Dear all,
(With apologies for cross-posting)
Many thanks to those who participated in OpenAthens’ research into librarians’ experiences and perceptions of identity and access management. Some headline results are below, and I’ve included a link in case you want to download the full paper.
All the best,
Charlie.
98% of librarians agree access management is critical in maximizing the value from their electronic resources
OpenAthens shares key findings from recent research
http://www.eduserv.org.uk/insight/news/2015/03/OpenAthens-IAM-research-report
March 3rd, 2015 – OpenAthens, the single sign-on software that helps libraries connect their patrons to online subscription content, has shared key findings from its recent research into librarians’ experience and perceptions of identity and access management. The research, which had over 550 participants across teleinterviews and a survey, found that although access management is seen as critical to meeting users’ needs and gaining maximum value from investment in resources, many librarians feel their organization is behind the curve in terms of the current access management services they are able to offer to their users. However, librarians are responding positively to the challenges in access management, particularly those driven by the growing demand for off-site access, and recognizing opportunities to re-evaluate the library’s role and the broader user experience of information services.
Jon Bentley, Head of Product Marketing for OpenAthens, comments on the research findings: “Change in electronic publishing is now constant. This continual change is reflected in the way libraries deliver whenever they are needed. We want to understand the challenges and opportunities this creates for libraries and librarians. These changes require new skills and increased collaboration with colleagues and external partners. But the overall goal remains the same: to provide patrons with the intelligence they need to make the best decisions.”
The OpenAthens team will be presenting the results of the survey at Jisc Digifest (Birmingham, UK, March 9-10), CILIP Conference (Liverpool, UK, July 2-3), and at the Special Libraries Association Annual Meeting (Boston, MA, USA, June 14-16). Copies will also be available from the OpenAthens booth at the Medical Libraries Association Annual Meeting (Austin, TX, USA, May 16-19) and can be downloaded from: http://www.eduserv.org.uk/openathensreport2015
Research headlines
• Although access management is critical to meeting users’ needs and maximizing investment in resources (98.3% agreed), a high proportion of respondents feel they are behind the curve in terms of the access management they currently offer users (42.5% agreed or strongly agreed).
• Demand for off-site access is growing (97.6% agreed), and presenting opportunities to increase usage (86.0% agreed) and to redefine the role of the library; however, demand for off-site access also adds complexities that increase staff workloads and require librarians to have more technical skills and knowledge (80.3% agreed).
• Access management is a source of friction for 61.8% of respondents, primarily because of the limitations of current systems (66.5%), and the tension between the library’s desire to provide access and the IT department’s desire to secure systems (57.4%).
• A solution that doesn’t require IT knowledge was preferred by most respondents (64.4%); typically, they do not wish to resolve such frictions by increasing their own IT skills, or those of their users, with only 33.5% and 28.5% respectively opting for these proposed solutions.
• There is a lack of confidence around the technical language often used in relation to identity and access management; for example, only 5.9% of respondents felt confidently able to define the term “SAML”.
• Respondents’ clear priority is a seamless user journey, with 66.5% choosing this as their top priority. Easy off-network access and more granular usage statistics were also popular choices.
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About OpenAthens
OpenAthens is a single sign-on solution that combines a powerful, scalable system with a simple interface. It provides seamless access for users, together with advanced management and security controls for organizations and publishers. OpenAthens has more than 4 million users worldwide including universities, medical organizations and corporate research organizations. For more information on OpenAthens see our website, watch our videos or follow us on Twitter. OpenAthens is owned by Eduserv, a not-for-profit IT services company. Services include identity and access management, managed cloud and digital development.
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Charlie Rapple
TBI Communications
Tel: +44 1865 875896
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