About the Book
Service on Institutional Review Boards (IRB) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) is an uncommon activity for librarians. Even librarians who participate in institutional research activities in a supportive capacity or conduct their own original research as scholars themselves and are familiar with the IRB/IACUC research approval process, they may hesitate to participate more fully with these boards.
There may be a perception that the work of the IRB and IACUC is too scientifically complex for librarians without an appropriate background. Library administrators may not advocate for librarian inclusion on the board for fear of additional burdens on the librarian’s time; and university administrators might need some convincing of the librarian’s suitability to perform this work.
This book provides librarians with foundational knowledge of the IRB and IACUC, describes the work of these important committees, and expands librarians’ conceptualization and knowledge of opportunities to create services and partnerships through participation.
The book provides a progressively more comprehensive understanding of the work of these committees. Parts I and II discuss IRB and IACUC, respectively; their history, functions and membership. Part III highlights expanding roles for librarians on IRB and IACUC; and in institutional research activities. A special feature of this section describes the experiences of librarians, in their own words, who work with IRB or IACUC; what they have learned, how they have used their experiences to create partnerships and market library services; and what role they see for libraries and librarians in institutional research.
Table of Contents:
Preface
Susan M. Harnett and Laureen P. Cantwell
Acknowledgements
Part I: Institutional Review Boards
Chapter 1: An Introduction to the Institutional Review Board and its role in Human Subject Research
Eric D. Albright and Susan M. Harnett
Chapter 2: The Protection of Research Participants in a Political Context: An Institutional Review Board History for Librarians
Wendy Highby
Chapter 3: Librarians and the IRB: Roles, Responsibilities, and Searching Best Practices
Tracy C. Shields and Esther May Sarino
Part II: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
Chapter 4: The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee: Membership, Responsibilities and Roles for Librarians
Susan M. Harnett
Chapter 5: A Brief History of Animal Research and Librarian Involvement in IACUCs
Karen D. Barton
Chapter 6: Librarians and the IACUC: Practical Approaches for Performing Alternatives Searches and Providing Support
Melissa A. Ratajeski and Rebekah Miller
Part III: Creating and Expanding Opportunities for Libraries and Librarians in Institutional Research
Chapter 7: Leveraging Participation into Partnership: How Serving on the IACUC Strengthens Librarian Relationships with Researchers
Andrea C. Kepsel
Chapter 8: The Novice Investigator: Learning Responsible Research through Librarian-led Educational Efforts
Robin E. Champieux, Marijane K. White, and Kristine M. Alpi
Chapter 9: Animal Care and Use in Veterinary Teaching and Clinical Research
Faythe Thurman and Marcelle Savoy
Chapter 10: An Informed Consent Document Review Service
Michele Nance, Everly D. Brown, and Emily F. Gorman
Chapter 11: Introduction to Reporting Guidelines Used in Animal Research: Effectiveness and Advocacy
Melissa C. Funaro and Kate Nyhan
Chapter 12: Expanding Opportunities for Librarians within Institutional Research Activities: Narratives of Engagement
Laureen P. Cantwell, with contributions from Tracy Shields, John Sisson, Nathan Hall, Emily Gorman, Brian Jackson, Daureen Nesdill, Wendy Highby, Andrea Harrow, Susan Harnett, and Megan Sheffield
Suggested Resources
Index
About the Editors and Contributors
About the Author :
Susan M. Harnett, MLS, AHIP-D, is medical information services librarian at Borland Library, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL. She received her master of library service from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. She has been the non-scientific member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at UF since 2016; she has also served as a voting member of the Institutional Review Board at Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA; and as an ex-officio member of both IRB and IACUC at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA. She has been a journal column editor and has published several articles on health literacy.
Laureen P. Cantwell,MSLIS,is the head of access services & Outreach at Colorado Mesa University’s Tomlinson Library. She oversees their Checkout + Reserves service point and staff, as well as their Resource Sharing/ILL staff. Laureen is currently pursuing a PhD in information science from University at Buffalo – SUNY. She also co-edited Memphis Noir (Akashic Books, 2015) and has published book chapters and articles on topics ranging from MOOCs to curbside pickup services, chat reference to digital badging, and more.
Review :
Academic librarians have vital research skills but could be more involved in institutional research board (IRB) work. This book provides useful background information and practices, focusing on health and medical domains, including animal research. The editors are academic librarians and active in their field. Twenty-four additional librarians, mainly academic and special librarians focused on medicine, contributed book chapters. The book is organized into three parts: institutional review boards (their roles, their protection of research participants, and librarian aspects over time); librarian roles in institutional animal care and use committees (IACUC); and creating and expanding opportunities for libraries and librarians in institutional research.... The book concludes with IRB and IACUC resources and an index, and overall reflects professional experience and provides practical advice in clear language.
An excellent book that combines the rich background information on history, ethics and legislation necessary for librarians to better understand the context of their work with IRBs and IACUCs. At the same time, it offers very practical guidance and hands on advice to be an invaluable help to medical, veterinary, and life sciences librarians in their roles as contributors to research activities at their institutions.
The title of this book sums it up perfectly. For librarians currently (or nervously considering) serving on their institution's IRB or IACUC, Finding Your Seat at the Table: Roles for Librarians on Institutional Regulatory Boards and Committees edited by Susan M. Harnett and Laureen P. Cantwell, provides a clear overview of the history, regulations, and processes associated with research involving animals or human subjects and offers suggestions for librarians to uniquely support the work of their IRB or IACUC while leveraging their membership to increase their engagement in research at their institution.
This timely and highly relevant book is a must-read for health science and academic librarians interested in research, or in becoming actively engaged in scholarly pursuits that include research. While it is of special interest to librarians who support researchers in bioinformatics, clinical research, or in general literature reviews aligned with their research, Finding Your Seat at the Table: Roles for Librarians on Institutional Regulatory Board and Committees also introduces the reader to the IRB, the IACUC, and the Belmont Report, a foundational document for responsible research.
For the more seasoned librarian, this book provides a clarion call to become involved and make a difference. This book can be of great benefit to individual health science and academic librarians at the beginning of their careers, or those with more experience who are interested in research. While primarily geared toward health science librarians, I would argue that this book is also recommended for all academic library administrators and academic librarians who are perhaps not familiar with how libraries and librarians can support, connect, and participate in their Institution’s research and review processes.
I highly recommend Finding Your Seat at the Table for starting conversations on how librarians employed at academic or medical institutions can engagekey stakeholders and become more involved in supporting research efforts at their institution. This book will help jump start important conversations - not the least of which is the importance of a deep dive literature review and librarians’ roles across the institution. This book will also encourage libraries and librarians to think about how they can identify and find their place at that table.
Read Finding Your Seat at the Table: Roles for Librarians on Institutional Regulatory Board and Committees; use itsideas to have those conversations; and get involved. By becoming more integrated into teaching and mentoring novice researchers, or supporting colleagues by collaborating on complex literature searches, or by managing the data warehouse or institutional repository, librarians can strengthen professional relationships across disciplines and facilitate important conversations. Furthermore, by becoming co-investigators, collaborators, and facilitators in the research process, librarians will raise their standing in the scholarly community. When serving on the oversight boards themselves, librarians can expand their opportunity to serve their institution in highly meaningful ways.
This book is geared toward health science librarians, particularly those working in major research or academic institutions. It addresses the fact that librarians, though well versed in research practices and policies, are seldom invited to participate in two major research committees: the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). As librarians expand their traditional information-specialists roles into more far-reaching participation in institutional research, it is important that they have knowledge about both primary committees, and this book can be a training manual for both. The volume is dense with information but well written and logically organized, and it flows nicely from topic to topic. A valuable tool for librarians interested in or involved with research practice and for library administrators as well. Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty, and professionals.
Finding Your Seat at the Table: Roles for Librarians on Regulatory Boards and Committeesis highly recommended for research libraries seeking new pathways for growing and optimizing library research support services. Providing a wealth of beginner and expert-level information on IRB and IACUC oversight and the novel ways that librarians can become involved, this book is an excellent resource for both early career and well-established librarians. Finding Your Seat at the Tablecan be used to guide conversations and build library collaborations at institutions with or without prior history of library involvement in institutional regulatory boards as it serves as a reference text on institutional regulatory boards and as a practitioner guide for librarians facilitating enhanced library involvement.
