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A librarian fueled by a commitment to accessibility, an aptitude for technology, and a talent for interior design, Emily Gore not only curates collections on the University of Georgia campus, but she also spearheads global initiatives for online knowledge accessibility.
“Widespread access to information without hindrances has consistently been a motivating factor for me and a fundamental principle in my career,” stated Gore, deputy university librarian at UGA Libraries. “Earlier in my career, while I was working to establish statewide and national digital libraries, my objective was to broadly disseminate content and encourage the usage and reuse of collections. That objective remains just as evident now, as we develop Georgia’s online resources, envision data services for faculty, and broaden open access publishing opportunities for UGA researchers.”
When Gore initially sought her education in librarianship, the profession predominantly revolved around tangible items such as books and journals housed in physical locations. Even at that time, Gore was driven by the desire to dismantle barriers enabling greater access to that knowledge.
As technology advanced, so did Gore’s endeavors, initially assisting with websites and later constructing extensive web portals that enable individuals to access the same materials online that they might otherwise need to travel across the nation to view in a library.
“Digital libraries ignited my enthusiasm, as they combined my passion for primary source materials, technology, search, and discovery,” she expressed. “As my family historian and a North Carolina history aficionado, I have always cherished primary source documents, photographs, newspapers, and correspondence. Constructing systems, standards, and best practices that enabled libraries to make these materials accessible online was a dream realized for me.”
Earlier in her career, Gore contributed to the creation of vast online archives and storage network systems through the Digital Public Library of America and the Digital Preservation Network. She was among the pioneering U.S. figures in developing rightsstatements.org as a standard for expressing copyright for cultural heritage artifacts. These statements are now utilized in over 15 countries globally and are integrated into various digital library system platforms.
UGA faculty and students currently reap the benefits of that expertise, as Gore’s team in the research and computational data management department launches UGA Open Scholar, a repository aimed at enhancing open access and data preservation and sharing within the UGA research community. The portal enables researchers to deposit publications, data, and code, mint DOIs, and link to their ORCID profiles, providing additional advantages to the service.
The newly established online repository assists researchers in meeting the requirements of federal regulations related to data preservation and sharing, as well as a recent campus policy and guidelines formulated by the Research Data Management Advisory Council (RDMAC).
“Collaborating with faculty groups is immensely valuable, as I can hear firsthand about research support needs across the university and explore how the libraries can help fulfill those needs,” said Gore, who chairs RDMAC and serves on the Research Communication and Collaboration Roundtable, AI Leadership Council, and Humanities Council. “I have also had the opportunity to convey more about library services, including ongoing updates regarding our open access agreements and evolving data services.”
With Gore at the negotiation table, UGA Libraries has secured transformative agreements with the majority of leading journal publishers, facilitating fee-free open access publishing for faculty and students in more than 7,000 titles.
“I am proud to witness the growing interest among researchers in open access publishing and open data sharing over the past three-plus years at UGA,” Gore remarked, adding that open access publishing can significantly enhance the visibility and citations of scholarly work. “I have long stood as an advocate for unrestricted access to scholarship, not just for those who can afford subscriptions, but for everyone, in order to elevate lives throughout the globe.”
Gore also acts as an advisor for pieces of Georgia history that are accessible online. She serves on the Digital Library of Georgia Advisory Board, the New Georgia Encyclopedia Advisory Board, and the Georgia Historic Newspapers Advisory Board.
While many libraries Gore has strived to create are online, she also relishes engaging in interior design projects. A former owner of a home furnishing and design store, Gore enjoyed working last year to develop the new study area on the fourth floor of the McBay Science Library.
Whether in digital form or physical spaces, there are numerous approaches to constructing a library. However, for Gore, the overarching aim is that it must remain open, accessible, and equipped to elevate research into the contemporary era.
Audiences can engage with Gore and others in a discourse on the new Research Data Stewardship policy and support services during Research Live on Nov. 4.
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