Managing a collection of
electronic information resources is quite different from managing a collection of non-electronic information resources. Unlike a book, computer equipment and networks are needed to access electronic information. More staff with different skills have to become involved. Maintenance is more complex. Patron's skills and needs are an important factor. Library choices are influenced and constrained by the marketing strategies, pricing and technology options offered by the information vendors. Different libraries making choices from the same available options can and will end up with substantially different solutions. This presentation examines and compares two different approaches to providing electronic information resources taken by relatively similar institutions, Brown University and Dartmouth College.
Librarians are attempting to choose electronic resources to optimize access and value for their patrons. Electronic resources are now often available in several different formats. In some cases, the same material can be acquired from multiple vendors; each vendor will have different methods of access and different pricing options. This new class of material also impacts budgets.
Vendors make technology choices that influence the availability and delivery of their material to library patrons. In some cases a vendor's choices are incompatible with a library's service approach. Libraries often need to be creative in order to purchase and offer certain information resources. Some vendors are beginning to develop resources that are marketed directly to the end-user. The roles of libraries as intermediates in the information delivery process may be changed substantially.
The delivery technology chosen effects who can use the material and for what purpose. Since delivery is dependent on the type of equipment owned by patrons, a particular decision by the library may limit access by some patrons. For example the technology may allow a person to access information from his on-campus computer, but not from their computer at home. The choices are complex and interact with each other.
Staff in the acquisitions, systems and reference areas are all effected by the collection of electronic information resources. More people have to be involved in the decision making and delivery processes. Extra skills are needed by all involved, both patrons and library staff.
The availability and use of electronic information resources change the interactions between patrons and librarians. Patrons no longer have to come to a library or wait for it to be open in order to use an electronic resource. A patron can now potentially access electronic information twenty-four hours a day from any computer, home or office. At present librarians are frequently called upon to trouble shoot the technology, rather than help a user find suitable content. New materials and strategies are being developed to provide help and service for this new model.
As the technologies evolve, the issues evolve as well. It is necessary for libraries to stay abreast of new publishing developments and be flexible in service options and strategies to help our patrons take maximum advantage of electronic information.
Dartmouth College is primarily an undergraduate liberal arts college with 3 graduate schools in medicine, engineering and business. It has approximately 4000 undergraduates, 1200 graduate students, 400 FTE faculty (not including the Medical Faculty) and 150 FTE library staff. The Dartmouth Library collection consists of approximately 2 million printed volumes, 2.5 million microforms, 20,000 journals and access to about 1000 electronic resources. The Dartmouth College Information System has over 250 local networked databases with about 150,000 connections per month. The library catalog is linked to the circulation system and bibliographic files are linked to the catalog using serial numbers (ISSN).
The Dartmouth College Library consists of ten branches; technical services are centralized and public services are very decentralized. Dartmouth Computing has a Library-like service philosophy-users are not charged for services. Dartmouth has a ubiquitous network, there are ports in all offices and rooms and student ownership of computers is required.
The Dartmouth College Information System (DCIS) was a joint project between the library, computing and Apple Computer which started in 1989. It is a campus wide information system, which first started with the library catalog and over time added additional electronic resources. DCIS also includes many department developed applications such as a Rental Housing Listing, a student employment database and the Hood Museum Catalog. There is a graphical interface which includes the DCIS Navigator application (providing system directory and software delivery) and Online Library, a common search interface. The functions of these applications have also been implemented on the world wide web.
Computing Services operates the server computers centrally (including the Library's machines) and maintains the college network. Information Systems reports jointly to the Library and Computing Services. Information Systems does local software development to support DCIS, works on new electronic information projects and installs and maintains vendor systems for the operation of the library and the delivery of electronic information.
At Dartmouth, a number of people influence decisions regarding the selection of information resources, whether they are paper-based or electronic. Individual bibliographers suggest resources in their collection areas. The Director of Collection Services identifies large budget items and works on consortial purchases. Academic Computing has made some electronic acquisitions to support particular projects. Faculty recommend resources in which they have an interest. The Collection Management and Development Committee works on items of general interest to bibliographers and has created a subgroup to concentrate on electronic information issues. Information Systems examines the technical requirements and suggests alternative integration approaches and delivery methods.
Dartmouth's acquisition of electronic resources has progressed through a variety of information types over the last 7 years. The earliest purchases were for bibliographic data as supplements to the online catalog. These were followed by electronic reference works for quick information questions. Electronic full-texts of well known literature and philosophy works were added to support class room study. Currently the focus has shifted to web-based journals and article databases.
Funding for purchasing electronic information has evolved over time as well. Early acquisitions were made with special project funding. Consortial purchases were quite successful in acquiring several large bibliographic datasets with moderate budget commitments. Some Electronic Journals are now financed from bibliographer's budgets. Large purchase decisions, along with financing options, are made on an individual basis. Contract terms have evolved as well. License agreements have gotten more complex and restrictive.
The Electronic Information Group, a subgroup of the Library Collections Management Development Committee recommended that all electronic resources be listed in the library catalog. Each electronic resource is cataloged as a distinct entry. This was intended to help patrons find the relevant material in one location, regardless of the format. This approach avoids proliferation of resource lists which will result in maintenance problems. Each individual library can choose to advertise individual resources in a variety of ways for their patrons.
Dartmouth has preferred the option of campus-wide network delivery. We have frequently purchased data for local loading into databases on network servers for distribution. This allows for the best performance and maximum simultaneous usage. In some cases, we use CD-ROM for delivery within a local library LAN, or from an individual machine within a library. Dartmouth has developed a name directory system and that system is always preferred for access control. Information Systems has developed a protocol to allow sharing licensed databases among local consortia members.
At Dartmouth, the Information Systems department was created by merging library systems and the DCIS development group. Information Systems reports jointly to Computing and the Library. The Acquisitions department has made processing changes to handle electronic sources, storing additional information about these materials and the necessary contacts in their electronic files. A project concentrating on electronic journals developed better communication between Information Systems, bibliographers and acquisitions. New cataloging procedures have been developed for cataloging staff to deal with electronic resources. Information systems has developed new tools to check active links in the catalog and on local library web pages. The error reports are regularly processed by the catalog maintenance department.
Dartmouth is using the library catalog as the primary locator for all library resources, including electronic ones. Hyperlinks have been inserted into cataloging records so users can easily jump from a found record directly to the source. In addition, the DCIS directory, which is an interactive part of the online interface, lists all locally mounted resources and includes pointers to some of the major remote sources. Web pages have been used to highlight and advertise the newest resources. Classes are being offered and articles are written for campus publications to educate patrons about the offerings and the technology needed to access them.
There are a number of issues that continually confuse users. Some resources need a particular hardware configuration or additional software for access. Networked CD-ROM towers are not necessarily accessible from all campus locations. Users are confused about the differences between full-text and bibliographic data, where they should start their search and which database to use. Additional electronic mail accounts have been created and links have been set up from the electronic resources directly to these electronic mail accounts. Help documentation and FAQs are being developed and mounted on web pages. Database specific documentation has been developed for each of our locally mounted databases.
Brown is a University with an undergraduate college as well as a graduate and medical school. Brown University is probably best known for its distinctive undergraduate curriculum that offers students the opportunity to become architects of their own educational experiences. Brown has 7535 undergraduates and graduate students, 526 FTE Faculty (not including the Medical Faculty) and 180 FTE library staff. As of 1995-1996, the Brown University Libraries contained 2,810,163 volumes, 1,561,108 microform units, and over 5,746 linear feet of manuscripts and archives. The total number of items in the collection exceeds 6 million, and 13,101 serials are currently received. Upwards of 96% of the collection (1.45 million records) is fully cataloged in Josiah, the Library's integrated online catalog.
The Library, in conjunction with Computing and Information Services (CIS), successfully implemented Brown's first online catalog in February 1988. One of the most important features of the catalog then and now has been its ease of integration into the Brown computer network. Any terminal or workstation connected to the network or to the Internet can access the catalog, thus permitting searching from offices, classrooms,dormitories, or personal residences. In 1994, the Library replaced the first online catalog with a state-of-the-art integrated system from Innovative Interfaces, Inc.
The Library uses a combination of platforms to make resources accessible to the community. Public workstations in the reference areas have databases accessible through an Electronic Reference Desk (ERD) menu. These same resources are linked to the Library Web and may also be cataloged in the Library's OPAC. The Library maintains two local CD-ROM servers. In 1992 the first server, called the "Electronic Library," became accessible to appropriately equipped PC's in faculty offices and public clusters. This server is currently being replaced to provide both PC and Mac accessibility. In 1995 a new technical platform, the Electronic Reference Library, allowed access to Brown users by way of Windows, DOS and Macintoshes both on and off campus. This server was upgraded in 1997 and now provides a Web client as well.
The University has a complex, distributed computing environment including mainframe and minicomputers, approximately 5000 institutionally owned Intel-based and Macintosh personal computers, 500 UNIX workstations, and many specialized computers and servers. Nearly all of this equipment is connected to a campus network consisting of a fiber backbone and building connection, with structured in-building wiring that provides 8000+ connections in 160 buildings.
The Electronic Resources and Services Committee at the Brown Library reviews all requests for electronic products and resources. The majority of the recommendations are received from collection development librarians. The Committee decisions are made based on information from an electronic resource request form submitted by individual collection development librarians. The form requires the librarian and the committee to review the technical requirements for the product. The librarian must also suggest a preferred service tier, ranging from delivery over the campus network to access on a single workstation. The form includes an implementation analysis so that staff who are involved with the product are required to consider how the database will have an impact on the individual department. Once the request has been evaluated, the Committee may recommend approval and the best method(s) for making the resource accessible.
The major objective of the Library is to provide network access to resources when feasible. Factors to be considered include scope, cost, and number of users benefiting from the resource. Consortial agreements, such as NERL (North East Research Libraries) and BLC (Boston Library Consortium), are influencing decisions. The Library does not currently have a formula for determining the budget for acquiring electronic products. At this time, however, approximately 8% of the total library acquisitions budget is being spent on electronic databases, electronic journals, and CD-ROMs. Usage of databases is monitored annually to justify retention. Currently, the continued provision of multiple formats of resources electronic, print, and/or microform is being studied.
Once a product is approved for purchase, an implementation checklist is used to track the process from ordering to linking on the Library homepage. This checklist is critical to making the resource accessible in the current Brown environment. The traditional organization of the Library makes the provision of access to electronic resources challenging.
The Library would prefer to make all resources available via the Web PAC but the multiple platforms (ERL, ELibrary, Web, and stand-alone CD's) make that an impossibility. The Library Web and ERD are the primary access points to electronic databases as this time.
Beginning in 1994, reference areas in the libraries were redesigned so that librarians and other staff could work effectively in assisting users with both print and electronic resources. The public areas are equipped with sophisticated workstations possessing graphics capability, which can access a wide variety of databases and information formats on the Internet as well as those resident at Brown. Reference and Information Centers also provide the physical environment in which all these scholarly resources conveniently come together, along with the professional assistance necessary to guide users through an increasingly complex world of information. Reference and Information Centers are now operating in the Rockefeller and Sciences Libraries, Orwig Music and John Hay Libraries.
Early in 1997, staff in the Brown University libraries expressed a strong desire to increase their overall technical competency in order to better serve the library of the 21st century. In response to this request, the Library instituted a program designed to introduce Library Staff at all levels to commonly used computer applications. It is hoped that a more computer-literate staff can better assist library patrons.
In addition, a task force organized to study the issue of the cataloging of electronic resources has recommended change in several areas. The lack of a physical object necessitates the need for better communication to be established across departmental lines to ensure appropriate and timely processing of electronic materials. Collection development and collection maintenance, currently the responsibility of collection development librarians, should include a mechanism for the notification of the technical services staff regarding decisions to acquire, cancel, or withdraw items.
As indicated above, Brown has two primary access points for electronic resources; the Electronic Reference Desk (ERD) and the Electronic Resources section of the Library Web. In the spring of 1997, Brown faculty and students expressed confusion about how to find electronic resources on the Library Web after using the Windows-based ERD in the library. As a result of this problem, and compounded by the recent acquisition of more than 20 new electronic databases, that made an alphabetical listing impractical, both interfaces were extensively redesigned. The ERD now presents the user with subject-based program groups that more closely reflect the subject-based presentation on the Library Web.
In addition, collection development librarians created an "about" page for each electronic database. These pages contain information "about" the database, including a description, extent of coverage, and related print and electronic resources.
Attempts to introduce Brown faculty and students to Electronic resources have been met with varying degrees of success. Until recently, Brown libraries have been dependent on the Computing and Information Services department for classroom space. Scheduling instructional sessions at times convenient to our user population has been difficult. This will change in November of 1997 with the dedication of the Hecker Center for Library Technology, a state-of-the-art training room in the Rockefeller Library, which will allow for more flexibility in designing a bibliographic instruction program for users.
Publishers are experimenting with the electronic medium and changing the way they distribute electronic resources on a frequent basis. This ever-changing environment leaves us with a number of open questions that need to be addressed.
Prices for the materials are rising. New pricing models need to be created. Libraries are looking hard at consortial licensing arrangements in order to be able to afford electronic information and provide these services. Vendors are now attempting to sell directly to the consumer. The library's intermediate role is unclear.
A number of years ago, the library world was excited about the benefits of the Z39.50 standard. A patron would be able to search a multitude of different databases, but her search interface would be the same. This vision has been pushed aside as every publisher has developed their own web interface. Users are having trouble understanding how the different systems work. This diversification has made it more difficult to use a variety of sources.
Access control is a complex problem. The most common vendor solutions are userid and password or IP address restrictions. Userid and password is complex to administer for both the publisher and the library. IP address control prevents reasonable use by patrons traveling or working from home and using independent internet service providers. Better solutions exist but require more cooperation between the vendor and the library.
Vendors have tended more toward mounting their own data and having subscribers connect to their system. This can cause performance problems, elimination of usage statistics and loss of library control over the quality of service.
In addition to electronic journals, which mimic traditional paper serials, we are beginning to see more article databases appear. These new information resources make it convenient for the user to search large amounts of information from one site, but make describing and identifying the content being searched very difficult or impossible. Some other organizational tools need to develop to make these collections more useful.
A number of the factors that go into selecting and delivering electronic resources for an undergraduate college have been briefly outlined. The challenges to libraries are large and so are the potential benefits.
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