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An increasingly complex and demanding research landscape has seen university libraries rapidly evolve their services. While research data management, bibliometrics, and research impact services have predominantly featured in the literature to date, the full scope of support libraries are currently providing to their institutions is unknown. This paper aims to present an up-to-date view of the scope and extent of research support services by university libraries across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. A coding process analyzed content data from university library websites. Eleven research support areas were identified. Service delivery is split between synchronous and asynchronous modes. This paper describes a lived experience of an evidence-based library and information practice approach to improving research support services at two Australian university libraries, and while it highlights continued maturation of research support services, more research is needed to better understand influences on service development.

Chatbots have experienced significant growth over the past decade, with a proliferation of new applications across various domains. Previous studies also demonstrate the trend of new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, being adopted in libraries. The purpose of this study is to determine the current research priorities and findings in the field of chatbots in libraries. A systematic literature review was performed utilising the PRISMA checklist and the databases Scopus and Web of Science, identifying 5734 records. Upon conducting the first screening, abstract screening, full-text assessment, and quality assessments guided by the CASP appraisal checklist, 19 papers were deemed suitable for inclusion in the review. The results of the review indicate that the majority of the existing studies were empirical in nature (primarily adopting qualitative methods) and technology reviews with a focus on reviewing the implementation and maintenance, design, evaluation, characteristics, and application of chatbots. The chatbots of interest were mainly text-based and guided chatbots, with closed-source tools with access portals mostly built on library web pages or integrated with social software. The research findings primarily concerned the development models and necessary tools and technologies, the application of chatbots in libraries. Our systematic review also suggests that studies on chatbots in libraries are still in the early stages. [This paper was presented at the 2023 Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) International Conference (Osijek, Croatia, May 24-26, 2023).]

The University of Melbourne's Middle Eastern Manuscript collection housed at the Baillieu Library was acquired by Professor John Bowman in the 1950s as part of a teaching collection to promote greater learning of Middle Eastern culture and civilisation (Pryde 2007, 3). The collection is a rare example within Australia and represents many different subjects including Qur'ans and religious teachings, dictionaries and grammars, law, philosophical, medical, historical and astrological texts, love stories and poetries (Sloggett 2007, 89). Professor Bowman's main aim was to provide students with access to primary texts and so the collection was frequently drawn upon for research and teaching purposes. This paper however focuses on the information embedded within the collection. Under the surface, the manuscripts contain invaluable knowledge of the object's use, its manufacture and the original community surrounding the material. Through visual analysis of the papers within the text blocks clues can be uncovered to assist with dating, provenance and historical trade route information. This type of study can be problematic and is not without critics so the pitfalls and indications for best practice are highlighted. (Contains 4 figures and 2 tables.)

The paper presents an evaluation of History and Korean Studies WIL internships at Monash University Library, focusing on past students' views of the program in relation to their future career, and past host-supervisors' perceptions of its benefits. Data collection for the qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with past students and host-supervisors. The results revealed that both past students and host-supervisors expected the internships to facilitate students to gain hands-on experiences and develop 'soft-skills.' There was a gap where past host-supervisors consistently mentioned teamwork in their expectations, yet none of the past students had teamwork as one of their expectations. Both past students and host-supervisors view the program as beneficial for students, therefore, they suggested that the programs continue to be offered. Upon being asked what the benefits of internships were for themselves however, the host-supervisors put forward benefits that were more related to the library.

Academic libraries, apart from their main function, which is to provide information services to academic communities, may also perform a number of social roles in the broad meaning of the term. Accordingly, they now tend to serve as the third place offering inclusion and animation activities to academic as well as local communities (including potential students) and to groups in risk of social exclusion (immigrants, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, etc.) or in need of various kinds of care and support. However, for libraries to be able to fulfil those tasks, they need properly trained staff who not only have the required competencies but also the right social attitudes. The paper presents an analysis of the social attitudes of academic librarians from twenty countries across the world as compared to the personnel of other types of libraries. The level of individual social capital, activity in social networks, aspirations in life and social and civic engagement were investigated. It was noted that the respondents tend to undervalue the importance of the work done by libraries for local communities. At the same time, the research showed that academic librarians have a somewhat lower level of individual social capital and trust than public librarians and less extensive social networks. Nonetheless, they are open to relationships with others, which enables them to engage in various social projects.

Across the sector, universities are transforming the student experience by reconceptualising the ways in which they partner with students. The academic library is at the heart of the university experience and libraries have a long history of collaboration and engaging with their communities. As such academic libraries are the perfect next frontier within which to embed the 'students-as-partners' approach. This paper proposes a broadening of partnership with students to improve the governance, operations and design of the academic library. Taking La Trobe University Library as a case study, the authors explore a series of examples in action across six domains: space transformation, library governance, service excellence, research, resource design and collection renewal. Within these domains the paper provides insights into how the relationship between the academic library and its community might be shifted to foster critical student/staff partnerships.

Introduction: Open access to digital research output is increasing, but academic library policies can place restrictions on public access to libraries. This paper reports on a preliminary study to investigate the correlation between academic library access policies and institutional positions of openness to knowledge. Method: This primarily qualitative study used document and data analysis to examine the content of library access or use policies of twelve academic institutions in eight countries. The outcomes were statistically correlated with institutional open access publication policies and practices. Analysis: We used an automated search tool together with manual searching to retrieve Web-based library access policies, then categorised and counted the levels and conditions of public access. We compared scores for institutional library access feature with open access features and percentages of open access publications. Results: Academic library policies may suggest open public access but multi-layered user categories, privileges and fees charged can inhibit such access, with disparities in openness emerging between library policies and institutional open access policies. Conclusion: As open access publishing options and mandates expand, physical entry and access to print and electronic resources in academic libraries is contracting. This conflicts with global library and information commitments to open access to knowledge.

Academic libraries have been subjected to disruptive events throughout history. Academic literature primarily provides case study examples of incidents, guidance on developing an emergency management plan or advice on recovering or restoring items, particularly related to Special Collections, which require specific handling expertise. Increasingly, however, academic libraries may require a changed approach to traditional risk management thinking, increasing consideration towards resilience-building measures. In addition, many academic libraries are unaware of how efforts to protect items of cultural or historical significance held in Special Collections, are contributing to international frameworks in disaster risk reduction. This paper will review findings from a literature review, providing examples of disruptive events within academic libraries, and consider how academic libraries may build resilience against disruptive events in order to contribute to international efforts to protect cultural heritage within international disaster risk reduction frameworks.

Students in many Australian universities start their studies mathematically underprepared as there are no prerequisites for mathematics, and assumed knowledge requirements are often overlooked. Many degrees include at least one statistics subject for which students require a reasonable level of mathematical ability to successfully complete. Students' efforts to grasp quantitative skills often lead to feelings of anxiety, stress, and lack of self-confidence. The Mathematics Education Support Hub (MESH) at WSU provides free support in mathematics and statistics to all students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, to increase their engagement, understanding, and abilities in statistics as well as to overcome their anxiety. In this paper we focus on the drop-in consultation service, which provides "just in time" help in campus libraries. Data is collected for every consultation, which enabling an investigation in relation to the mathematics background of students and the problematic topics in statistics. Text mining is used to examine students' queries to identify the topics in statistics subjects that students struggle most with. Outcomes of this analysis can be used by statistics instructors and mathematics support centres to improve students' experience in learning and to help to reduce statistics anxiety in future generations of statistics students.

This paper, based on an exchange of librarians between academic libraries in Canada and Australia, describes the process of planning for and participating in an international job exchange. It highlights the benefits of the exchange and lessons learned from it and reflects on the opportunities for career development and renewal afforded by such a swap. This experience will be contextualized within the continuum of literature on library exchanges. By describing our successful exchange process, the authors aim to encourage more library staff exchanges.

University libraries worldwide are reconceptualising the ways in which they support the research agenda in their respective institutions. This paper is based on a survey completed by member libraries of the Queensland University Libraries Office of Cooperation (QULOC), the findings of which may be informative for other university libraries. After briefly examining major emerging trends in research support, the paper discusses the results of the survey specifically focussing on support for researchers and the research agenda in their institutions. All responding libraries offer a high level of research support, however, eResearch support, in general, and research data management support, in particular, have the highest variance among the libraries, and signal possible areas for growth. Areas for follow-up, benchmarking and development are suggested. (Contains 2 figures and 1 table.)

From a fledgling technology with no proven business models, electronic books (e-books) have grown in importance usurping traditional formats as an acquisitions budget line in many academic library contexts. Business models include purchase, subscription, and pay per use. In academic and research libraries, web based e-book delivery is the dominant platform involving desktop, Netbook and iPad user agents. E-books are the hot property of today's academic library, forming the new wave in information services along with web scale discovery and institutional repositories. This paper reports the results of a preliminary analysis of transactional e-log data describing academic and student use of Ebook Library (EBL) titles at Edith Cowan University (ECU) Library, Perth, Western Australia. The data mined and analysed encompassing Semesters One and Two of the 2010 academic year. Analysis includes descriptive statistics and other metrics describing e-book usage patterns and user behaviour. The paper compares usage patterns observed with earlier studies and reports on the phenomenon of the "power user". (Contains 11 tables and 8 figures.)

The literature speaks of a "deluge" of scientific and research data and the importance of capturing and managing it for use beyond its original creating community, purpose, and time. Data value increases as it is interconnected, networked, shared, used, and re-used. This paper extends the conversation about data sharing to "wild data": that is, data generated and held outside of "academic" or "professional" science, as in the case of environmental voluntary groups (EVGs). Currently, important data generated by these groups are likely to be inaccessible to the academic community, or any community or body outside those often-small EVGs. Although large quantities of data are often generated by EVGs, management of these data may be poor or non-existent; and quality control of data may be haphazard and spasmodic. This article reports on a pilot project which explored the data sought, generated, stored, and shared by members of EVGs. The project also investigated members' views about data management and sharing for the future. Finally, as Australian university libraries are at the forefront of research and practice to promote the better management of data created by research, the paper also explores whether there might be a collaborative role for university libraries in the management of wild data. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

This paper describes our vision for the new UTS Library opening in 2016/17. Preparations are currently focussed on implementing enabling technologies which will move up to 80% of the print collection to an automated storage and retrieval system. This will allow the physical library to shift from a space dominated by book storage to a vibrant space for people, and facilitate better integration of physical and digital collections, services and spaces. While underpinned by technology, our new library is about people, and this paper describes the co-design practices we are exploring to include our clients in the planning process and ensure we deliver library services which meet their needs.

This paper reports the results of recent research examining the holdings of Australian research library collections recorded in the WorldCat database using OCLC WorldCat Collection Analysis software. The objectives of the research are: 1. To better understand the distribution of printed monographs amongst Australian research collections in order to assess the potential for enhanced collaboration in aspects of collection management. 2. To test the OCLC WorldCat Collection Analysis software in order to ascertain its value in comparing collection data based on the Australian research libraries subset of the WorldCat database. The collections compared are the National Library of Australia; University of Melbourne; Monash University, and CAVAL Archival and Research Materials Centre. The data record the extent of overlap between collections, and the prevalence and distribution of single copies. The paper reflects on the use of WorldCat Collection Analysis software as a means of supporting the future management of Australian research collections. The research was undertaken as a pilot for a larger study. (Contains 5 tables.)

The desire to investigate similarities and differences of Australian and US academic library professional librarian jobs motivated this paper. Job advertisements were gathered in August, September and October 2004. They are a subset of those reported in earlier studies which are more general in scope; this paper focused on the job market's expectations of academic librarians. Word counts and content and co-word analysis revealed a high demand in both countries for behavioural and interpersonal skills. The specification of generic competencies was more marked in the Australian data, and a number of differences existed in educational and experience specifications between countries. (Contains 37 notes and 7 tables.)

The Federal Government is introducing a new funding model for research in Australian higher education institutions, the Research Quality Framework (RQF). This paper provides an overview of the RQF and looks at possible impacts of the RQF on academic libraries in Australia. These impacts are drawn from experience at one Australian university, RQF-related activities, and commentary and research from the UK, where a similar funding model, the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), has been operating for a decade. The paper concludes by bringing these issues together with suggestions for academic libraries preparing for the 2008 RQF. (Contains 20 notes.)

This paper explores whether a professional development weblog could support work-based learning in a TAFE Library. The paper includes both a literature review of material dealing with work-based learning in the VET sector, weblogs and their possible use as a professional development tool and an evaluation of a weblog project devised to support professional development in the Library at Box Hill Institute. Analysis of the literature suggested that there were educational aspects of the practices of weblogging that supported some of the trends and learning outcomes of work-based learning in the VET sector. These included team learning and reflective and deep learning. Review of the literature also showed that concepts of knowledge management and information literacy have aspects in common with the educational practices of weblogging. During the weblog project, staff were actively involved in contributing to the weblog and evaluated their experience through a questionnaire. Staff reported that they had developed professionally from participating in the project, particularly in the areas of sharing knowledge and team learning and that there was potential for further professional development in the areas of archiving and reflective practice.

In 2004, the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology at the University of Tasmania undertook a project to evaluate students' information literacy skills and to get a picture of how and where information literacy is taught in the faculty. This paper outlines how relationship-building between the Science Library and faculty led to the project, the context of the project within a range of faculty teaching and learning initiatives, and the effectiveness of the survey instruments. The paper will also show how the project has aided the expansion of information literacy teaching across the faculty and how it will lead into further teaching and learning initiatives. (Contains 6 figures and 13 notes.)

This paper explores library evaluation in Australia and proposes a return to research fundamentals in which evaluators are asked to consider the centrality of philosophical issues and the role of different research methods. A critique of current evaluation examples demonstrates a system-centred, quantitative, input/output focus which fails to engage with users' experiences or to address service objectives, and provides insufficient information upon which to make decisions about service improvements. This reliance on traditional evaluation is juxtaposed with the emphasis library and information studies places on alternative methodologies. The paper asks why a perspective that has become mainstream in academic research remains peripheral to practice-based evaluation.

Through focus group interviews, a valuable method of developing client-focused initiatives, the most immediate needs of the faculty staff and students were identified and the collaborative effort between the College of Health (COH) academic staff and the liaison librarian began. Four key areas were identified: information sources/information seeking behaviour, information literacy, collection development, and future trends and recommendations for long- and short-term projects were confirmed. A recent article in "Australian Academic and Research Libraries" [AARL] (Ivey 2003) discusses working partnerships between librarians and academics in information literacy, but it did not identify "information about the roles of partners and the collaborative process of planning, delivering and evaluating learning programs". This paper endeavours to demonstrate the need for library and academic staff to develop a trusting, sharing relationship through the use of client-centred methods such as focus group interviews. The paper is a discussion of the processes involved in the evolution of an information literacy and communication unit (CO115 Health Communications) for College of Health students at the University of Notre Dame Australia, a collaboration between academic staff and the liaison librarian.