If you have made it to this concluding chapter – well done! Whether you read the book from cover to cover or just dipped into the sections you needed to read I hope you found it helpful. Readers will have gathered that there have been a great many changes to the way in which scholarly outputs are produced and shared in recent years, and there are likely to be many more in years to come. This has resulted in challenges for researchers and the librarians who support them, not least in working to understand a particular mandate or regulation before it is changed. This book has outlined some of the basics of scholarly communication and research support and highlighted the current debates that make this such an interesting area to work in.

Those who have read more than one chapter will have noticed some common themes emerging across the topics discussed, and the conclusion is a good place to draw these threads together. One of the most prominent themes is the balance between the skills and the personal attributes needed to work in this area. Having an awareness of areas such as different funder open access policies is important when advising researchers, and this knowledge can be developed over time. Research support is still an emerging specialism in many libraries and staff are not usually expected to have a detailed knowledge of it before they begin working in a new job in this sector. Far more important are the personal attributes needed, chiefly the ability to adapt to changeable circumstances. This is a fast moving area and those working within must be able to respond effectively to multiple changes. Being able to demonstrate characteristics such as adaptability, having good communication skills and the ability to work through change, and having experience of advocacy, is crucial to making a successful career in this area.

Another common theme is the variety of ways in which institutions interpret the term ‘scholarly communication’ and the resulting levels of support they provide. The way in which an institution perceives the process of sharing research and its starting point can heavily influence the services staff provide to their research community (see Chapter 1). Readers should reflect on what meaning their local institution ascribes to scholarly communication, why, and what services the library should provide as a result.