This document summarizes feedback from regional events organized by the WHELF Research Group regarding how subject librarians can support both learning/teaching and research. Survey results found that most subject librarian roles have changed to include more research support. However, many librarians felt only slightly confident and skilled in delivering research support. Suggestions to improve research support included dedicating more resources to researchers, gaining expertise in areas like open access and research data management, and better integrating with researchers.

1. LEARNING AND TEACHING VS.
RESEARCH: HOW CAN SUBJECT
LIBRARIANS SUPPORT BOTH?
Feedback from three regional
events organised by the WHELF
Research Group
Presented by Bronwen Blatchford, Susan Glen and Beth
Hall at the Gregynog Colloquium 2016

2. WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?
 Demonstrated the ability of manuka honey to potentiate
conventional antibiotics and suppress antibiotic
resistance in MRSA
UWIC, Cardiff School of Management by TECU Consulting UK, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

3.  The knowledge of and access to suitable rice varieties
for resource-poor farmers in India and Nepal
North Wales. Old College, Bangor University, Upper Bangor, Gwynedd by Denis Egan, licensed under CC BY 2.0
WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?

4. WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?
 Research into homicide and police homicide
investigation
ATRiuM by Wojtek Gurak, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

5. WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?
 Islam in cyberspace
Lampeter University by Marek Isalski, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

6.  Improving HIV/AIDS education and support through
comics writing
Main Building, Cardiff University by Jeremy Segrott, licensed under CC BY 2.0
WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?

7. WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?
 To investigate the effect of solar material as it interacts
with planets, and how it affects the loss of planetary
atmospheres, particularly at Venus
Old College by Colin Paterson, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

8. WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?
 An intelligent kitchen to help those who have
Alzheimer's disease remain in their own home
Wales' Newest University by Geoff Evans, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

9. WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?
 Comparing the tithe system with modern agricultural
websites
National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth by Hoops Hooley, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

10. WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?
 Research into Retro swimwear
RWCMD by Andy K, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

11.  Effects of a 12-week community exercise programme on
older people
Swansea University Bay Campus by Steve Williams, licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?

12. WHICH WELSH UNIVERSITY?
 Manufacturing of mass spectrometers
The Open University in Wales National Centre by The Open University, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

13. INTRODUCTION
 Effect of research agenda on libraries;
 Changing role of subject librarian;
 Developing role of research librarian;
 How confident do subject librarians feel in
supporting research?

14. Susan McConnell and research librarian Tom Bonanno locate Aylmer in a historical atlas by
Elgin County Archives, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

15. ABOUT THE EVENTS
 WHELF Research Group organised three regional
events in North, West and South Wales covering:
 The evolving nature of the subject librarian
 Introduction to the open access agenda
 The researcher as social butterfly
 Pre and post-attendance survey sent to
attendees.

16. QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
 How long have you held your current role?
6
14
8
11
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Less than 1 year 1-5 years 6-10 years Over 10 years

17. QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
 Has the role changed since you have been in post?
11
5
21
2
0
5
10
15
20
25
No Yes, a little Yes, somewhat Yes, completely

18. QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
 How has the amount of time spent supporting
researchers changed?
4
28
Decreased
Increased

19. QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
 Do you feel that you have the confidence to deliver a
research support role?
1
16
15
5
2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
No, not at all
confident
Yes, slightly
confident
Yes, moderately
confident
Yes, confident Yes, very
confident

20. QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
 Do you feel that you have the necessary skills to deliver a
research support role?
17
5
Pre-event
Somewhat Yes

21. The job has become much more diverse as time
has moved on and expectations on what we provide
(from employer and customers) have raised
considerably. The split between learning & teaching
support, collections management and research
support, and in addition a local site role and
involvement in numerous project and working
groups means there are so many demands on my
time that it can be difficult to be properly prepared
and knowledgeable in all these areas. In fact, it is
nigh impossible!
QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS: ROLE
CHANGES
“
”

22. I feel that to be truly effective in a research
support role that some degree of
specialization is necessary - I don't think
that being a 'jack of all trades' gives you
the confidence or credibility to undertake a
meaningful role in this field. And I think
that the researchers deserve to have a
'specialist' to look after them
QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS: ROLE
CHANGES
“
”

23. No cataloguing or classifying duties, stock
now arrives shelf ready
QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS: ROLE
CHANGES
“ ”There is a greater emphasis on information
literacy so my training role has increased
I now find less time to deliver research skills
sessions. More of my time seems to be spent
in meetings or working on projects
“
“
”
”

24.  How much of your library service is geared
towards researchers and research students?
 Less than 10%? Up to 50%? More than 50%?
 How many of you have dedicated research
support librarians in your library?
ASK THE AUDIENCE

25. More like this, please! It’s really helpful to
have the opportunity to step out of the
office and share experience, worries and
ideas with others
FEEDBACK
“
”

26. FEEDBACK
“
”
From today's session what came up the most
was that as librarians we haven't experienced
the research process and knowledge of this
would be useful
“
I would like to be involved in research myself
and think it would be very useful if discussions
could take place about how to get involved in
such research and the steps/methods used to
undertake the research
”

27. TRAINING/SUPPORT
Training budgets need to be protected;
Face-to-face meetings valuable;
Learning from colleagues/sharing experience;
“More events like this one please”;
Mechanism to share resources e.g. JISCmail;
Keep each other up to date;
Use social media.

28. QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
 What skills do you think you will require to deliver your
research support role in the future?
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Open access
Research process e.g. bid preparation, publishing
Almetrics/bibliometrics
Relationship with researchers, research office, academics
Technology skills/knowledge of tools researchers use
Social media
Research data management
Search skills
Repositories
Systematic review skills
Teaching/presentation skills
REF
Referencing software
Metadata skills
Subject knowledge
Copyright

29. WHAT COULD WE GIVE UP?
 Less enquiry desk, more virtual support (but do we lose
visibility?);
 Online teaching tools;
 Train the trainer;
 Less collection management?
 Increase efficiency by using more email templates?
 Target areas we can offer expertise and learn to say no;
 Be more user focused: find out what user needs not what we
think they need;
 Delineate roles better so we can concentrate on core
activities and bring in ‘expert/specialist’ when required.

30. INCREASING CONFIDENCE
 Understand researcher and where we can
help researchers;
 Won’t understand their research area like they
do but we shouldn’t feel intimidated; we need to
communicate how we can help their daily activities;
 Researchers are suffering from information
overload and are overwhelmed by tools available to
them;
 Gather examples of their appreciation of our
support;
 Use skills we already have.

31. INTEGRATE WITH
RESEARCHERS
 Understand researchers and being in their spaces;
 Building partnerships with researchers;
 Do we all need to have PhDs?!

32.  How do you think we can integrate more with
researchers?
ASK THE AUDIENCE

33. VALUE AND IMPACT
 Providing evidence of how we support
researchers: keep useful statistics (KPIs?);
 Promote our skills;
 Rebranding our services and roles: partners in the
research process;
 Look at communication methods: how do
researchers get in touch with us?
 “researchers currently have to admit a weakness for us
to go in and provide support”

34. WHELF RESEARCH
GROUP
 Suggestions for training/events and social
media/blog activity (RDM training planned,
previous events including OA publishing);
 Rebrand/reconfigure subject librarian role?
Partners in research process rather than
providing support;
 Value and impact: can WHELF help explain to
researchers what librarians can do for them? In a
visual way? Provide evidence about how we help
the research process? Case studies?