roles and challenges for the academic library in e-Science

Dr. Liz Lyon has been doing a lot of great work in this area.  Here's her presentation Digital Libraries and e-Research: new horizons, new challenges? from the 8th International Bielefeld Conference - Academic Library and Information Services: New Paradigms for the Digital Age.  (There don't appear to be any presentations up at the conference site yet.)

Dr Lyon identifies a few key challenges for academic libraries:

• Data capture & integration into research workflows
• data descriptions
• Persistent identifiers for data citation
• Adding value and repository services
• workforce development and capacity building

I also want to point out some great info from her slide 30, which unfortunately I can't seem to link to directly, it's a grid that sums up many attributes of academic libraries in the e-Science context:

STRENGTHS: Scholarly communications role, Links with academic community, Content / collection management / stewardship practice, Cataloguing, classification & metadata expertise, (e)-Service delivery function

WEAKNESSES: Historic “document tradition”, Synergies between physical & digital worlds are still evolving, Shortage of technical skills, Cautious approach to innovation, Vision? (“its not our problem….”)

OPPORTUNITIES: Build on ePrints work & eLearning experience, Exploit links with researchers - they need your skills, Seek funding to engage in innovative projects & services, Develop local, regional, national, global partnerships

THREATS: Paradigm shift in research will out-pace change in libraries, Researchers will (only?) use on-demand e-Services, Libraries may lose their role in scholarly communications and eResearch workflows

via Open Access News

Previously:
September 27, 2005  Dr. Liz Lyon - Info Grid 2005 - Tuesday 27th, 09:00 - Developing e-infrastructure to support new research and learning paradigms