At this midpoint of the year, I write to express my heartfelt gratitude for support and participation in the OCLC Research Library Partnership (RLP). The passion and commitment demonstrated by our member institutions inspire our work.
The OCLC Research Library Partnership places people at the center
We see evidence of the RLP program’s contributions in numerous ways:
- The impact of our research. The community catalyzed by Reimagine Descriptive Workflows continues to grow, and the Social Interoperability frameworks continue to provide value, extending beyond their initial research support context.
- The uptake of the Total Cost of Stewardship. The report has been cited in numerous articles in the Journal of Western Archives’ special issue on Collection Stewardship in the Age of Finite Resources and we saw the practical benefits of our research at the sold-out workshop we hosted on this topic at the Rare Books and Manuscripts (RBMS) Conference.
- Robust participation in RLP-hosted engagement opportunities. Activities like our OCLC–LIBER collaboration provide structure and order in a complex and rapidly changing environment, while our Metadata Managers Focus Group convened the community on important topics like AI.
- Connecting in person. We’ve had the opportunity to connect directly with our Partner affiliates through our partner-focused in-person workshops in the UK and presentations at the Art Libraries Society (ARLIS) of North America, the American Library Association annual conference, and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) IDEALS conference.
These are strong signals that our programming resonates with our networks and will guide our future efforts.
New leadership roundtables support RLP engagement
We’ve launched two new leadership roundtables for Research Support and Archives and Special Collections.
Using the model established with our Metadata Managers and SHARES communities, these new leadership roundtables allow RLP libraries to share information and benchmark their strategic and tactical goals.
Since February, we’ve hosted four sessions on topics of interest, including the challenges of archiving born-digital collections, bibliometrics and research impact, and cross-campus collaboration. You can read more about what we’ve learned from these sessions on Hanging Together. We’ll convene again before the end of the calendar year.
If you are an affiliate, please let us know if you would like to nominate a colleague to join us.
The library beyond the library
A new OCLC Research effort is underway to explore “the library beyond the library.” This project observes that libraries are increasingly engaged in partnership with other campus units, which are manifesting in new operational structures that extend beyond the confines of library hierarchies. This new project expands on our past work on social interoperability to identify key changes in library operational structures and value propositions.
We want to learn how you’re responding to these changes to support your growth.
The RLP leads on topics critical to the field
A highlight of the past year has been our OCLC-LIBER engagement experience, where we had the chance to lead community conversations around important topics such as AI. These discussions fostered opportunities for shared learning and to embed outcomes into our communities of practice. We will continue holding space to learn more about how AI is being incorporated into our everyday work lives.
We’re proud of the RLP’s work to support inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). We featured two webinars on diversifying collections—implementing strategies and student-led collection development—and our blog, Hanging Together, features a biweekly series on these topics.
Additionally, we’re informing the development of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Accessibility Remediation Metadata (ARM) standard by connecting the working group with experts in the Metadata Managers Focus Group and SHARES communities.
Finally, we continue to follow the principles outlined in Reimagine Descriptive Workflows to reimagine a critical component of the OCLC linked-data ecosystem, the WorldCat ontology.
Welcome to three new Partners!
Please extend a warm RLP welcome to our newest network members, Clemson University, Vanderbilt University, and the Rockefeller Archive Center. We’re thrilled to have such an amazing group of individuals from these institutions join us!
If you didn’t see us in person earlier this year, you have other opportunities to catch up with us. Senior Program Officer Chela Weber presented at the Society of American Archivists (SAA) in Chicago last week, and team members will be present at the International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums in November and at the December CNI (Coalition for Networked Information) meeting.
Looking forward
We remain committed to a virtual-first approach to ensure our members can engage and connect regardless of physical limitations. By embracing technology, we can continue to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation.
Once again, I extend my deepest gratitude for your continued support. Your dedication and passion drive us forward, and we’re honored to have you as part of our membership community. Together, we’ll continue to prioritize centering our work on the great people in our network and focus on amplifying your contributions to make a lasting impact.
The talented RLP team of program officers, along with the broader OCLC research team, are eager to extend our work, with our Partners at the center. Partner participation is an essential ingredient that helps us to learn and grow as a community.
Rachel Frick directs OCLC’s work and engagement with the Research Library Partnership, a venue for research libraries to undertake significant, innovative, collective action to benefit libraries, scholars and researchers everywhere.
