Collaborative Initiatives
The UM Libraries engage in collaborative initiatives as opportunities arise that align with our vision, mission and strategic plan.
Current Collaborative Projects and Initiatives
Esploro / Scholarship@Miami
A development partnership established with the Ex Libris Group in 2017, Esploro, locally known as Scholarship@Miami, is UM’s research information platform. The Scholarship@Miami IR went live in 2020, and since 2022, the platform serves as the source of truth, delivering cross-disciplinary research output data streams to inform other campus systems. Find out more here:
- Research Information Management: Library Roles and Opportunities (Choice ACRL webinar 2022): https://www.choice360.org/webinars/research-information-management-library-roles-and-opportunities/
- University of Miami’s Esploro Journey: Leveraging Human Eco-systems & Intelligence to Train AI Models (CNI Fall 2021 Project Briefing): https://www.cni.org/topics/scholarly-communication/university-of-miamis-esploro-journey-leveraging-human-eco-systems-intelligence-to-train-ai-models
- From Scratch to Launch: Leveraging UM Libraries’ RIM System to Cultivate University-wide Partnerships & Support Faculty Research (43rd IATUL Conference, UAE, 2023). (Presentation PDF)
- Leveraging Esploro to Advance Campus Initiatives at the University of Miami (ELUNA 2023 Annual Meeting, Los Angeles). (Presentation PDF)
- Research Information Management in the United States: Case Studies (Bryant, et al., OCLC, 2021): https://www.oclc.org/research/publications/2021/oclcresearch-rim-united-states-part-2-case-studies.html
Assessing the Physical Condition of the National Collection
A Mellon Foundation-funded initiative led by the Library of Congress, and in collaboration with Princeton, University of Wisconsin, University of Colorado and the Boston Library Consortium.
Find out more at https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-19-011/library-receives-major-grant-from-the-andrew-w-mellon-foundation/2019-02-04/
Faculty Research Commons
A collaboration with UM’s Research Office and U-LINK program.
Find out more at https://www.library.miami.edu/about/faculty-research-commons.html
Geospatial Digital Special Collections (GDSC)
Is a joint initiative between the Institute for Data Science and Computing and the University of Miami Libraries to make geographic data at UM more discoverable, accessible, and interoperable.
Find out more at https://gdsc.idsc.miami.edu/
Learning Commons
A collaboration with multiple University of Miami partners.
Find out more at https://www.library.miami.edu/learningcommons/
Research Sprints
The Research Sprints initiative (previously called the U-Link Research Sprints) was created in 2019 through collaboration between the library and the University’s Laboratory for Integrated Knowledge (U-LINK) and has now expanded to support research teams more broadly. Research Sprints offer University of Miami faculty and staff the opportunity to partner with a team of library experts on a component of their broader project. Each Research Sprint will take place over the course of two days to address the project-based obstacle and deliver a tangible plan or outcome.
Find out more at https://guides.library.miami.edu/researchsprints
U-LINK
In partnership with the Office of Research and the Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge (U-LINK).
Find out more at https://www.library.miami.edu/ulink-librarians.html
USRN (US Repository Network) Discovery Pilot (2024-25)
University of Miami Libraries is among 18 repositories who have partnered with USRN and COAR (Confederation of Open Access Repositories) to participate in a year-long project to improve discoverability, interoperability and tracking of research outputs in U.S. repositories. The USRN is an initiative of SPARC with support from COAR to bring together the repository community and assist with the adoption of good practices.
Find out more at https://sparcopen.org/news/2023/us-repository-network-launches-pilot-to-enhance-discoverability-of-open-access-content-in-repositories/
Past Collaborations
Conversation Project
The Conversation Project is an effort by University of Miami librarians to engage proactively with teaching and research faculty through one-on-one, in-person conversations in order to better understand their needs and the ways that libraries can adapt our services, resources, and spaces in response. The Project complements other library assessment efforts, such as online surveys, that the University of Miami Libraries deploys to gather faculty feedback.
Find out more at https://www.library.miami.edu/conversation-project.html
The Collaborative Archive from the African Diaspora (CAAD)
The Collaborative Archive from the African Diaspora (CAAD) was a project active from 2010 to 2013 to create an online portal to the collective documentation of Black history and culture in South Florida. CAAD materials were derived from South Florida archives, libraries, and cultural heritage institutions dedicated to the preservation, accessibility, and development of resources such as manuscripts, oral histories, images, books, archives, maps, film, scrapbooks, posters, and other ephemera in a variety of formats.
Find out more at http://caad.library.miami.edu/
CREATE
Leveraging Cultural Resources for Intra-institutional Collaboration
A Mellon Foundation-funded Initiative in collaboration with the Lowe Art Museum.
Find out more at https://create.miami.edu
Digitizing the Worlds Most Experienced Airline
A CLIR-Funded initiative with UM as lead institution in collaboration with Duke University and HistoryMiami.
Find out more at https://news.miami.edu/libraries/stories/2019/03/aviation-portal-clird-for-take-off.html
A Librarian