[Commlist] PhD Studentship: Advancing Collection Development through Supporting Refugee Publishing - Strategies for Libraries

The Centre for Postdigital Cultures 
<https://postdigitalcultures.org/> and the National Library of Scotland 
<https://www.nls.uk/> (NLS) seek a doctoral student for a fully-funded 
AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Studentship, awarded by the 
Scottish Cultural Heritage Consortium and supported by the Scottish 
Refugee Council. The project will be supervised by Dr Janneke Adema 
(Associate Professor Digital Media) and Dr Judith Fathallah (Research 
Fellow) at the CPC and Dr Patrick Hart (Curator) and Dr Sarah Ames 
(Digital Scholarship Librarian) at the NLS.

*Project Overview *

With 100 million people displaced globally, collecting and conserving 
refugees' writings and making them accessible and visible has never been 
more important. Examining their historical biases and silences has led 
libraries to revise their curatorial practices and collection 
development policies. Yet publishing by displaced people still presents 
libraries with significant challenges and raises profound questions 
regarding their purpose and role.

One reason refugees and other migrants may be under-represented in 
libraries’ collections is that they have been excluded from access to 
the resources required to publish—including money, time, cultural 
capital, language skills and technical know-how. Libraries traditionally 
see their function as collecting, conserving and making available 
publications, rather than to influence the publishing landscape. Yet 
driven by concerns to make scholarship more equitable and diverse, and 
alarm over the consequences of profit-driven models of scholarly 
communication, libraries are recognising that they do shape that 
landscape - as subscribers, funders, publishers, and platform and 
infrastructure providers. These concerns often echo those informing 
libraries' responses to refugees and other minoritised groups.

This project asks what roles libraries should play in relation to 
publishing by displaced people. How do and have libraries collected, 
presented and represented refugees’ writings and experiences? Do 
libraries have a responsibility to make publishing more accessible for 
under-represented communities? What lessons might be learnt from the new 
forms of digital publishing developed by movements for open scholarship? 
How might these be adapted for non-academic communities? How might this 
relate to existing collection development and curatorial practices? And 
what are the practical, theoretical and ethical implications?

The project focuses on this cluster of research questions while heeding 
Angela Davis' warning that '"migrant" and "refugee" don't represent 
individuals or groups or communities [but] state regulated relations of 
governance'. To explore the relationship between libraries, publishing 
and displaced people, it brings together the CPC’s expertise in new 
models of experimental small-scale publishing (including scholar-led and 
library publishing); the Scottish Refugee Council's tradition of 
supporting refugees' cultural aspirations; and the National Library’s 
curatorial expertise and experience of the challenges involved in 
collecting and presenting refugee publishing.

This project hopes to arrive at a more nuanced understanding of 
libraries' roles in a changing publishing landscape. It will show how 
libraries can support publishing beyond academia and lead to enhanced 
opportunities for under-represented and marginalised communities. It 
will develop recommendations as to how libraries can support the needs 
of displaced people while addressing biases and the need to decolonise.

The studentship offers opportunities to combine academic training with 
practice-based experience and research in a national library, and to 
gain a range of transferable professional skills.

The student will spend time with both the CPC and the NLS. The project 
welcomes both UK and international applicants, and those wishing to 
study full-time or part-time. We particularly welcome applicants 
currently underrepresented in doctoral student cohorts, including those 
with lived experience of forced migration.


      *Funding*

Full tuition fees and stipend.

Up to £1,650 in further support from CU (£550 annually for 3 years) over 
the course of the Studentship, from identified additional stipend 
payment funds made available by the Arts and Humanities Research Council 
for these purposes.

Coventry University Research Support Allowance (per financial year for 3 
years) up to £250 for full time (or up to £125 for part time), 
non-accumulative, with a one-off £300 fee for the PGR to attend (a) 
conference(s).

The National Library of Scotland provides £1,000 support per twelve 
month period for each of the first three years of the Studentship and up 
to a maximum of £500 during the final year of the Studentship (£3,500 
over the course of the Studentship).


        *Benefits*

The successful candidate will receive comprehensive research training 
including technical, personal and professional skills.

All researchers at Coventry University (from PhD to Professor) are part 
of the Doctoral College and Centre for Research Capability and 
Development, which provides support with high-quality training and 
career development activities. 


        *Candidate specification*

  * A bachelor’s (honours) degree in a relevant discipline/subject area
    with a minimum classification of 2:1 *_and_* a minimum mark of 60%
    in the project element (or equivalent), or an equivalent award from
    an overseas institution.
    PLUS
  * the potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the
    PhD within 4 years
  * An adequate proficiency in English must be demonstrated by
    applicants whose first language is not English. The general
    requirement is a minimum overall IELTS Academic score of 7.0 with a
    minimum of 6.5 in each of the four sections, or the TOEFL iBT test
    with a minimum overall score of 95 with a minimum of 21 in each of
    the four sections.

For further details please visit: 
https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/research-opportunities/research-students/making-an-application/research-entry-criteria/ 
<https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/research-opportunities/research-students/making-an-application/research-entry-criteria/>


        *How to apply*

All applications require a covering letter and a 2000-word supporting 
statement showing how the applicant’s expertise and interests are 
relevant to the project.

More information and to apply: 
https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CZR131/phd-studentship-advancing-collection-development-through-supporting-refugee-publishing-strategies-for-libraries 
<https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CZR131/phd-studentship-advancing-collection-development-through-supporting-refugee-publishing-strategies-for-libraries>

To find out more about the project please contact Dr Janneke Adema 
<mailto:(ab5796 /at/ coventry.ac.uk)>.


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