Service of the Month: Digital Publishing, MakerSpace, and Research Services

This post describes how the Library supports and enables NUI Galway digital scholarship, open scholarship, research, and innovation. We highlight how we help with digital publishing, the MakerSpace, and research services.

Digital publishing

Library digital publishing helps you publish your research to a worldwide audience. We help staff, students, and researchers to publish original institutional publications in an open and digital way. We focus on publishing unique content with international impact. The main content types we help you publish are research publications and open teaching resources. We also publish unique primary research material of value that NUI Galway holds in the form of archives and special collections. Also to enable and develop research and teaching, we conduct and partner in digital scholarship activities such as digitisation, making digital collections, metadata creation, digital exhibitions, digital preservation, project planning and management, and data curation and management.

Access the Abbey Theatre digital collection

Digital and open publishing plays a pivotal role in moving scholarship towards a more open, innovative, and accessible model, as reflected in our strategic values and plans. We have several digital publishing options, as follows:

Scholarship publications, conference proceedings, reports, and theses

Using ARAN, we can help you publish in an open, free, and unrestricted access way. ARAN is the research output repository for NUI Galway and encourages open access. We also have related services for registering persistent identifiers (ISBN, DOI) and long-term preservation.

Digital collections and exhibitions

The digital collection repository manages and provides access to NUI Galway's unique primary research material from the archives, special collections, and other holdings. See our published NUI Galway digital collections. Also our digital exhibitions showcase digital narratives and rich collections. You can also find what archival material we have available by browsing and searching the archives we have listed.

Course materials

We help you find, create, and publish Open Education Resources (OER) for teaching and research. You can author and publish your own new OER. You can also use or reuse existing global OER. We have a platform for the creation of NUI Galway Open Access Books and Educational Resources Publishing. Read how this work makes free education material more accessible.

NUI Galway Library project makes free educational material more accessible

  

Research data

We help you to manage your research data to maximise its value by ensuring the data is managed according to best practices. Compliance with the requirements of funding agencies and other stakeholders is an important aspect to consider for all research. Find out more about our Research Data Management assistance.

Digital project partner

The digital publishing team supports the University with guidance and digital services including imaging, archival storage of electronic files, metadata development, and other activities as needed. We are actively engaged in pursuing research opportunities in digital preservation and access, and remain active in national and international networks and professional organisations. We primarily focus on digitisation, digital preservation, and on providing access to primary research material. 

Selected images from the Balfour album digital collection

Take a look at some of our work and get in contact with us.

Cillian Joy

Digital Library Developer
Technology, Project management, Strategy, and Interoperability
Member of Digital Publishing and Innovation
Twitter @cillianjoy
T 091 495463 Email: Cillian.Joynuigalway.ie

Trish Finnan

Digital Publishing and Data Management Librarian
Research Publications, Data, and Identifiers
Member of Digital Publishing and Innovation
T 091 495961 Email: Trish.Finnannuigalway.ie

------------------------------------------------------

MakerSpace

The MakerSpace is a creative space inside the Library where you can 3D print, rent equipment, attend workshops and generally just make stuff! The space is managed by one Library staff member and an enthusiastic group of student volunteers.

3D Printing

There are three 3D printers available in the MakerSpace. Two Ultimakers which work by depositing PLA (polylactic acid, a thermoplastic) in layers on a print bed, and one FormLabs Form 2 which uses a laser to cure photopolymer resin. 

You can learn how to design your own items for print at one of the MakerSpace's fun workshops, or check out a free online repository to find something you might want to print. The Smithsonian's 3D collection is a great place to start! Just download a file and submit it to the Library for printing. The MakerSpace volunteers will look after the print for you and you'll receive an email once it's ready. 

Equipment

We have loads of equipment in the MakerSpace which is available for you to check out any time. You can borrow small entry-level drones, VR headsets, video recording equipment, Arduino boards, Raspberry Pis and more! The equipment does not strictly need to be borrowed for course work, so take a look at the booking system and try out some fun tools. 

Some of the equipment available to borrow from the Library MakerSpace

Workshops

Entry-level workshops ensure that the MakerSpace and technology it contains are accessible to all. Workshops vary from topics like creative coding to pumpkin carving and everything in between! Check out all of our upcoming workshops and sign up for anything that piques your interest. 

A video editing workshop in the MakerSpace

Volunteering

The student volunteers are the heart and soul of the space. They manage 3D prints, check out equipment, and have fun! Any student can become a volunteer regardless of their field of study or previous experience. Check out testimonials from a couple of recent volunteers below and consider signing up yourself!

If you have any questions about the MakerSpace's services or want to work with us, please reach out to the MakerSpace manager Eileen Kennedy at eileen.kennedy@nuigalway.ie. 

Eileen Kennedy

Library Digital Experience Developer
MakerSpace, 3D printing, Technology, Web design and UX
Member of Digital Publishing and Innovation
Twitter @eileenMaKe
T 091 492549 Email: eileen.kennedynuigalway.ie

------------------------------------------------------

Research services

Getting help with your research on:

- Using EndNote

- Systematic Reviews
- Customised training for your research group
- One-to-one consultations
- and the GS module for PhD students GS530 Graduate Research and Information Skills Module

A series of library guides for Research Services is available https://libguides.library.nuigalway.ie/researchservices

See upcoming events in the library Researcher workshop series at this link more events to be added for semester 2 including a series of Elsevier workshops on Scopus, author profiles, research metrics on Scopus and Mendeley.

For more on research services contact Rosie Dunne, Research Services Librarian, email: rosie.dunne@nuigalway.ie