Emerging technologies, commercial products and industry trends can be difficult to track, especially when they are new. R2 works hard to keep their own knowledge base current and growing. As they research a topic, they consider its potential value to others, and create accessible learning tools.
Participants typically include librarians, publishers, web service providers, materials vendors and system vendors. R2 Seminars are generally three hours in length.
Whatever topic they address, the R2 team effectively defines and interprets important developments that will affect libraries. Rick, Ruth, and Matt are frequent speakers at major industry events, including the Charleston Library Conference, SSP, AAUP, and the American Library Association Conferences.
In addition to public events, R2 often collaborates with libraries or library groups to host and present private seminars.
Recent seminar topics include:
They are now preparing a new seminar concerning the Integration of Electronic Resources into the Library Workflow.
The Academic Library Market
This seminar is designed specifically for publishers and other service providers seeking to sell to the academic library market. Understanding the market size and composition, unique characteristics, budget cycles, and other factors impacting the decison-making process, will improve your opportunites for early success.
Increasing Efficiency in the Library Workflow
Technical services staffs are smaller than ever, and the tasks confronting them more complex and diverse. It is increasingly important that libraries identify a "mainstream of activity and material flowing into their collection. It is this clearly defined mainstream that can be automated, freeing staff time for truly unique materials, problem areas, and special projects.
Library staff must learn to view the technical services workflow in its entirety, from selection to access, if they are to understand and efficiently manage the connections, dependencies, and hand-offs between different departments and functions. When all the members of the library staff have a shared understanding of the big picture, they can better optimize use of the vendor system and the ILS in support of their workflows.
R2 workflow seminars include case studies and practical advice, as well as techniques for analyzing your institution's workflows. The best practices we advocate are techniques we've either used successfully ourselves, or have seen used well in libraries.
eBooks in Libraries
R2's involvement with eBooks began in 2000, when they saw the need for a tool to organize, manage and explain the vast amount of information appearing on the topic. They built a unique set of eBook Industry Maps that reflected the evolving business models among publishers, conversion houses, digital distribution companies, eBook vendors, and many others. 
Special attention is paid to eBook distribution models appropriate to the academic library market, including technologies that support simultaneous use, timed lending, and inter-library loan.