The document summarizes programs and services at the University of Washington Libraries Research Commons that aim to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and engagement. It describes two key programs - Scholars' Studio, which provides feedback on research projects, and CoLAB workshops, which allow students to discuss research across disciplines. It also outlines the vision for the Research Commons as an experimental space, lessons learned, and areas of focus such as assessment, advocacy, and staffing to further support interdisciplinary work.

1. ALL
TOMORROW’S
PROGRAMS
New Modes of Librarian
Engagement and Student
Collaboration at the University
of Washington Libraries
Research Commons
Lauren Ray, Research Commons Librarian
Chloe Horning, Assistant Research Commons Librarian
CLCC 2014, Sherbrooke, Quebec

2. WHAT WE’LL COVER
• Background: Vision, Space and Services
• Interdisciplinary Programs
o Scholars’ Studio
o CoLAB
• What We’ve Learned
• Questions
L. Ray and C. Horning 2014

3. VISION, SPACE AND
CORE SERVICES
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5. RC PLANNING COMMITTEE (2009)
• Flexible space designed for collaboration
• High touch consulting/instructional services
• Research discovery outside given discipline
• Re-engage with graduate students
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6. RESEARCH COMMONS VISION
• Interdisciplinary conversation
• Hub of research support
• Experiment with program and space to
inform libraries
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7. 2014
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10. RESEARCH COMMONS SERVICES
Funding
Citation
Management
Design
Writing
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11. INTERDISCIPLINARY
PROGRAMS
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23. SCHOLARS STUDIO ASSESSMENT
• “It changed the way I classically thought about my
own work.” - PhD Student, Social Sciences
• “I think it makes a big difference when the people at
the top really care about what you are doing...It
makes you feel more empowered.” - PhD Student,
Medicine
• “Five minutes was really tough. It makes you rethink
how to present your material concisely.” – PhD
Student, Humanities
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25. CoLAB® WORKSHOP MODEL
• Created by Bess de Farber, U. Florida
• 3-Minute Speed Meetings
• Interdisciplinary themes
• Open to students, faculty and staff
• Facilitated by librarians
• Post-Workshop website for follow-up
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26. CoLAB® WORKSHOP GOALS
• Foster cross-departmental sharing of
research-related assets, networks, skills.
• Build student confidence in speaking about
their work.
• Help librarians engage with user community
outside reference, instruction, etc.
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33. CoLAB® EVALUATIONS
85%
90%
96%
52%
68% 66%66% 68%
63%
GIS Digital Scholarship Food Research
Found it useful talking to people in other disciplines
Strengthened ability to talk about research
Felt more confident articulating skills/assets
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34. WHAT WE’VE
LEARNED
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35. • Partnerships
• Assessments
• Advocacy
• Staffing
HOW DO WE MAKE IT WORK?
STRATEGIC AREAS
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37. ASSESSMENT
• User Satisfaction Surveys Every 3 Years
• Headcounts, Analytics
• Program Surveys
360˚ Review of Assessment Data
• Scholars’ Studio participant interview project
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38. Image Credit:
Houston ISD via
Vimeo
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39. ADVOCACY
• Tours
• Presentations
• Grant and proposal writing
We consider ourselves an experimental space
for other libararies on campus, so we must
communicate what is working well.
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40. WHAT’S NEXT?
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41. STAFF GROWTH
2010:
• 0.75 librarian
• 2 graduate students
at 30 hours/week
• Help Desk support
from other library
units
2014:
• 2 full time librarians
• 4 graduate students
at 69.5 hours/week
total
• 5 undergraduate
students
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43. STUDENT-DRIVEN PROJECTS
• Scholars’ Studio
podcast
• Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
• #MyRCWhiteboard
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44. #MYRCWHITEBOARD CAMPAIGN
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45. Image Credit:
khuntiamalay via
Instagram
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46. • Librarians as project managers
• Librarians as supervisors/mentors
• Librarians as advocates for our space and
vision
AND
• We must be able to manage up and laterally
across departments in order to be effective
collaborators
EVOLVING ROLES, SKILLS,
EXPECTATIONS
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47. QUESTIONS?
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48. THANK YOU
Lauren Ray, olray@uw.edu
Chloe Horning, chloeh2@uw.edu
@uwrescommons
commons.lib.washington.edu
All Images UW Libraries Research Commons unless otherwise noted.
L. Ray and C. Horning 2014