Diponegoro University – Semarang. Research services in university libraries are crucial in supporting academic and research activities. Therefore, the UPT Library and UNDIP Press held Webinar Series 51: “Research Support Services in Academic Library” online via the Zoom platform, aimed at the academic community and the general public (Tuesday, 14/5). A total of 489 participants enthusiastically listened to the presentation by Chandra Pratama Setiawan, M.Sc., Head of Collection Development and Information Technology at Petra Christian University Library, Surabaya.
The 51st webinar series aims to improve the services provided to the community, especially librarians and webinar participants. It emphasizes the importance of Research Support Services (RSS) in Academic Libraries for academics, particularly for librarians serving at university libraries.
The webinar was opened by the Vice Rector for Communication and Business at UNDIP, Prof. Budi Setiyono, S.Sos., M.Pol.Admin., Ph.D. In his remarks, he stated that RSS is an important topic, and much research has highlighted the crucial role of academic libraries in providing support services for research, aiming to enhance both the productivity and quality of research services or performance for the academic community.
“We know that research is a vital element of higher education entities, of universities as a whole. Essentially, research aims to discover, explain, and evaluate existing knowledge to determine if it is still relevant or needs improvement and updates. It also sharpens ideas and discovers new technologies that are important and useful for the future of humanity,” added Prof. Budi.
The existing curriculum in higher education may only remain relevant with research, as it could become outdated and unable to anticipate new developments and demands. “This requires universities to develop research professionally, making library support services crucial to enhance the quality and productivity of research conducted by the academic community,” explained Prof. Budi.
In his presentation, Chandra explained that Research Support Services (RSS), according to Verma & Charu, are services provided by university libraries to visitors, including students, researchers, and faculty members, to facilitate their research needs/activities at every phase of the research process. The services include the formulation of new research ideas, development of research plans, execution of research projects, dissemination of research findings, and evaluation of research projects.
The material presented also covered types of RSS, challenges, and tips for managing RSS. The webinar concluded with a question-and-answer session. Participants enthusiastically asked the speaker questions, both directly and in writing. This session was conducted interactively and orderly. The discussion session addressed many real-world challenges related to the implementation of RSS and tools supporting these services.
It is hoped that through this webinar, librarians who attended until the end of the event gained new insights to innovate RSS in their respective institutions or could observe, emulate, and modify the experiences of other participants.
For complete information on the UPT Library and UNDIP Press, visit the UNDIP library website at (https://digilib.undip.ac.id/). (DHW-Public Relations)
