Moving from piecemeal to systematic: Reprioritizing how academic libraries approach research information management

Abstract

Research information management (RIM) workflows at universities are increasingly intersecting with library workflows, particularly regarding data management, funder compliance, and preservation of the institution’s scholarly record. With an ever-changing research landscape influenced by government mandates, increasing commercialization of research infrastructure, and globalization there is a need to evaluate current practices, priorities, and institutional collaborators related to Research Information Management (RIM) workflows that connect with libraries so that open tools and infrastructure remain at the forefront of this work. Though in its early stages of ideation, an effort to examine current RIM systems and services at a public research institution will expand on the current findings of US activities brought forth in reports produced by OCLC and Lyrasis to identify local opportunities for library-supported RIM tools/services that are open and transparent. In this presentation, the authors share their vision to shift from thinking about library-supported RIM services as piecemeal to a more systematic approach that prioritizes open infrastructure.