Consolidation in focus: insights from the RSU Library

Half a year has already passed since 1 July 2024 when Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) and the Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE) started on their joint path of development, creating a unified health and sport science ecosystem that will ensure high-quality, internationally competitive, research-based higher education and good governance.

Behind these words lies a lot of practical work in the form of time, effort and expertise put in the staff, so that RSU and LASE can work together as cohesively as possible.  We asked representatives from different departments to tell us about their achievements, and we will publish these stories on a weekly basis. 

Photo: Courtesy of RSU

Ināra Aploka, Director of the RSU Library, tells us how the RSU and LASE libraries were consolidated, new systems acquired, databases introduced, and what support was provided to students, lecturers and researchers.

What has the process of merging the RSU and LASE libraries been like?

When welcoming the LASE community to the RSU Library in the first half of the year, the main priority was to provide access to the resources that the RSU Library offers. In early September, RSU Library user accounts were created for all LASE students, so that they could visit the library’s service points and access and borrow study literature, journals and other printed resources. Access to electronic resources was granted together with the RSU system accounts set up by the IT Department. To ensure that the library collection corresponds to the study programmes provided by the RSU LASE, we subscribed to the sport sector database SportDiscus with Full Text (EBSCO). After reviewing the course bibliographies, the books and e-books needed for the RSU LASE Sports Science bachelor's programme were added and subscriptions to new periodical ensured. We have begun the evaluation of the collection of the RSU LASE Library resources and removed outdated literature to make room for new resources.  This will continue until summer 2025.

The RSU Library puts great emphasis on educating new users and staff at the University.

We have organised internal training on the RSU communication systems for new library staff, including on goal completion on the Grow portal, the unified information search tool PRIMO, the subscriptions and conducting information search within them. RSU LASE lecturers actively attend webinars like Atbalsts pētniecībai – bibliotēkas pakalpojumi (Research Support - Library Services), Rayyan rīks - palīgs sistemātisko pārskatu veidošanā (Rayyan - a tool to create systematic review), Stratēģiskā publicēšana (Strategic publishing) and Zinātnisko publikāciju meklēšana: rīki un padomi (Search for scientific publications: tools and tips). These are all organised by the library staff. Lecturers also actively apply for individual consultations and receive support for creating systematic and thematic reviews. We have organised lectures and made recordings for sport sciences students on the e-resources, like Primo and EndNote reference organisation tool, that RSU subscribes to. Video recordings that have been made in collaboration with Assoc. Prof. Uģis Ciematnieks have been added to e-studies. The study course ‘Innovative Information Communication Technologies and Methods in Sports Pedagogy’ has been conducted and is planned to continue to be delivered for students of different levels and programmes at RSU LASE.

The RSU Library also participates in the integration of RSU LASE academic staff into the RSU Research Information System (ZDIS) Pure.

In cooperation with the Research Department, introductory training in how to use ZDIS Pure was organised for RSU LASE academic staff. Training is provided on adding publications and press releases, and the added entries are promptly approved so that the information entered in the portal can be used by LASE colleagues to prepare their CVs and to update researchers’ profiles.

 What are the benefits of this consolidation for students, lecturers, and other employees?

Thanks to the contributions that the RSU Library has made to the consolidation process, RSU LASE academic staff and students have access to the resources that RSU subscribes to as well as the library’s services and research support. Academic staff can create their own researcher profiles on the RSU Research Portal, retrieve lists of research output that facilitates updating CVs, and to use the portal's public profile to visualise their scientific performance and promote communication with other researchers. The staff of the RSU LASE Library service point is supported in solving various development and maintenance issues of the library’s collection and in using subscribed resources. 

What activities are planned in the future? 

We plan to maintain and expand the collection, organise training, support research and the use of the Research Portal. These are ongoing processes that will continue in the future. In addition, in 2025, we will work on migrating the RSU LASE Library user database and electronic catalogue data to the information systems used by the RSU Library. We are also considering optimising the work of the RSU LASE Library service point so that library staff has more time to focus on learning the new systems and on their professional development.