The German National Library of Economics (ZBW) runs the subject portal EconBiz.de, one of the largest search-portals for economics and business studies and related subjects. The international EconBiz partner network initiated by the ZBW is a strategic partnership for improving search experiences and various network activities. It enables research institutions and libraries to interact and find solutions for challenges that all or many partners face (e.g. access to information).

1. The ZBW is a member of the Leibniz Association
We all do better when we work together-
The international EconBiz Partner Network
Tamara Pianos
IATUL
Hanover
July 7th 2015
Improving research, access to subject information and international
cooperation in economics and business studies

2. Agenda
• About ZBW and the Subject Portal EconBiz
• The International EconBiz Partner Network
• Why?
• Who?
• How?
• Detours, Lessons Learned, Benefits and Future Plans
• Take Home Message

3. About ZBW
The ZBW Leibniz-Information Centre for Economics
• is the world‘s largest special library for business and economics
and related subjects.
• is situated in Kiel and Hamburg (Germany)
• runs the subject search portal EconBiz and the subject repository
EconStor, and edits the journal Intereconomics in cooperation with
the Centre for European Studies (CEPS) in Brussels…
• is part of the German Leibniz Association.

4. About EconBiz
EconBiz
• offers references to free full texts as well as licensed and
printed material
• is specialized in economics and business studies and related
subjects
• includes academic content only
• has simple search and advanced search options

5. EconBiz: More Features
• Native Apps
• Beta: new developments
• Events calendar
(with visual event search
and Online Call Organizer)

6. The International EconBiz Partner Network
July 2015:
23 partners
in 23 countries

7. Why?

8. On the Benefits of Cooperation
When spider webs unite,
they can tie up a lion.
Ethiopian Proverb
“We all do better when we work together.”
Bill Clinton
or

9. Why?

10. Why?
• Research tends to become more interdisciplinary
and more international: Feedback from national
and international target groups is very useful
• improve search experiences by improving the
services (through collaboration, feedback)
 to develop a great portal

11. Why?
• find solutions for common challenges
(e.g. Open Access, licensing questions,
research data…)
• find partners for potential projects

12. Why?
• ensure greater visibility of content (e.g.
conferences in calendar of events)
• improved visibility of German research in the
partner countries
• visibility of ZBW's library services
• access to ca 9 million quality publication
references
(about 1 million open access)

13. Who?

14. Who? Target Groups for our EconBiz Network
• Universities, faculties and other research institutions working in the
field of business and economic studies and related fields
• Libraries in institutions that focus on these fields of research
• In addition - if applicable - partnerships in research, e.g. joint PhD-
projects in Science 2.0 related fields

15. How?

16. How
• Promote international conferences through EconBiz calendar of
events
• Annual student competitions
• Communicate via Facebook, Wiki, Mails, Webinars, annual partner-
meetings

17. Calendar of Events
Also via Twitter:

18. The Student Competitions…
…get students involved with EconBiz and are an unobtrusive approach
to improve the students' information literacy.

20. Communication
• Mail
• Facebook
• Wiki
• Webinars
• Meetings

22. Partner Meetings…
…give all partners the opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss
current topics with likeminded institutions and give us insights into the
topics that are important for a culturally diverse community.
The meetings also provide a forum for the discussion of topics relevant
to the partners.

24. Detours
• A separate Portal for international partners
was confusing
• Student competition: Avoid too many
questions and too ambitious tasks (not all
students in all partner-countries are fluent in
English)

25. What we learned so far
• One highly motivated person per institution is
very helpful
• Prof.-to-Prof. (or director-to-director)
communication is often a door-opener
• It helps if the partner-meeting is connected with
an event/conference that is relevant for the
target group

26. Actual Benefits
• Promotion of services, search engine optimization (SEO)
= greater visibility
• Help each other out, make things known to each other
• Get feedback on current projects like EEXCESS
• Find partners for potential joint projects through the network
(e.g. if you suddenly need partners for a specific project call)
• Use network for promotion of services, courses etc.

29. Future Plans
• Find more partners
(research institutes,
business schools,
libraries)
• Intensify the networking
• …

30. Take Home Messages
• Cooperation is beneficial: We all do better when we work together
(visibility, access…)
• If your library has a focus on economics and business studies and is
interested in becoming a partner, please contact us!
EconBiz Partner Network

31. Questions or Comments?

32. Contact Details
DR. TAMARA PIANOS
ZBW
T: 0431–8814–365
E: t.pianos@zbw.eu
www.zbw.eu
Slideshare
http://www.zbw.eu/de/recherchieren/econbiz-mobile/tamara-pianos/
Mendeley ResearchGate