An active approach in establishing IT library services as a trusted partner for research infrastructures
Creators: name: Wyns, Roxanne
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Parallel Session 2 - Getting Down to Business: active approaches to library challenges
research data management
research data infrastructures
open science

description: Abstract As a digital service provider part of KU Leuven Libraries, LIBIS has for over 45 years been a driver of digital transformations, bringing new innovations on both infrastructure and processes in the library and archival domain. With the intensification of data driven research and the growing importance of FAIR data sharing, our more traditionally focused value proposition for the automation of library services has evolved to include being a trusted partner in the design and development of research data infrastructures. This paper focuses on the potential role of libraries as a trusted development partner for digital strategies and technologies, the approach, and the resources needed to provide a valuable service offering of sustainable research services ranging from technological developments to expertise on trending topics as FAIR, cross-domain (meta)data interoperability and trustworthy digital repositories in the context of EOSC. This will be demonstrated through several implementation stories where we are at the forefront in taking Open Science and FAIR data sharing to the next level: The co-design of the KU Leuven RDM roadmap followed by the successful implementation of the institutional Research Data Repository RDR. This story demonstrates the value of the library (IT) staff’s long-time experience in standardized data exchange as well as the importance of openness and involvement of stakeholders during the full implementation trajectory. The development of iCANDID, a data hub infrastructure for improved access to big data collections in SSH research, with a focus on the open and agile development methodology, highlighting the importance of the requirements analysis and prioritization phase when dealing with input from a diversity of research projects and use cases from multiple SSH research groups. This implementations story demonstrates the value of collaboration between research groups and library IT departments in terms of developing robust, scalable, and sustainable (domain specific) research infrastructures giving researchers access to state-of-the-art technological developments such as AI and machine learning. The involvement as core partner in RESILIENCE, a research infrastructure for Religious Studies that joined the ESFRI roadmap, and which is currently in its preparatory phase. This story demonstrates the potential role of libraries in the support of European research infrastructures in the development of their digital strategies, ranging from Open Science to sustainable service development strategies. • The last case story explores the importance of a strong and active involvement of expert library staff in the implementation of the European Open Science Cloud. The EOSC will be pivotal for Open Science and the way data, tools and services will be shared across a federated ecosystem. Being at the forefront of the implementation means a strong investment and commitment (e.g., through participation in the task forces), but in return, libraries get to be part in steering the EOSC in its strategy and values. In addition, we gain extended insight into this evolving ecosystem as well as access to a network for future innovative collaborations.