91亚色 faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students are invited to participate in the 91亚色 Libraries鈥� Research Impact Challenge to learn how to increase the visibility and reach of their scholarly works.

From May 27 to 31, the Libraries will run five fully asynchronous challenges to help teach 91亚色 researchers tips, strategies and methods to curate their online presence and make their research more discoverable to academic communities in their disciplines. Each challenge will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

鈥淩esearchers at all stages of their career benefit from leveraging research visibility best practices for their publishing and self-promotion strategies," says Andrea Kosavic, interim dean, 91亚色 Libraries. "By completing the five challenges in this event, researchers will have a number of strategies at their fingertips to improve the discoverability of their research.鈥�

Each day, participants will be asked to learn about a specific research visibility topic and complete a short research task to support them in making their scholarly outputs easier to discover. For example, participants will learn about curating their online presence using researcher profiles such as ORCID iD, a tool that makes it easier to identify authors and contributors of scholarly communication. Additionally, participants will explore the value of open-access publishing, scholarly research repositories and how to leverage existing Libraries supports such as to make their research more discoverable.

"Studies show that publishing your research open access is an effective research visibility strategy," says Kosavic, "as access to subscriptions privileges those who can afford to pay. Publishing open access ensures the global community has access to your research and can build upon your discoveries, which translates into citation and social media uptake advantages."

The challenges will also cover traditional and alternative research metrics and will highlight the Libraries' subscription databases that can help researchers gather specific types of metrics.

To participate in the challenge, researchers are asked to do the following:

• Step 1: .
• Step 2: during the week of the challenge, keep an eye out for the daily email with information on the day鈥檚 task.
• Step 3: after completing each daily challenge, fill out the associated MS Form to be entered into a draw for a chance to win a set of Belkin wireless headphones or a prize of equivalent value.

鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled about this engaging initiative that will allow our researchers to learn about strategies to help increase their research visibility, while also learning about specific tools and resources that can raise their profiles externally," says Jennifer Steeves, associate vice-president research. "This will help increase awareness of the outstanding research being done by our colleagues at 91亚色.鈥�

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The (CJEM), once published independently, has migrated to 91亚色 Digital Journals (YDJ) 鈥� along with its back catalogue 鈥� to pursue a shared goal of providing practitioners and academics a resource to advance their efforts to manage disasters and save lives.

CJEM was launched in 2020 to promote awareness, knowledge and best practices of emergency management in Canada. That goal was one reason that, two years later, it formed a partnership with the 91亚色 Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response, & Governance Institute (Y-EMERGE), the largest and strongest emergency management initiative of its kind Canada, to become its official journal.

When CJEM joined Y-EMERGE, it gained a new editor-in-chief in Professor Eric Kennedy, a leader in the field who is also associate director of Y-EMERGE and one of six speakers in 91亚色鈥檚 award-winning Microlecture Series in Sustainable Living. One of Kennedy鈥檚 goals to open up the journal 鈥� to other fields and contributors 鈥� was to build on something CJEM had already established: being open access.

鈥淲e're wanting to do this in the right way and make it accessible to different audiences, including those who can't pay for a journal subscription or might not have it in their budget to afford to buy an article,鈥� says Kennedy, who stresses that 鈥� given the often life-saving value of the latest knowledge in the field of emergency management 鈥� it鈥檚 essential to remove as many access barriers as possible.

To keep doing so, Kennedy had the idea to approach a potential key partner: .

An electronic journal-hosting service run through the 91亚色 Libraries, YDJ looks to help community members create new journals or migrate existing ones online through a platform called Open Journal Systems, which can streamline submissions, peer review, editing and publishing.

After some conversations, Kennedy asked if YDJ could help do just that for CJEM. 鈥淚 thought it would be a great opportunity,鈥� says Tomasz Mrozewski, a digital publishing librarian in the Department of Digital Scholarship Infrastructure, who wanted to bring to Kennedy and the journal what they鈥檝e done for many others at 91亚色. 鈥淲hat we're really doing is helping enable certain services and certain processes,鈥� he says.

YDJ now provides CJEM with assistance in publishing content, navigating copyright agreements with authors and promoting articles within the scholarly communications ecosystem 鈥� all while ensuring the journal is free to read and publish. In adopting more of the logistical side of publishing, YDJ aims to provide help that can have a significant impact on the future of the journal. 鈥淏y taking on some of the burden of managing that infrastructure, it allows CJEM to reinvest their energy into the more specialized and demanding areas that they're experts in,鈥� says Mrozewski.  

Among the areas Kennedy and CJEM are reinvesting their energies is dedicating time to publish and mentor early career researchers and non-academic voices. The editorial team is guided by questions like, 鈥淗ow do we provide coaching and support for practitioners writing for a journal for the first time? What does it look like to provide constructive and coaching peer reviews for early career researchers, and helping practitioners get their feet under them when it comes to rigorously documenting their lived experiences and lessons learned from real-life disasters?鈥�

The goal is to get new voices into the field of emergency management and knowledge production to ensure there is a representative cross-section of perspectives not limited by experience, background or academic record.

鈥�What we're really excited to see is people using this knowledge and breaking down those walls between academic knowledge production and how people actually do practise in this field,鈥� Kennedy says. 鈥淲e think of our readership as being not just academics but also practitioners 鈥� fire managers, paramedics, emergency managers, and other professionals and community beyond the academy. The journal is trying to advance knowledge, but also trying to do so in a way that is relevant to the people who are at the frontlines of the climate crisis.鈥�

To aid real-world applications, where knowledge is often time-critical and life-saving, the journal is also leveraging YDJ鈥檚 help to shift from publishing once or twice a year on a fixed timeline and moving to continually open submission calls and publication of articles. That way, the journal can publish case studies, reports or timely studies quickly 鈥� and, often, in response to an ongoing or emergent disaster 鈥� in the aim to provide help as much as it can.

鈥淭he journal can play a role in helping to avoid injuries and loss of life and the impact to communities by sharing what we're learning about how to build resilience and how to manage disasters,鈥� says Kennedy. 鈥淲e want to be able to say, 鈥楾he research we鈥檙e doing and mobilizing is helping to avoid adverse impacts that would be happening if we weren't here.鈥� That's the gold standard.鈥�

For Mrozewski, that is what he hopes YDJ can help facilitate, too. 鈥淚 would love to see the journal flourish with a minimal of worrying about the basics,鈥� he says. With the future direction of the journal 鈥� and YDJ鈥檚 help 鈥� that gold standard looks very achievable.

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Established in 1984, the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies is a long-standing Organized Research Unit of 91亚色 that supports specialized research on key dimensions of a critical, collaborative and interdisciplinary study of Canada. As evidence of its far-reaching impact, it has a membership of over 300 faculty and research associates from all of 91亚色's 11 Faculties.

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Robarts Centre has released a special issue of its flagship publication, Canada Watch, edited by 91亚色 President Emerita Lorna Marsden, a Distinguished Fellow at the Robarts Centre. In it, a carefully selected group of thought leaders recount the history of the centre and its key evolutions in the study of Canada, as well as the establishment of the 91亚色's research infrastructure over the past four decades.

鈥淚n this issue, you will find first-hand accounts of key milestones in the history of the Robarts Centre and of research at 91亚色, including from President Emeritus Ian Macdonald and first Vice-President Research and Innovation Stan Shapson,鈥� said Marsden. 鈥淚t also shows how the study of Canada has evolved since 1984, and the central role the Robarts Centre has played in creating relationships among disciplines, students and faculty to make this possible.鈥�

This special issue is the first of the centre鈥檚 many celebratory activities for this milestone year. To help make its important work available to all, the Robarts Centre is working with the 91亚色 Libraries (YUL) to release the , which has been regularly published since 1992. These public archives, hosted through YUL鈥檚 91亚色 Digital Journals (YDJ) program, will make accessible many issues that were previously only available in print.

鈥淵DJ鈥檚 mission is to facilitate free and open access to the work of members of the 91亚色 community,鈥� said Tomasz Mrozewski, YUL digital publishing librarian 鈥淭he release of the Canada Watch archives on this platform gives our community access to significant contributions in the study of Canada over the past 30 years, with new features, including the ability to search back issues by author and theme.鈥�

Other anniversary celebrations include hosting the 2024 International Canadian Studies Summit, being held online from June 10 to 14, in collaboration with the International Council for Canadian Studies and the Avie Bennett Historica Canada Chair in Canadian History.

鈥淚n recent years, the Robarts Centre has paid particular attention to the lack of support to our colleagues who study Canada from outside of the country,鈥� explained Jean Michel Montsion, director of the Robarts Centre, 鈥渁nd we see it as our responsibility to connect them to some of our experts and specialists.鈥�

With that mission in mind, the free summit, which is , will be an opportunity for emerging and established scholars to learn about, discuss and help draft recommendations for better support of the study of Canada abroad. The event will include a Summer School component, which will be attended by 17 graduate students selected from 13 different countries, with many sessions led by 91亚色 faculty members.

For more information about 40th anniversary celebrations and how to take part, visit the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies website.

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Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to inform the 91亚色 community that, following a national and international search and consultation process with staff, faculty and students from across the University, Joseph Hafner has accepted our invitation to become dean, 91亚色 Libraries, commencing July 1, 2024. On April 30, the Board of Governors concurred with this recommendation and approved his appointment for a five-year term.

Mr. Hafner comes to 91亚色 from McGill University Library, where he has served since 2007 as associate director and then associate dean, collection services.

He joined McGill in 2004 and was awarded full librarian status in 2020. Prior to his tenure at McGill, Mr. Hafner began his career in public librarianship in Indiana, in the United States, where he worked in cataloguing, liaison, partnership development, leadership training and database management.

Holding an master of library and information science from Indiana University, Mr. Hafner is extremely active in his profession. An engaged participant in library associations, he is currently a member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), where he is Chair of the Linked Data Technical Review Group and a member of the Advisory Committee on Standards, and has previously served as member and Chair of other committees, including the Linked Data Technical Sub-Committee, the Acquisition & Collection Development Committee and the LGBTQ Special Interest Group.

He served as the vice-president of the International Association of Music Libraries and is a member of the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, the American Library Association, Canadian Shared Print, HathiTrust and other professional associations. As an active scholar, Mr. Hafner has also served as editor of numerous publications, including series, journal issues and newsletters, as well as an editorial board member and author of conference proceedings and scholarly articles in important print and electronic journals and publications in academic librarianship.

At McGill, Mr. Hafner has been central to multiple transformational projects, including the construction of a new $33-million, off-site robotic storage facility, involving the absorption of 2.5 million books and journals 鈥� a process highlighted in a . He brings to 91亚色 extensive experience in budget management and process improvement, along with knowledge of frontline library services and current issues facing libraries, including open access and the use of artificial intelligence.

To complete research commitments, Mr. Hafner will take a leave of absence for the first six weeks of his term, during which time Andrea Kosavic will continue in the position of interim dean. I am deeply grateful to Ms. Kosavic, who has ably served the role of interim dean for the Libraries since July 2023 and made very important contributions during a time of substantial change.

I look forward to working with Mr. Hafner as he brings his insight and expertise to this important role. I hope that all members of the 91亚色 community will join me in congratulating and welcoming him as a core member of the University鈥檚 academic leadership team.

I would like to thank the members of the search committee for their contributions to this important process.

Sincerely,

Rhonda Lenton
President & Vice-Chancellor

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Joseph Hafner est nomm茅 doyen des biblioth猫ques de l'Universit茅 91亚色

Chers coll猫gues, ch猫res coll猫gues,

J鈥檃i le plaisir d鈥檌nformer la communaut茅 de 91亚色 qu鈥櫭� l鈥檌ssue d鈥檜n processus national et international de recherche et de consultation aupr猫s des membres du personnel, du corps professoral et de la communaut茅 茅tudiante de l鈥橴niversit茅, Joseph Hafner a accept茅 de devenir le doyen des biblioth猫ques de l鈥橴niversit茅 91亚色, 脿 compter du 1^er juillet 2024. Le 30 avril, le conseil d鈥檃dministration a ent茅rin茅 cette recommandation et a approuv茅 sa nomination pour un mandat de cinq ans.

M. Hafner vient de la biblioth猫que de l鈥橴niversit茅 McGill o霉 il a occup茅 successivement les postes de directeur associ茅 (2007) et de vice-doyen des services des collections. Il y officiait depuis 2004 et a obtenu sa titularisation en 2020. Avant son mandat 脿 McGill, il a travaill茅 脿 la Biblioth猫que publique de l鈥橧ndiana dans les domaines du catalogage, de la liaison, du d茅veloppement de partenariats, de la formation au leadership et de la gestion des bases de donn茅es.

Titulaire d鈥檜ne ma卯trise en biblioth茅conomie et en science de l鈥檌nformation de l鈥橴niversit茅 de l鈥橧ndiana, M. Hafner joue un r么le tr猫s actif dans sa profession. Participant assidu des associations de biblioth茅caires, il fait actuellement partie de la F茅d茅ration internationale des Associations de biblioth茅caires et des Biblioth猫ques (IFLA) en tant que pr茅sident du groupe de r茅vision technique sur les donn茅es li茅es et membre du comit茅 consultatif sur les normes. Il a 茅t茅 membre et a pr茅sid茅 d鈥檃utres comit茅s, notamment le sous-comit茅 technique d茅di茅 aux donn茅es li茅es, le comit茅 d鈥檃cquisition et de d茅veloppement des collections et le groupe d鈥檌nt茅r锚t sp茅cial LGBTQ de l鈥橧FLA.

M. Hafner a 茅t茅 vice-pr茅sident de l鈥橝ssociation internationale des biblioth猫ques musicales et est membre de l鈥橝ssociation canadienne des biblioth猫ques musicales, de l鈥橝merican Library Association, de Canadian Shared Print, de HathiTrust et d鈥檃utres associations professionnelles. Universitaire actif, il a 茅galement 茅t茅 r茅dacteur en chef de nombreuses publications, y compris des s茅ries, des num茅ros de revues et des bulletins d鈥檌nformation, membre du comit茅 de r茅daction et auteur de comptes-rendus de conf茅rences et d鈥檃rticles scientifiques dans d鈥檌mportantes revues et publications imprim茅es et 茅lectroniques dans le domaine de la biblioth茅conomie universitaire.

M. Hafner a jou茅 un r么le de premier plan dans de nombreux projets de transformation de McGill, notamment la construction d鈥檜n nouveau site d鈥檈ntreposage robotis茅 hors campus de 33 M$, qui a permis de stocker 2,5 millions de livres et de revues. Vous pouvez visionner une br猫ve vid茅o sur ce projet. M. Hafner apporte 脿 91亚色 une vaste exp茅rience en mati猫re de gestion budg茅taire et d鈥檃m茅lioration des processus, ainsi qu鈥檜ne connaissance des services de biblioth猫que de premi猫re ligne et des d茅fis auxquels les biblioth猫ques sont confront茅es de nos jours, notamment le libre acc猫s et l鈥檜tilisation de l鈥檌ntelligence artificielle.

Afin de s鈥檃cquitter de ses engagements en mati猫re de recherche, M. Hafner prendra un cong茅 autoris茅 durant les six premi猫res semaines de son mandat et Andrea Kosavic continuera d鈥檕ccuper le poste de doyenne par int茅rim. Je tiens 脿 exprimer ma profonde gratitude 脿 Mme Kosavic qui assume brillamment le r么le de doyenne int茅rimaire des biblioth猫ques depuis juillet 2023 et a apport茅 des contributions majeures durant cette p茅riode de changements.

Je me r茅jouis de travailler avec M. Hafner qui mettra ses connaissances et son expertise au service de ce r么le important. J鈥檈sp猫re que tous les membres de la communaut茅 de 91亚色 se joindront 脿 moi pour le f茅liciter et lui souhaiter la bienvenue au sein de l鈥櫭﹒uipe de leadership p茅dagogique de l鈥橴niversit茅.

Je remercie les membres du comit茅 de recrutement pour leur contribution 脿 ce processus important.

Sinc猫res salutations,

Rhonda Lenton
Pr茅sidente et vice-chanceli猫re   

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