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IST Professional Development Seminar
Current Directions inLibrary Systems & Services
Mark HaslettAssociate University Librarian
Information Services & SystemsUniversity of Waterloo
October 25, 2002
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Purpose of Today’s Session
A high level overview of some major initiatives and trends in academic libraries
Provide some context Pointers to sources of further information Identify possible topics for more in-depth
session(s) Explain…
Fall 1998 Scouting Report
Increasing Web access Silverplatter's ERL service Current Contents online citation
service Cambridge Scientific Abstracts online TRELLIS upgrade TUG Data Resource Service Electronic Theses & Dissertations
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How did our stats look in 1998?
We’d had a lot of hits and a few doubles & triples.
We may not have been McGwire but we had hit a few home runs.
Our batting average was looking good.
“It’s all about service, the rest is just technology.”
In-house training facility needed Information Services Review underway Continuing infrastructure upgrades
underway Web development collaboration
ongoing Office automation initiatives in process
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1994, 1998, 2002 October 1994
2nd International WWW conference, Chicago October 1998
Shift to accessing scholarly information resources via the web starting to accelerate
October 2002 ARL/CNI/SPARC Workshop on Institutional
Repositories
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Shift to Electronic Access Virtually all subject areas are covered
by electronic indexes to the literature At UW, we now have access to more
than 7,400 electronic journals Increasing online linkages between
indexes and full text articles Many purchases made in a consortial
arrangement with other libraries Pricing model based on electronic
product, with print as an add-on
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Effects of shift to electronic resources
Increased journal holdings after years of decline
Managed with small increases in the acquisitions budget
Increased and enhanced access from the desktop on-site and remotely
Participation in regional, national and international scholarly communications initiatives.
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Networked environment
Networks are ubiquitous Portable computing devices are
commonplace Wired and wireless environments
are now in place
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The I.T. Context for Libraries
Libraries have a significant and proud past of I.T. initiatives and projects.
We are able and innovative users of I.T.
We know our business; And we know where to use the technology.
And now we are in a new (watershed) period.
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Technology’s role
Enabler Efficient delivery of information Aim is on effective & focused use of technology The introduction of technology should enhance
the learning & research environment. Provides opportunities to share, collaborate…
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Clifford Lynch on the Context of Libraries and Information
Technology Modernization, innovation,
transformation. 3 automation ages:
computerizing library operations rise of public access print goes electronic
“Libraries cannot be considered in isolation.”
http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/erm00/pp060068.pdf
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Fostering partnerships & collaboration
Latest IST Directions document Complex systems and environment Leverage limited resources Two minds are better than one Shared knowledge, experience, &
expertise
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The Library’s mission/role
Enhancing access to information resources
The Library trains and develops staff to:
identify the information needs of Library users
relate those needs to available resources provide access to those resources facilitate the productive and proficient use
of those resources
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The Library’s Strategic Directions
In the pursuit of its mission, the Library is committed to:
Satisfying the information needs of learners, teachers and researchers, and
Establishing collaborative partnerships to fulfil this objective.
Effective, focused and innovative use of information technology,
Continuous opportunity for Library staff training and development.
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Strategic Directions (cont’d)
1: Increase the breadth and scope of information resources
2: Enhance and integrate access to information resources and services
3: Respond to changing approaches to scholarly communications and reinforce the University community’s understanding of the effect of the changes
4: Assess the effectiveness of library services and information resources
5: Support students in the development of information discovery and critical evaluation skills “information literacy”
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The evolving library environment
Digital/electronic and paper resources both continue to grow
Increasing numbers of e-journals
Integrating access to information
To print and digital resources
Linking digital to digital
The hybrid library
Print; digital/electronic; …
E-Resources & services
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A random list of UW initiatives
Public Workstations & Networks Review
E-Reserves service Online Reference EZproxy service Web usability studies Cognos Web Reports Electronic Theses
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A random list (cont’d) Wireless developments Links to other UW administrative systems
GIS CLOE / CLODE
VDX Project Scholarsportal
Open Archives / Institutional Repositories
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E-Reserves service Since fall 2001
about 50 instructors approximately 20 courses per term more than 200 scanned files per term more than 20,000 downloads per term
In May 2002 a one-year limited trial to determine the feasibility of
obtaining copyright permissions to mount copyrighted material on electronic reserves.
Plans are now underway to conduct a web-based faculty survey regarding reserves service.
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On-line Reference Introduced at UW week of October 14th First phase:
Mondays - Fridays, 1:00pm - 4:00pm Intended for University of Waterloo
students, faculty, and staff who are away from the library information desk and need assistance.
www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/
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Public Workstation and Network Environment
Review the requirements for public workstations in the UW libraries in light of anticipated changes in library services, user needs, and the Library and campus computing environments
www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/staff/ismc/topics/publicworkstation/charter.html
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Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL)
OCUL is a consortium of nineteen university libraries in the province of Ontario. The member libraries cooperate to enhance information services through resource sharing, collective purchasing, document delivery and many other similar activities.
Consortial Purchases OII initiatives
www.ocul.on.ca
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Ontario Information Infrastructure (OII)
An OCUL-sponsored initiative Funded in part by the Ontario government’s
Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT) Responsible for coordinating:
the introduction of the OCUL Ontario-wide Inter-Library system ("VDX")
the introduction of enhanced access to e-journals for all of OCUL (the "scholarsportal" Project).
and related initiatives
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OCUL OII VDX Project The implementation of a province-
wide inter-library loan service Fretwell-Downing Carol Stephenson, Project Manager
insite.lib.uoguelph.ca/rmd/vdx.htm
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The OCUL OII scholarsportal Initiative
Access to scholarly information resources
E-journals @ University of Waterloo see http://scholarsportal.info/
Endeavor's ENCompass The OpenURL standard
being fast-tracked within NISO
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CFI CNSLP Canadian National Site Licensing
Project Goals Benefits to UW
Shift to electronic access at UW OCUL SPARC
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CNSLP The Canadian National Site Licensing Project
a collaborative initiative of sixty-four universities in Canad
test the concept of licensing electronic scholarly publications on a national basis
funded as a three-year pilot project by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) ($20M), with participating universities and provincial revenue partners contributing matching funds ($30M).
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CNSLP - Goals Increase quantity, breadth & depth of research
literature build capacity, within and across multiple disciplines share costs and reduce economic barriers to
participation Maximize use and utility of content for researchers
speed transition from print to electronic resources encourage large-scale adoption of digital formats
Influence the marketplace reduce volatility and unpredictability achieve advantageous terms and conditions for usage develop new models
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SPARC: Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition
A worldwide alliance of libraries and library organizations that encourages competition in the scholarly communications market, by:
introducing new solutions to scientific journal publishing facilitating the use of technology to expand access, and partnering with publishers which bring top-quality, low-cost research to a greater
audience.
Some SPARC publishing partnership initiatives American Chemical Society (ACS): Organic Letters Evolutionary Ecology Research: partnership born when the former editor of the
competing commercially published title resigned from that journal in protest of its price increases and founded this alternative
BioOne is a major SPARC initiative undertaken in cooperation with the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), the University of Kansas, Allen Press, and the Big 12 Plus Library Consortium.
the Open Archives Initiative (OAI)
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Open Archives Initiative (OAI)
Institutional Repositories: A Workshop on Creating an Infrastructure for Faculty-Library Partnerships (Co-sponsored by ARL, SPARC, and CNI) www.arl.org/ir2002.html
Research Innovation and Scholarship: the Role of Open Access Publishing www.uottawa.ca/library/carl/
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More on OAI Quite simple in concept:
Describe the information Harvest the information
As for implementation… What information? Who describes it? Who supports it? Faculty buy-in (e.g. P&T issues; intellectual
property matters? long term preservation? etc.)
Impact on commercial journal publishers and their responses
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Strategy and Serendipity
Position ourselves in an increasingly networked world.
Identify strategies, pilot projects & initiatives, and partnerships so that we stay ahead of the game.
Create an environment that meets the needs of students, staff and faculty in a transitional hybrid environment.
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Some Personal Observations
Balance sustainability and innovation Focus on both flexibility and stability Pay attention and listen to needs of
our users Listen for the hype… rhetoric vs.
reality Avoid I.T. religious wars Instill a service ethic: service is
primary – I.T. is secondary.