Library Collaboration in RDM

Sourcing research data management (RDM) capacities through multi-institutional collaborative arrangements involves assessing benefits and costs. Academic libraries need to be able to make informed choices about when to source RDM capacities through collective effort, and when to choose an alternative sourcing arrangement. Library Collaboration in RDM, an OCLC Research project, aims to help academic libraries make intentional, strategic choices about collaboration in the RDM space and beyond.

As Lorcan Dempsey recently observed, “it is not simply more collaboration that is needed – it is a strategic view of collaboration. . . . There should be active, informed decision-making about what needs to be done locally and what would benefit from stronger coordination or consolidation within collaborative organizations.”

This is the starting point for the Library Collaboration in RDM research project. We examine what “active, informed decision-making” means in the context of choosing collaboratively sourced RDM capacities. Questions addressed include: What circumstances suggest that working collectively with other institutions might be a better choice than other sourcing options for acquiring capacities? How can libraries overcome barriers to collective action and improve existing collaborative arrangements?

Our project draws insight from the economics literature to build a framework to address these questions.

We then use this framework as a lens through which to explore a set of case studies of real-world decision-making and practice regarding RDM collaboration across institutions. These case studies feature detailed descriptions of how the Texas Data Repository, the Portage Network, and the Data Curation Network created successful collaborative efforts aimed at building shared RDM capacities. The practical experiences and lessons learned from these examples form the basis of a set of general recommendations for academic libraries to consider as they evaluate their own collaborative opportunities.

Learn more about RDM Service Categories

While this project focuses on multi-institutional collaboration in RDM, we believe that the findings will provide insight for other areas where academic libraries might choose to work collectively.

The Library Collaboration in RDM project benefits from the support of an expert advisory committee:

• Donna Bourne-Tyson, Dean of Libraries, Dalhousie University
• David Groenewegen, Director, Research, Monash University Library
• David Minor, Program Director for Research Data Curation, University of California San Diego Library
• Judy Ruttenberg, Senior Director of Scholarship and Policy, Association of Research Libraries
• Michael Witt, Interim Associate Dean for Research, Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies
• Maurice York, Director of Library Initiatives, Big Ten Academic Alliance

Libraries have a rich history of working together to meet mutual needs. Current advances in digital and network technologies have amplified the benefits and lowered the costs of cross-institutional collaboration, making it an inviting choice for academic libraries seeking to acquire new services, expertise, and infrastructure—especially in the face of economic pressures and uncertainties introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic. As interest in library collaboration grows, it becomes more important for academic libraries to be purposeful and strategic in their use of this sourcing option.

Related Materials

Background Materials

Lorcan Dempsey’s series of blog posts on library consortia:

The powers of library consortia 1: How consortia scale capacity, learning, innovation and influence
The powers of library consortia 2: Soft power and purposeful mobilization: scaling learning and innovation
The powers of library consortia 3: Scaling influence and capacity
The powers of library consortia 4: Scoping, sourcing and scaling

What Collaboration Means to Me

In this short piece Dempsey argues that library collaboration is very important, so important that it needs to be a more deliberate strategic focus for libraries and the organizations that support them. This is especially so in a network environment, where scale is important in creating efficiencies and impact. Despite this importance, effective collaboration is hard and current arrangements are suboptimal. Various reasons why this is so are discussed, and some suggestions for how matters might be improved are offered. Available at Collaborative Librarianship: "What Collaboration Means to Me: Library collaboration is hard; effective collaboration is harder," 

The Realities of Research Data Management

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