Process Mapping as Organizational Assessment in Academic Libraries

Purpose: This paper seeks to describe the value of process mapping to libraries as a first step in promoting a culture of organizational assessment. In addition, this paper offers a case study of the University of Michigan Library’s experience in building up a process mapping skill set and the workflow improvements resulting from these efforts. Design/methodology/approach: This case study is a description and assessment of a program to train library employees on process mapping. Findings: Process mapping in library settings empowers librarians and staff to identify and implement elements for improvements in routine work. When given the tools to assess processes, employees at the University of Michigan made several such improvements. Practical Implications: While library staff tend not to be familiar with process mapping, these skills are critical for retaining institutional knowledge, training staff, and identifying areas for improvement in common and rarely used workflows alike. Originality/value: Process improvements were identified and implemented at the University of Michigan Library when our staff mapped the processes of their daily work

Research data management and services: resources for novice data librarians

Research in many academic fields today generates large amounts of data. This data not only must be processed and analyzed by the researchers, but also managed throughout the data lifecycle. Recently, some academic libraries have begun to offer research data management (RDM) services to their communities. Often this service starts with helping faculty write Data Management Plans now required by the many federal granting agencies. Libraries with more developed services may work with researchers as they decide how to archive and share data once the grant work is complete. As RDM services become more common, academic librarians are often asked by their library administrators to start offering these services locally. Most librarians have no experience in managing research data at any point in the research lifecycle. They need ways to educate themselves on the job through targeted professional development programs and self-directed training. The purpose of this article is to point librarians to a variety of Internet resources, including training materials, courses, and social and online communities, to get up to speed on RDM

A Look at Altmetrics and Its Growing Significance to Research Libraries

This document serves as an informational review of the emerging field and practices of alternative metrics or altmetrics. It is intended to be used by librarians and faculty members in research libraries and universities to better understand the trends and challenges associated with altmetrics in higher education. It is also intended to be used by research libraries to offer guidance on how to participate in shaping this emerging field.Many people involved in the scholarly communications process – from academics, students, and researchers, to publishers, librarians, and learners – are participating in a dynamic digital context now more than ever; moreover, digital acts of communication and dissemination of scholarship leave traces of impact that can now be culled and quantified. Altmetrics, metrics based on the social web, provide an opportunity both to more acutely measure the propagation of this communication and to reconsider how we measure research impact in general. While the use of social media and analytics and the structure of tenure and promotion practices are not consistent across or even within disciplines, the practices and experimentation of early adopters, from researchers and institutions to industry, yield stories, lessons learned, and practices worth investigating. Researchers and academic librarians both face new opportunities to engage and support the use of altmetrics tools and methods and to re-examine how scholarship is defined, collected, preserved, used, and discussed. This report summarizes the major trends, opportunities and challenges of altmetrics to both researchers and academic research libraries and outlines ways in which research libraries can participate in shaping this emergent field. Also featured in this article is a micro-case study featuring a partnership between the University of Pittsburgh and Plum Analytics that illustrates how libraries can begin to map out their role on campus in this arena.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/99709/1/UMLibraryAltmetrics_090513.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/99709/5/Rodgers_Barbrow_Feb314_Altmetrics.pdf-

Center Yourself: Find Your Balance through Reflective Practices

How often do you hear “It’s so important to reflect on your teaching!” and how often do you actually do it? How does one actually go about reflecting on their instruction? In this 50 minute interactive workshop, we will spend time using several frameworks to reflect in different ways on a recent instructional experience

StaffShare: creating cross-departmental connection in the library

Employees of large academic libraries are usually segmented into discrete departments. Without intentional initiatives to foster cross-departmental communication, staff may not connect with colleagues in different roles. To overcome this issue, the University of Michigan Library created a staff engagement program focused on fostering personal connections, a more holistic view of the organization and encouraging career development. This program consists of three programs with different formats, SkillShare, SpeedShare and SpaceShare.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110798/1/StaffShare creating cross-departmental connection in the library.pdfDescription of StaffShare creating cross-departmental connection in the library.pdf : Articl