Building... then crossing bridges in support of open research

Abstract

Following a restructure in May 2019, the University of St Andrews scholarly communications team moved out of the University Library and became embedded in Research and Innovation Services. For many years, the University Library Digital Research teams (including open access and research data management) have worked very closely with the University's research office to share knowledge, build relationships and provide support to researchers with a joint approach. At a time when most libraries are building their support for open research, it is unusual for the scholarly communications function to sit in a research office. In this talk, we will explore the opportunities presented by this change, such as the ability to communicate open research messages with a strong 'policy' context and being closer to the levers needed to facilitate the required cultural change in researcher behaviour. We will also discuss the challenges in developing the skills needed to support open research, including copyright and licensing expertise, repository maintenance, metadata creation and APC management alongside, rather than within, the library. We aim to present new perspectives on collaboration across departments and how crossing bridges can help drive the open research agenda.