Report on the 2019 International Association of University Libraries Pre-Conference Seminar: Library Strategies for Research Support Excellence

The Library Strategies for Research Support Excellence half-day seminar was held on the 23 June 2019 at the Reid Library, University of Western Australia (UWA). The event was organised by International Association of University Libraries (IATUL), UWA and Curtin University, and was sponsored by CNKI. The seminar provided an opportunity for senior university library leaders from around the world, including China, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Africa to discuss the current initiatives and challenges associated with research support in their respective regions

Copyright in the Time of COVID-19: An Australian Perspective

COVID-19 has raised many challenges in terms of applying Australian copyright legislation and related policies to higher education context. This paper describes the experience of Copyright Officers at Curtin University and Murdoch University from the initial stages of border-control measures affecting delivery of learning materials to students in China, to the wider disruption of the pandemic with many countries implementing lockdown measures, to the current environment where remote delivery is the “new normal.” The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth of Australia) provides narrow fair dealing exceptions (sections 40 and 41) and broader but more uncertain flexible dealing exceptions (section 200AB), creating a barrier for educators providing access to the information resources needed for teaching, learning, and research. The uncertainty of applying section 200AB was exacerbated by the conditions caused by the pandemic. The authors describe their experiences in providing copyright support during the pandemic as well as how the copyright services adapted to meet requirements

Swimming In The Deep End: Curtin Library’s Deep Dive Into Data...

In 2017 Curtin University Library staff commenced an initiative to explore library data through analysis and visualisation tools. A Working Group was formed of self-selected staff from across the library who had a common interest in opportunities to use data and analytics tools. A key focus was to seek innovative ways to use data and have a measureable impact on library operations and future planning. An environmental scan of the data landscape in academic libraries suggests five core areas of activity – the use of library data to gain insights, the need to upskill library staff in data methods, the demand for data literacy programs for library clients, the value of building partnerships and collaborations within the institution to support data programs, and the increasing use of library facilities to provide data-rich learning spaces. The group’s work fell across all of these areas. This paper will describe the development of the group and its practical outcomes including the innovative use of data to inform a multi-year building project at Curtin University’s Robertson Library in Western Australia. The application of data analysis and interactive visualisation methods has enabled the Library to model different ways of identifying print materials that can be deselected. The Working Group provided a leadership role in fostering data-related professional development and learning opportunities for library staff and clients. One such example was the hosting of regular ‘hacky hour’ sessions which inspired others to embrace new tools such as R, RShiny, Python, Jupyter Notebooks and GitLab to solve real-life challenges in their day-to-day work

Analysis of EZproxy server logs to visualise research activity in Curtin’s online library

© 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop data visualisation proof of concept prototypes that will enable the Curtin University Library team to explore its users’ information-seeking behaviour and collection use online by analysing the library’s EZproxy logs. Design/methodology/approach: Curtin Library’s EZproxy log file data from 2013 to 2017 is used to develop the data visualisation prototypes using Unity3D software. Findings: Two visualisation prototypes from the EZproxy data set are developed. The first, “Global Visualisation of Curtin Research Activity”, uses a geographical map of the world as a platform to show where each research request comes from, the time each is made and the file size of the request. The second prototype, “Database Usage Visualisation”, shows the use of the library’s various subscription databases by staff and students daily, over a month in April 2017. Research limitations/implications: The paper has following limitations: working to a tight timeline of ten weeks; time taken to cleanse noise data; and requirements for storing and hosting the voluminous data sets. Practical implications: The prototypes provide visual evidence of the use of Curtin Library’s digital resources at any time and from anywhere by its users, demonstrating the demand for the library’s online service offerings. These prototype evidence-based data visualisations empower the library to communicate in a compelling and interesting way how its services and subscriptions support Curtin University’s missions. Originality/value: The paper provides innovative approaches to create immersive 3D data visualisation prototypes to make sense of complex EZproxy data sets