Yinlin Chen
Assistant Director, Center for Digital Research & Scholarship
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Jamie Wittenberg
Assistant Dean for Research & Innovation Strategies
University of Colorado Boulder
This briefing shares 18-month outcomes from a collaborative initiative among research libraries and iSchools at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the University of North Texas, the University of Colorado Boulder, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. This initiative aimed to strengthen academic libraries’ role as research partners and promote library and information science research collaborations. The program combines open-access training, seed-funded collaborative projects, and structured fellowships. Outcomes include institutional policy reforms that recognize research contributions as a vital element of library staff career advancement and cross-departmental partnerships addressing digital scholarship, data curation, and other key priorities in library settings. The session highlights strategies for aligning workforce development with organizational priorities, including adaptable funding frameworks and mentorship models for early-career professionals. Presenters will discuss lessons learned from coordinating implementations across distinct academic libraries and sustaining a cultural shift toward research-intensive collaboration.
https://jointpdi.github.io/
https://prolearning.unt.edu/unt/course/course.aspx?catId=130
https://lib.vt.edu/center-for-digital-research-and-scholarship/program/grant-page.html
https://library.unt.edu/deans-innovation-grant/
