Directions in Digital Scholarship: Support for Digital, Data-Intensive, and Computational Research in Academic Libraries
Joan K. Lippincott · 2023
This report of a 2023 Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) initiative takes a broad look at library engagement with digital scholarship (DS) and examines connections with data-intensive and computational research over roughly the past five years and into the future. There is no set formula for a DS program, while there might be good models and good practices. The kinds of programs offered, the balance of research vs. instructional services, and the key constituencies served are dependent on institutional factors such as the goals represented in the university’s strategic plan or the support of a particular college. To understand trends in DS programs, including attention to the impact of the pandemic, especially with reference to the importance of physical spaces and in-person programming, evidence was gathered from several sources, including online interviews with 12 library and DS leaders, profiles of 47 libraries’ DS programs, and conversations during two online forums representing a total of 24 institutions. Findings from these sources are analyzed and synthesized in this report. DS programs include a wide range of activities with a core of consultation and instruction, with supporting facilities, serving faculty and students, usually of most or all disciplines of the institution. DS programs have an institutional flavor, with some programs emphasizing research, some instruction, and with changes over time often in response to new priorities at the presidential or provostial level. When working with faculty, DS staff often note that research and instruction activities are intertwined.