Staff Exchange Visit from University of Konstanz, Germany

In the week of 2-5 September 2019, the Department of Library Services was visited by Matthias Landwehr, who is responsible for Research Data Management at the University of Konstanz, Germany. The visit was arranged through an Erasmus + International Credit Mobility grant. The focus of his visit was Research Data Management (RDM) and the main part of his programme revolved around that. He had discussions with the Research Data Management staff on various aspects of RDM,  such as how the RDM process at UP had evolved, the UP RDM policy, and training and research support for researchers and staff on RDM.

Arrangements were also made with staff at the Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) for discussions around the process that had been followed to select a research data repository for UP, on the technical implementation of the platform, as well as on challenges that had been encountered. In addition, Matthias had meetings and discussions with the various focus area drivers in the Library and visited various sections in the Merensky Library. He concluded his visit with a presentation on what he had seen and learnt. He found that we and Konstanz  faced similar RDM challenges but that we were a few steps ahead. He also found the RDM Readiness Training Toolkit that we had developed to be a good model that he could take home and adapt. He saw the UP Library as a little bit outdated, but mentioned that we had some very innovative features and services such as the Makerspace and a special area for postgraduate researchers. He also felt that Libby was quite cute. He further mentioned that our University and the University of Konstanz were in the same process of transition from being a book provider to being a workspace area. He added that our Library had a slightly different role from  his University’s in that we played a leading role in the university in matters like the learning/teaching and research roadmaps. He would take home with him the idea that the library was the area for all kinds of services, as well as the notion to generate income.

In addition, he left us with a few valuable recommendations:

• Continue to try and create more space and workspaces in the library
• Remove unused service counters on each level to create more space
• Remove unused books from the shelves to an offsite storage facility in order to create more workspace for clients
• Ask yourself how much you will have to invest in Libby to get her onto a satisfactory  level

He also left us with a few wishes:

• That we would get our physical Digital Scholarship Centre soon
• That we would get funding for a new library
• That we would be able to open up the library to the public.

He ended by inviting us to come and visit the University of Konstanz.

Johann van Wyk and Matthias Landwehr

Matthias Landwehr with the Department of Library services team