University research offices manage an increasingly complex set of responsibilities. Research has become a several-hundred-million-dollar source of revenue at many institutions, and the role of the research office is to oversee, protect, and further develop this vital enterprise.

As grants have become critical in supporting research initiatives, researchers find themselves spending a larger proportion of their time on administrative tasks, such as finding project collaborators, locating, and securing grants, and reporting on grant-funded activities. In fact, seven in 10 researchers now spend at least 30 percent of their time on administrative tasks, an Ex Libris survey revealed. These activities take time away from the research itself.

Research office leaders find it challenging to provide the administrative support that researchers require, owing to a lack of time and resources. This is a key area where academic libraries can help.

Looking to libraries for support

A growing number of researchers are looking to libraries for support. Specifically, there is increasing demand for data research services, among other activities.

According to the Ex Libris survey, 57 percent of researchers expected the library to support them by depositing publications and datasets into an institutional repository in 2021, up from 49 percent in 2020. Fifty-one percent expected help with research data services in 2021, up from 39 percent in 2020, and 31 percent wanted help in measuring the impact of their research—up from 26 percent the year before.

While collaboration between libraries and research offices is on the rise, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Fifty-four percent of research office leaders said the library was a main partner in research activities in 2021, an increase from 48 percent in 2020. However, this means that libraries and research offices are still not close collaborators at nearly half of institutions.

Keys to effective collaboration

How can libraries collaborate with research offices more effectively? This starts with communicating the value they can provide in supporting the entire research enterprise—from identifying new publishing channels, to collecting university research, making works more easily discoverable, and measuring the impact of research.

“In general, I think libraries can do a better job of promoting what they’re able to do at the institutional level,” says Jessica Clemons, an account executive for research solutions at Ex Libris.

Here are three strategies that libraries can use to advocate for a larger role in supporting university research.

Build relationships.

Developing one-on-one relationships with researchers and research office staff gives academic librarians an opportunity to highlight their expertise and explain the types of assistance they can provide within the research process.

Jeff Horon, director of research information solutions for Ex Libris, notes that it’s also important for librarians to build relationships with deans, department chairs, and other senior leaders throughout the institution. Like Clemons, Horon was a former university employee before joining Ex Libris; both have extensive insight into the complex dynamics of higher-education administration.

“I once heard a librarian say, ‘Our administration thinks of us as a pool of contract managers.’ But librarians are so much more than that,” Horon says. “They have skills in information science that can bring great value to the research enterprise.”

Be creative.

There are other university stakeholders that libraries could partner with as well, Clemons says, such as marketing and communication departments. These campus departments are looking to share the good work that’s being done at the institution. By collecting publications and datasets and sharing these assets with campus marketing teams, librarians can help showcase their institution’s research outputs more effectively.

Demonstrate value.

As academic libraries are able to demonstrate the significant value they can bring to the research enterprise, they will come to be viewed as a highly respected and indispensible partner in the process.

To support university researchers and research offices, libraries need effective tools. For instance, Ex Libris Esploro is a cloud-based research information management solution that automates the capture of research assets and applies metadata to these consistently, making it easier for librarians to help gather, index, share, promote, and track the impact of an institution’s research.

“For institutions to remain viable, there needs to be more collaboration between libraries, researchers, and research office personnel,” Clemons concludes. “I think they all have to work better together to sustain the research enterprise.”

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