Royal Danish Library

Sheeppox virus (SPPV) is a major livestock pathogen causing economic hardship through reduced production and death of vulnerable sheep, with written descriptions of sheeppox-like disease recorded since antiquity. We report 21 novel ancient SPPV genomes spanning the Eurasian steppe Bronze Age (~1,700 BCE) to the Early Modern period in Western Europe, including multiple genomes obtained from medieval parchment. We estimate that major capripoxvirus lineages diverged ~11,500-3,700 years ago, overlapping known translocations and bio-cultural developments in sheep. Our dataset supports SPPV diverging first within the lineage leading to goatpox virus and lumpy skin disease virus, and that known gene inactivation events within SPPV and goatpox virus occur in our earliest SPPV genomes. These findings reveal that the food security of Eurasian communities have been threatened by sheeppox for over 3,700 years, and provide new insights to the genomic evolution and potential host adaptation of sheeppox virus.

I sommeren 2024 indgik Danmark en grøn trepartsaftale med det formål at reducere landbrugets CO2-udledning og landbrugets pres på miljøet, samt at genoprette naturen. Aftalen lægger op til den største reform af det danske landskab siden Landboreformerne for 200 år siden. Geografiske data og analyseværktøjer er nøgleredskaber i den konkrete udmøntning af reformen. Dette afspejles også i Geoforums strategi, hvor geodata som en grundsten for en bæredygtig fremtid er en af tre fagpolitiske nøgleprioriteringer. Samtidig er der også internationalt et øget fokus på økosystembaseret miljøforvaltning. Denne udgave af Geoforum Perspektiv har fokus på, hvordan geodata og geografiske analyser kan understøtte implementeringen af reformen og styrke bæredygtig arealplanlægning med en tværfaglig, helhedsorienteret, økosystembaseret tilgang.

The dream of FAIR data is to have, where possible, research data open and accessible to review and reuse. The present reality complicates data’s findability in a myriad of ways not least of which is the decentralised nature of research data repositories and indexes that characterise the data publishing landscape. In an effort to improve this situation, we, a network of library research support staff in Denmark, have developed a workshop designed to enhance the competencies of researchers to search for published data. This case study summarises the genesis of this workshop, its various iterations and potential avenues for future development.

Academic libraries have undertaken an important role in facilitating students’ acquisition of digital literacy knowledge and skills, preparing students to navigate an increasingly complex information society. One approach to this is through embedded librarianship, which focuses on placing librarians in user contexts. This article presents the results of a case study on digital literacy instruction at the Copenhagen University Library. It examines library instructors’ practice when teaching digital literacy courses, and to what degree this instruction takes the variety of students’ different disciplinary backgrounds into account. This case study is comprised of four library courses, using both observational studies of these courses and interviews with the library instructors responsible. In the article we adopt a sociocultural approach to digital literacy, seeing it as highly context-dependent, and we argue that library instructors should situate the acquisition of digital literacy knowledge and skills in students’ specific disciplinary context. We find that digital literacy instruction at Copenhagen University library is mostly situated in a general academic library context and seldom focuses on students’ actual disciplinary context. We term this approach to embedded librarianship, where students have increased access to library expertise and resources, but their disciplinary perspective is not prioritized, “practical embeddedness”. Our findings suggest that academic libraries would benefit from pursuing an alternative approach, here termed “epistemological embeddedness”, which prioritizes discipline-specific knowledge and approaches. This greater emphasis on epistemological embeddedness could ensure that students learn digital literacy approaches that can help them navigate the information-rich contexts they meet beyond their academic tenure

Abstract The present study examines the influencing factors in the use of Online Information Resources (OIR) by research scholars at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) Raichur and UAS Bagalkot. A survey method was employed to gather data from 150 research scholars to investigate the frequency of use of different types of OIR, the purpose, and the level of awareness about them. Types of OIR include traditional resources like e-journals, e-books, and databases, as well as new technology like AI tools and social media. The results show a strong adoption rate, with 86.7% of scholars using OIR daily for academic presentations, publishing, and keeping up with the latest news. The Spearman’s rho analysis revealed weak yet statistically significant positive correlations between the frequency of use of Online Information Resources (OIR) and specific factors such as ease of accessing information, time-saving advantages, availability of current information, convenience of access, and the presence of user-friendly interfaces. Mann-Whitney U tests showed no significant differences in factor ratings between the two colleges, i.e., users probably had the same opinion of both. Nonetheless, Chi-square tests revealed considerable disparities in preferences for social media and AI tools, underscoring the varied adoption of emerging technology. Strategies for confirming credibility preferred peer-reviewed journals and multi-source validation, but institutional support and specialist databases were less esteemed. The findings highlight the significance of accessibility, efficiency, and usefulness in promoting OIR utilization and indicate the necessity for enhanced institutional training and assistance to optimize resource utilization. The study provides significant insights for customizing digital resource management and capacity-building activities in agricultural higher education.

The Danish Reproducibility Network (DKRN) is a grassroots initiative for establishing a peer-supportive reproducibility-focused academic network in Denmark. We modelled our approach on already existing national Reproducibility Networks. We consulted with researchers and research support professionals to identify the needs of the research community. Three themes emerged around policy implementation, training and the appropriate application of reproducible practices. The network aims to address these three themes in a strategic plan, which harnesses the benefits of grassroots initiatives. The mission of the DKRN is therefore to facilitate communication, peer-support, and the exchange of ideas through a network of topic and geographical nodes. The network is open to researchers and research support professionals from all career stages and disciplines. It aligns with broader international initiatives, and national institutions, positioning itself as a contributor to the Danish research ecosystem.