support substantive change in an economically unsustainable scholarly communication system and to contribute to student success and the well-being of the citizens of Indianapolis, the state of Indiana and beyond.

The increasing digital distribution of information has permanently altered the scholarly communication landscape, offering new models that benefit producers and consumers of research. Simultaneously, academic libraries (universities) are paying the brunt of over-inflated serials costs and finding their materials budgets stretched thin. While the Library has rich expertise in areas of open access policy implementation, data sharing, and open access publishing, further research is needed on how academic libraries can support an open scholarly infrastructure and decrease their costs through investment in open access, cross-institutional partnerships, and collaborative development of infrastructure. Additional research is needed on how libraries can foster an academic culture that values and engages in open access and our role in supporting underrepresented voices in scholarly communication.

Related IU Indianapolis Programs

  • IFC Research Affairs Committee
  • IFC Library Affairs Committee
  • Office of Academic Affairs
  • Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Office for Women
  • Indiana University School of Medicine, Office of Faculty Affairs | Professional Development | Diversity
  • Office of Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR)

Related Local/National/International Library Programs

  • Coalition of Open Access Policy Institutions (COAPI)
  • Library Publishing Coalition
  • Open Textbook Network
  • Public Knowledge Project
  • Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)

Possible Collaborators

  • Academic Libraries of Indiana (ALI) Scholarly Communication Committee
  • IU Indianapolis Faculty advocates
  • IU Indianapolis libraries
  • Other scholarly communication librarians
  • Scholarly societies and nonprofit publishers

Questions

  • What is the role of libraries in building an open scholarly infrastructure?
  • How can libraries foster a culture that values and engages in open research?
  • What is the role of the library in supporting underrepresented voices in scholarly communication?

Suggested Metrics

  • Open access policy adoption and adherence rates
  • Financial investment in community-controlled infrastructure
  • Researcher attitudes toward open access
  • Open access publication rates
  • Adoption of our OA policies, procedures, programs by other institutions

Prepared by the Research Agenda Working Group

Tina Baich, Chair & Associate Dean for Collections
Jenny Johnson, Digital Scholarship Outreach Librarian
Sara Lowe, Educational Development Librarian
Gary Maixner, User Experience & Project Management Librarian
Paul Moffett, Access Services Librarian
Caitlin Pike, Research Engagement & Scholarly Services Coordinator / Health Sciences Librarian
Ted Polley, Social Sciences & Digital Publishing Librarian
Cortnee Yarbrough, Director of Development