UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN
New Website for the USask Library Research Collective

The USask Library is thrilled to announce the launch of the new website for the Research Collective! We hope you enjoy learning more about the Collective by exploring our new site at: https://library.usask.ca/research-collective/

What is the USask Library Research Collective?

The USask Library Research Collective (Collective) is an initiative designed to support a culture of research excellence within the library. As faculty members, librarians are required to develop a program of research and publish to meet the university standards for tenure and promotion. But research conducted within a library can go beyond individual faculty members' research programs, and therefore the Collective encourages and supports research across the library, whether it be conducting individual research projects, improving library services, or evaluating professional practice.

The  Collective is led by two faculty librarians Shannon Lucky and Kevin Read, who serve as the Collective Co-Coordinators, and Maria Cruz, the Library Research Facilitator.

The Collective also supports research across the library through various training opportunities for library employees. Upcoming opportunities include a survey design course offered through the Canadian Hub for Applied and Social Research, and OCAP training through the First Nations Information Governance Centre. Additionally, the Collective offers a research mentorship program for early career faculty librarians to support their Program of Research.

What does library-related research look like?

Library research spans a variety of topics and disciplines, and may focus on evaluating professional practice, investigating new initiatives in information science, developing research support programs, and examining historical and social connections in libraries and archives, among many others.

Here are some examples of recent presentations, works, and publications that provide a glimpse of the kinds of research happening within the library:

• Health Sciences and Beyond: An Investigation into Canadian Librarian Participation in Systematic Reviews Across Disciplines (Co-author: Catherine Boden)
• Implementing and Learning from a Summer Research Data Management Training Program for Student Researchers (Authors: Kevin Read & Sarah Rutley)
• Report: Understanding and evaluating data discovery and access for restricted data in Canada: A metadata assessment of health data sources (Co-authors: Kevin Read & Sarah Rutley)
• Reusing Figures in Research: New License Clauses Eliminate Need for Permissions or Payments (Co-authors: DeDe Dawson & Jaclyn McLean)
• Seeking smut: collaborations between researchers, librarians, and interlibrary loans in the study of sexuality and desire (Co-author: Heather Tornblom)
• Values based investing (Co-author: Jaclyn McLean)
• Understanding the challenges associated with finding and accessing restricted data in Canada: a mixed methods study (Co-authors: Kevin Read & Sarah Rutley)

In December 2024, library faculty also had the opportunity to participate in a SSHRC Matters panel that highlighted their research.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the Collective, please contact Maria Cruz, Research Facilitator, at maria.cruz@usask.ca