The value of libraries for research

Richard twitterde gisteren over het RIN-rapport "The value of libraries for research and researchers".

This jointly commissioned RIN and RLUK report presents the findings of a systematic study of the value of the services that libraries in the UK provide to researchers, and of the contributions that libraries from a wide range of institutions make to institutional research performance. The aim was to identify the key characteristics of library provision to support research in successful UK universities and departments. The detailed findings are presented in the form of ten stories, about the different kinds of value that libraries provide in supporting both individual researchers and the research performance of their host institutions.

The key messages of the ten stories:
1. Good libraries help institutions to recruit and retain top researchers
2. Libraries help researchers win research grants and contracts
3. Libraries promote and exploit new technologies and new models of scholarly communications
4. Repositories increase the visibility of the institution and raise its research profile
5. Outward-facing libraries contribute to institution-wide Initiatives
6. Specialist staff work in partnership with academic Departments
7. Connecting with researchers enhances the value of the library’s services
8. Dedicated spaces provide a better work environment for researchers
9. Easy access to high-quality content is a key foundation for good research
10. Libraries are a physical manifestation of the values of the academy and of scholarship