Turning a library into a skill center for scientific information and knowledge management

Abstract

In the past, library users had to come to the library. Today, the library has to approach their possible clients, with interactions and services that prove the value of the engagement, especially in higher education. Libraries must be recognized and acknowledged as skills centers for dealing with scientific information.

Since 2013, we have gradually transformed our library into a multifunctional learning space, but also into a center that scouts, evaluates and selects information management solutions for life sciences and chemistry, develops own solutions and keeps their patrons tuned to the latest developments. We reach out to our clients in multiple ways. We raise awareness for selected new tools and databases through Infocus, a personalized e-mail newsletter, which is created based on users’ interest profiles. Infocus is complemented by Infozine, a magazine for users of scientific information, which is sent to all members of the departments we serve and also to external subscribers. Community building is also done through various F2F outreach formats, classical courses that are part of bachelor and master students’ curricula, and courses with workshops for PhD students. There are also new formats such as Coffee Lectures (10-min presentations on tools, databases and services) or Menu Card Seminars that are tailored to the needs of an individual research group. Through these intensified interactions, we, in turn, learn a lot about current research processes and problems and thus understand better our client’s information needs.