We recently hosted a roundtable discussion with Ben Kaube, Co-founder, Cassyni, Katy Troeschel, Technology and Entrepreneurship Librarian, The Sheridan Libraries, Johns Hopkins University and Matthew Weldon, Library Patron Consultant, Technology from Sage.
Students and researchers are stressed: 52% of students worry about the availability of content, 32% worry about how to access all content of value, and 30% worry about how to know if content exists at all (OpenAthens, 2023).
The panel discussed how student habits for finding digital content have changed since the pandemic and digital solutions that provide students with relevant, affordable resources at the point of need.
Introduction and Speaker Insights
Ben shared his journey from a physics PhD at Imperial College London to co-founding Cassyni, a platform designed to make research seminars more accessible. He highlighted the importance of digitizing seminars to provide researchers and students with valuable resources that were previously unavailable.
Matthew discussed his work on Technology from Sage’s series of whitepapers, Librarian Futures, exploring the future of academic libraries and the evolving relationship between librarians and students. He emphasized the need for libraries to adapt to digital natives' preferences and the importance of making library resources more visible and accessible.
Katy brought a unique perspective from her experience as a public librarian in Baltimore and her current role at Johns Hopkins Library. She stressed the importance of an equitable and informed approach to library services, especially in diverse communities.
Read on for the key insights that came from the roundtable discussion…
Key Themes and Discussions
The Importance of Accessible and Affordable Resources
Q: What are the benefits of having students and researchers be more present and author research resources like seminars?
Ben demonstrated how Cassyni is making research seminars discoverable and accessible through AI-enhanced tools. By indexing seminars from universities worldwide and providing features like AI-powered outlines and full-text search, Cassyni helps researchers and students navigate and utilize these resources effectively.
"There's something really nice about getting the content in this sort of multimodal video form rather than in the traditional journal article."
Ben, Cassyni
"Seminars really inspires students and helps them see how this can be applied in real life … and other career pathways as well."
Katy, Johns Hopkins University
"Just having a face and a voice associated with something gives it a sense of community and belonging."
Matthew, Technology from Sage
Changing Student Habits and Expectations
Q: How have student habits continued to change since the pandemic, and how have new student expectations also changed as a consequence?
Matthew presented data from the Librarian Futures series of reports, revealing a significant gap between librarians' perceptions and students' actual use of library resources. He noted that while students often start their research with Google, they may not fully appreciate the library's role in providing valuable resources. This highlights the need for libraries to better communicate their offerings and integrate them into students' preferred research methods.
"People do have different learning styles and intake information in different ways."
Katy, Johns Hopkins University
"Thinking about that digital experience and the way that you come across this content and trying to make it more discoverable and accessible. Using things like AI to help you make it feel a bit less scary … there's a really bright future for those sorts of tools."
Ben, Cassyni
Strategies for Libraries to Support Students
Q: What strategies can library teams adopt to make resources more accessible and affordable for students and researchers? How can the library help students discover content that they might not even know exists?
Katie shared practical strategies for libraries to support students, including expanding digital offerings, promoting open access resources, and meeting students where they are—both physically and digitally. She highlighted the importance of flexibility and adapting to students' needs, whether through in-person consultations or digital content.
"Rather than try to find ways to coax them over to the library and to change their habits, we acknowledge that their habits have changed and we figure out how we can bring the library to them."
Matthew, Technology from Sage
The Role of AI in Enhancing Research
Q: How can AI be used to enhance the scholarly conversation rather than replace any individuals in the process? What lessons can we learn from this?
The panel discussed the role of AI in making scholarly content more accessible. Ben explained how AI is used to enhance the discoverability of research seminars, making it easier for students to find relevant information. However, he also cautioned about the limitations and biases of AI, emphasizing the need for human oversight.
"Without AI, probably the Cassyni product wouldn't be possible. You really need AI to be able to do that sort of thing at scale. There's an important responsibility there, understanding of the limitations, and in some processes, you might need a human in the loop."
Ben, Cassyni
"As a librarian, it's a great tool and it uses a lot of the skills that we've had to learn, like doing a reference interview."
Katy, Johns Hopkins University
"Some students are not using AI because they don't have clear institutional guidance on what is acceptable use and what isn't."
Matthew, Technology from Sage
Considering Library Budgets
Q: What cost-effective strategies can libraries implement to maintain or even enhance access to quality resources?
Katy discussed that it’s important to understand what the library is trying to accomplish and ensure that resources align with these goals and to continuously learn and talk to other experts to understand their struggles and solutions. She suggested the library can conduct surveys and observations to understand what students need and prefer, ensuring that resources and spaces are tailored to their requirements.
"Flexibility is really important, being customer-centric and providing value."
Katy, Johns Hopkins University
Ben said libraries can think creatively about resources; considering new types of resources, such as research seminars, that can fill gaps and provide valuable content, making students aware of available resources and integrate them into tools and platforms that students already use.
"It's probably a good time to be thinking creatively about resources and supporting new modalities to these types of content. It's not just about making do with a budget that is decreasing, but also about discovering the content and making sure students know what's out there."
Ben, Cassyni
Conclusion
The webinar underscored the critical role of libraries in supporting academic research and the need for continuous adaptation to meet the evolving needs of students and researchers. By leveraging digital tools, promoting accessible resources, and maintaining a student-centric approach, libraries can continue to be invaluable allies in the academic journey.
For more insights and resources, be sure to check out the Librarian Futures reports and explore the innovative tools offered by Cassyni.
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