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Presentation
e-Science at the University of Massachusetts
Geoscience Information Society Annual Meeting (2010)
  • Rebecca Reznik-Zellen, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • Maxine G Schmidt, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Abstract
In 2008, an Ad Hoc Committee of science librarians from the five campuses of the University of Massachusetts met to discuss the challenges of e-science and prepare the Libraries for their role in e-science initiatives. In order to effectively collaborate with and earn the trust of researchers generating data sets, librarians must be aware of research trends in their fields, and be familiar with the methodologies used in different disciplines. The committee decided to plan a series of events to inform and prepare science librarians to engage research faculty as a first step toward active participation in e-science projects. An initial effort was to establish our own set of Principles Fundamental to the Role of the University of Massachusetts Research Libraries in e-Science, modeled on the principles presented by the ARL Joint Task Force of Library Support for e-Science in its Report, “Agenda for Developing e-Science in Research Libraries” (Joint Task Force on Library Support for E-Science, Association Research Libraries, 2007). As we began work on these projects, it quickly became apparent that even on the Ad Hoc Committee only a handful of librarians had formal science education or experience. Since then, the Libraries have organized three annual events to increase our awareness and knowledge base: a cross-campus Symposium each spring on e-Science designed to open a dialog between research faculty and librarians to identify and establish fruitful collaborations, a Professional Development Day, focusing on bench research of a single discipline or lab, and “Science Boot Camp for Librarians,” a low-cost, regional professional development program designed as a casual but intensive immersion event into selected scientific subjects. Finally, we are identifying collaborative, data-intensive research projects already underway on and among our campuses.
Publication Date
November 2, 2010
Comments
© Copyright 2010 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.
Citation Information
Rebecca Reznik-Zellen and Maxine G Schmidt. "e-Science at the University of Massachusetts" Geoscience Information Society Annual Meeting (2010)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/maxine_schmidt/16/