From Physics to Preprints: Transitioning from a Subject to a Scholarly Communications Librarian

For a librarian with little professional experience with scholarly communication, a new position as the administrator of a school’s Digital Commons can be daunting—but working as a departmental liaison can give a unique insight into the research needs of users. In this talk, I will discuss my experience adjusting to a new job as a Scholarly Communications and Research Librarian, and how I used my five years’ experience teaching science students and faculty to enrich my institution’s Digital Commons. Strategies include: Using subject librarian outreach strategies to increase engagement with the Digital Commons Applying lessons learned in one-shot and embedded subject instruction to teaching on research-related topics Adapting irregular responsibilities to multiple structured workflows Developing knowledge of subject-specific research trends for a personalized approach to scholarly communications advisin