Scholarly CommunicationsIssues for BYU

Presented to the Scholarly Communications CommitteeMarch 11, 2005

Presented to the HBLL Faculty Library CouncilMarch 18, 2005

Gideon O. BurtonCollege of HumanitiesBrigham Young University

Scholarly Communication

“The system through which research and other scholarly writings are created, evaluated for quality, disseminated to the scholarly community, and preserved for future use.” (American Library Assoc.)

As the scriptorium yielded to the printing press…

…so the printing press is yielding to the digital realm

“And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.” –Mark 2:22

The Age of Digital Scholarship

The age of digital scholarship is upon us, and we must accommodate both the new “wine” (knowledge) and the new “bottles” (forms it is taking).

Risk to Academic Mission

If universities insist that scholarship continue only within established print models of publication, they do so at the hazard of their academic mission.

Risk to Academic Mission

“As with individuals, universities also quickly face obsolescence when they fail to continue to change, grow, and adapt to their new and often rapidly different environments.” –Pres. Cecil Samuelson

(“A More Excellent Way: A Changing BYU in a Changing World” 8/24/04)

Risk to Academic Mission

• Escalating costs for print materials, especially academic journals→Libraries unable to service research

• Diminishing academic presses→Scholars less able to publish, be retained or advanced

Risk to Academic Mission

• Not keep pace with peer institutions, or directions in digital work within disciplines

→ Accreditation consequences → Hiring and retention difficulties

LDS Perspectives

• LDS leaders optimistic (not just cautious) about uses of media

• LDS Church has pioneered the use of new media

LDS Perspectives

• Mormonism itself is a new “medium” for Christianity– Unafraid of innovating forms– Global and eternal points of view– Anchored amidst change and chaos

BYU Perspectives• BYU Institutional Objectives all

enhanced via technology and media:– Educate the minds and spirits of students– Advance truth and knowledge– Extend the blessings of learning– Develop friends for the University and

Church• BYU infrastructure fully committed to

the electronic age

BYU Perspectives• BYU Libraries are evolving to

accommodate digital scholarship– Robust catalog and online research tools– Electronic theses– Scholarly database subscriptions– Digital collections– Web hosting of local digital scholarship

BYU Perspectives• Superior media support for teaching

– Computer labs– Technology-enhanced classrooms– Software training for faculty/staff– Center for Instructional Design /

Instructional Media Center– Web-based instruction / distance learning– Grants for technology and media

products

BYU Challenges

• Resource Issues– Costs of print journals, database

subscriptions– Costs to develop and maintain

electronic resources– Capital equipment / software– Support staff

BYU Challenges

• Intellectual Property Issues– Electronic reserve– Fair use– Protection of BYU digital products – Creative and scholarly works as

marketable commodities

BYU Challenges• Faculty issues

– Untrained in new electronic research tools

– Untrained in media development tools– Mixed messages regarding media use:

• Teaching: yes! Scholarship: no!

– Retention/Advancement: Rank and Status committees not recognizing digital scholarship

– Hiring: do we attract digital scholars?

Four Key Changes in the Digital Age• To academic libraries• To scholarly publishing• To scholarly production• To scholarly evaluation

(1) Changes to Academic Libraries• Brokers of digital knowledge, not

just curators of the printed scholarly record

• “Institutional Repository”• Collaborative alliances

– With academic consortia– With faculty scholars

(1) Changes to Academic Libraries• Access issues, patron training, and

development of digital research tools• Integrating the digital scholarly world:

– Electronic library catalog– Third-party and discipline-specific databases– Local digital projects, collections, archives– Federated searching / metadata (within

university and across academia)

(2) Changes to Scholarly Publishing• Increased amount• New forms of scholarship• New access to conventional

scholarship– Reference and full-text databases– Search engines

• New methods of delivery– Online journals– Institutional web hosting

(2) Changes to Scholarly Publishing• New objects of study• More multi-media and data files• “Born digital” materials

(hypertext, etc.)• New roles for scholars, for

librarians, for institutions, for presses

(3) Changes to Scholarly Production• Faster (from concept to

publication)• More interactive editorial

procedure• Pre-publication and Self-

publication (electronic)

(3) Changes to Scholarly Production• Independence from scholarly

presses• Dependence upon technology

infrastructure• More collaborative work

(3) Changes to Scholarly Production• Multipurposing creative/scholarly

work• Closer relationship between

teaching, research, and publishing

(4) Changes to Scholarly Evaluation• Peer review of new forms of scholarship• Assessing potential faculty• Assessing faculty within tenure

evaluation• How does the institution formally value

scholarship? (collecting, generating, promoting, maintaining, rewarding digital scholarship)

Institutional inconsistencies

• Creating an environment where media is encouraged or expected for teaching, but discounted as scholarship.

• “Of course we promote digital scholarship; we just don’t promote digital scholars.”

Taking Action

• The University– Scholarly Communications

Committee– Review initiatives at other institutions– Support the library in its emerging

role– Support faculty doing digital

publishing (resources, rewards)

Taking Action• The Library

– Publicize both problems and opportunities in scholarly communication

– Identify, evaluate, and acquire appropriate resources for digital scholarship (research & publication)

– Work closely with faculty• Collections policies; serials decisions• Developing digital resources• Archiving and publishing faculty scholarship

through BYU’s institutional repository– Coordinate media development and archiving

across campus

Taking Action• The Faculty

– Investigate how digital scholarship is reshaping specific disciplines

– Use and contribute to institutional repositories, electronic journals, and open access initiatives

– Promote collaboration with the library– Update rank and status documents and

procedures– Promote “born-digital” scholarship

Digital scholarship within disciplines

University of WashingtonDigital Scholarship Project

Association of Research Libraries

Scholarly Communication in Transition

“And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.” –Mark 2:22