Becoming a Key Player: Librarians as Partners in the Research Process

As information professionals, a key part of our work involves helping users to fulfill their research goals. We help them to find the information they need, develop their information literacy skills and share the outputs of their work. We are with them for every major step of their research journey but are we merely bystanders or should we consider ourselves as partners in the research process? This panel discussion will explore in depth the role the information professional plays in the research process. Including perspectives from a range of sectors such as academic, law and business libraries, it will discuss the different ways we involve ourselves in the research our users conduct, the opportunities this creates for building stronger connections and how we can leverage this to showcase our service. Panelists will also share how they use their existing skills and develop new ones through participation in the research process and how this can in turn inform their own practice. Attendees will leave with ideas about how they can market themselves as integral parts of their users research journey, build and strengthen relationships and leverage their existing skills and knowledge to move from bystanders to active partners in the research process.