CHEMISTRY LIBRARY
ANNUAL REPORT, July 1, 2001– June 30, 2002
Prepared by: Tina E. Chrzastowski
I.
Narrative Summary of the Year’s Activities
I.A.
Core Processes
I.A.1. Services and Access
Chemistry Library staff continues to focus on service to our patrons and access to our collections as
our primary responsibilities. This year, preparing for a new online catalog (Voyager implementation) was
added to our regular “core processes” that include reference, circulation, collection maintenance, and collection
assessment. Projects in support of these processes that took place in FY02 include shifting the entire journal
collection, cleaning and weeding the reference collection, expanding electronic reserves (and eliminating all
paper reserves), maintaining and adding titles to the chemistry e-journals list, and working closely with Library
and School of Chemical Science administrators to shape a new remodeling plan for the Chemistry Library.
I.A.2. Collection Development
Our collections continue to be our reason for being. Emphasis on electronic access to journals and
indices are again this year at the forefront of collecting in Chemistry. The 2002 journal use study that was
conducted from January to March found that use of electronic journals has well surpassed that of the print
chemistry collection. The study found that the split was 96% electronic use and 4% print use. This huge shift
toward electronic journal use actually undercounts electronic use since data were available for only 60% of our
e-journals. These percentages can be compared to the 2000 study where the split was 68% electronic use and
32% print use. It’s obvious that adding electronic journal titles to the chemistry collection is the best way to
serve the users of this collection. Adding electronic journal backfiles is also critical to collection development
in Chemistry. In May 2002, the American Chemical Society full backfile of over 30 titles (from volume 1
forward) was purchased and made available. In addition, plans are underway to acquire major backfiles in
Inorganic Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, both collections from Elsevier. These backfiles will be
available to users by January 2003.
Collection development in 2002 meant a comprehensive review of collections in Stacks in conjunction
with the Oak Street remote storage facility project. Although ongoing, many hundreds of monographic and
serial volumes have been identified for transfer from Stacks to Oak Street. This is a large and complex project
involving a review of the entire chemistry collection while attempting to predict future needs of patrons.
I.B.
Training and Staff Development
As in the past, all Chemistry Library staff were encouraged this year to attend library-sponsored
training sessions. PSE Division support staff meetings are held regularly and staff attendance is a critical part
of our successful Division. All staff attended multiple Voyager training sessions, and Division-sponsored subsessions were also held to reinforce library-wide training. Graduate Assistants attended library-training sessions
in the fall, and follow-up Voyager circulation training was conducted for all student workers. All staff attended
the Library Retreat in 2002.
I.C.
Innovative Ideas, New Initiatives
Innovative ideas set in motion in previous years continue to be implemented and refined. Our vision
for a “new model” chemistry library continues to move forward with the purchase of large electronic journal
backfile sets. These purchases will make it possible to move full runs of print journals to the library remote
storage facility. Our new model relies upon the electronic copy as the primary-use format. The model
continues to support purchase and archiving of print copies. This year, our electronic reserves collection took
another step forward, eliminating print reserve material. All Chemistry Library reserves (non-book) are now in
online format only. Also this year, staffing turnover enabled the rethinking of job responsibilities and needed
staff skills. In order to upgrade one staff position to a higher level, a half-time position was exchanged,
changing our staff totals from 2.5 FTE to 2.0 FTE, but at higher grades. By trading in and upgrading positions,
we were able to place needed emphasis on higher level computer and Internet skills.
II.
Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment Activities
As previously mentioned, the 2002 journal use study was conducted January to March. Both print and
electronic journal use was measured. Results, which were included in a 2002 presentation and publication now
in press, found that migration to use of electronic journals continues at an extremely fast pace. The convenience
and 24/7 availability of electronic journals means they can be used more frequently and more easily than the
print journal model (locate, photocopy, reshelve). Electronic access translates into high use, meaning a more
cost-effective use of our collection. Other data collected in the Chemistry Library continue to support our new
model proposal. Use of print journals is decreasing, as are the number of persons visiting the chemistry library
and the number of photocopies made. This is a library in transition, and only through consistent and continued
measurement and evaluation will we be able to document this shift.
III.
Public Relations and Promotional Activities
Planning continued for the 100th Anniversary of Noyes Laboratory. This celebration will take place in
September 2002. The Chemistry Library will sponsor tours and create displays highlighting our 110 years of
service to chemistry research at UIUC. During the celebration the exhibit, “From Alchemy to Chemistry:
Five Hundred Years of Rare and Interesting Books,” will again be mounted in the UIUC Rare Book Room.
This coming year we hope to acquire a display case for the Chemistry Library hallway to highlight new
acquisitions and promote new services. In addition, communication with chemistry faculty and graduate
students concerning collections and services (such as upgrades, new acquisitions, and budget information)
continues to be a top priority.
IV.
Involvement with other Units in the Library and on Campus or Beyond.
Involvement with the School of Chemical Sciences (SCS), the Departments of Chemistry and
Chemical Engineering, and the adjunct Biochemistry group continued in FY 02. Discussion topics this year
included continued remodeling meetings, budget negotiations (as the SCS reduced funding support for the
Chemistry Library), space allocations in Noyes Laboratory, and increased SCS support for the one-time
purchases of large backfiles of electronic journals. Regular communication with the SCS Library Committee
was maintained and their advice was sought on a number of topics, most notably during serial cancellation
discussions. Cancellations were also widely discussed among PSED libraries and with the Life Sciences
Division.
V.
Additional Topics Deemed Unique to the Unit in Question.
N/A
VI.
Goals and Planning
VI.A. Last Year’s Plans
Last year’s plans were completely achieved. They included:
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Continue facilities planning and remodeling discussions with library administrators, library
development, and SCS administration and faculty.
Participate in the planning for the 100th Anniversary celebration of Noyes Laboratory that will
take place in September 2002.
Continue the physical management of the collection, including removing journal titles that are
held in other libraries and which are available full-text online (full backfiles). The entire journal
collection will be shifted yet again. We are planning for 3 years growth as an estimated time to a
remodeled chemistry library facility.
Conduct the 6th journal use study. Print journal use will be measured January-March 2002,
complemented by acquiring as many electronic journal use statistics as possible.
Expand electronic reserves. Consult chemistry faculty concerning mandatory electronic reserves
and eliminating print reserves (other than monographs, which will be maintained).
Communicate with chemistry faculty concerning all aspects of chemistry library service and
collections. Seek and respond to feedback from our primary clientele.
VI.B. Next Year’s Plans and Goals.
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Upgrade SciFinder Scholar and Beilstein clients and communicate availability to all users.
Complete initial Oak Street selection from Main Stacks.
Initiate Oak Street selection from the Chemistry Library for both monographs and serials.
Begin to process materials when remote storage becomes available.
Continue facilities planning and remodeling discussions at all levels.
Continue to move the proposed “new model” forward by purchasing backfiles of electronic
journals and selecting print journals from the Chemistry Library to move to Oak Street when
the facility is completed.
Acquire a display case for the Chemistry Library hallway to highlight new acquisitions and
promote new library services.
Continue to measure and assess all Chemistry Library services and collections. The data that
are generated and compared to previous years provide essential planning information and
show us how our strategies for a cost-effective collection and adequate staffing levels are
working.
VI.C. Five Year Plans and Goals
During the next five years the Chemistry Library will continue to make the transformation from a print
model of research to an electronic, online model of research. This transformation means fewer print journals on
site, increased electronic access to journals and their backfiles (where available), and an emphasis on space used
for workstations, access to electronic resources, and online instruction. This model has the endorsement of the
SCS faculty who were specifically surveyed to comment on the new direction proposed by SCS administration
and the SCS Library Committee. Based on this model, in five years the Chemistry Library will no longer be a
repository of masses of print journals. However, when no online edition is available, the Chemistry Library will
house and consolidate journal runs formerly split between Chemistry and Main Stacks, thereby creating
continuity in collections. In addition, new unbound journals will continue to be displayed for browsing before
full volumes are sent to Oak Street (without binding). Predicting the ratio of print versus online for the next
five years is purely guesswork. But based on the present speed of migration to e-journals, it is possible that
99% of chemistry-related journals will be available online within the next five years. In addition, the push now
is for backfiles, creating online content back to volume one for every journal. It is likely, if the present pace is
maintained and increased, that well over 60% of our collection will be fully electronic (to volume 1) by 2007.
This trend is expected to increase over the next decade. Affording this model may be the true challenge.
It is likely that the number of users of this collection will increase (due to PGI and Research Park
initiatives) and continue to grow in interdisciplinary ways. However, since it is also predicted that their use will
be outside the physical library, the issues will include number of simultaneous users, bandwidth, and license
agreements.
As shown by statistics collected over the past 15 years including patron counts, copies made, print
journal use, and electronic journal use, the Chemistry Library is showing slow declines in all types of in-library
transactions and showing huge increases in all online transactions. These trends are by our own design, and
reflect our efforts to move basic library services (such as reserves) and traditional library activities (such as
photocopying journal articles) to 24/7 accessibility online. Our success means that staffing needs are changing
and will continue to change. Within a few years, very little periodical binding will be needed. Student workers
will be doing less reshelving. More space will be devoted to workstations, requiring more hands-on training
and instruction. Online serial check-in might initially mean more work (at a high skill level), but eventually
mean less work in the unit; the possibility of centralized check-in would greatly affect workload and workflow.
Online activities will increase and the monitoring and maintaining of electronic journals and reserves will be a
primary focus. Continued upgrading of staff may be necessary, as tasks become less clerical and more
complex. Library hours may also need to be revisited with reductions likely due to our “open 24/7” status made
possible by a high percentage of chemistry library resources available online. Fewer evening and weekend
hours could translate into the need for fewer graduate assistants and students, who are targeted to cover these
hours.
In the next few years, continued interaction with two key library units will be critical. These two units
are Interlibrary Loan and Electronic Resources. Expectations are high in chemistry to maintain access to
electronic resources and, when that access is lacking, to quickly gain access to articles through document
delivery. Increased and centralized funding for these units will benefit most of our collections and will
specifically benefit science collections, including chemistry. In addition to these units, the Biology Library
collection, with an overlap in biochemistry, will continue to be an important resource and contact for chemistry.
PSED unit libraries will also continue to provide necessary support to chemistry collections.
VI.D. Budgetary Impacts
Budget reductions will affect this model. It is unclear whether the reductions to be considered are
collections or operations. Flexibility within these two types of budgets will make any necessary reductions
easier.
Operations
Because of vacations and sick leave, it seems unlikely to move below 2.0 FTE in the Chemistry
Library. However, should hour reductions be made, the number of graduate assistants (GAs) might be
decreased, or moved to daytime hours. The skill level of GAs is also a critical factor, and until staff can be
upgraded to meet these skills (primarily computing skills) GAs will continue to be needed. Due to reduced
funding from the SCS for student wages in FY03, we are already experiencing cuts in this area, but in turn we
are cutting additional hours that had once been requested by SCS. Increased online access to library resources
helped to make the decision to cut back on holiday and break library hours. Any increase in operating dollars
for the Chemistry Library would most likely be used for equipment needs (laser printer, additional
workstations).
Collections
Based on library (non-endowment) dollars, a 4% cut would reduce the Chemistry Library collections
budget (currently at $661,682.00) by $26,467 to $635,215.00. A 6% cut means a reduction of $39,700 to
$621,982.00. An increase of 4% moves the budget to $688,149.00. In Chemistry, collection cuts always mean
serial cancellations. With increases averaging 10% per year, even a 4% increase means serial cuts.
Monographic dollars in chemistry are either nonexistent, or are used to purchase one-time backfiles of
electronic journals, a core collection commitment. The UIUC Chemistry collection is hovering at a core
collection. Journals that are purchased are used, and are cost-effective. One possible future solution is to move
to an online-only environment, but present pricing policies and our commitment to state-wide users precludes
this option for now. The Chemistry Library has begun cancelling duplicate journals when they are available in
another library and are full-text online (Physical Review titles, PNAS). We have relied very heavily on the
centralized purchase of large electronic journal packages (Elsevier, Wiley, Kluwer) and strongly endorse this
model.
If five years of collection budget cuts emerge, reliance on Interlibrary Loan (document delivery) and
centralized electronic resources (the major science e-journal packages) will continue to grow. Print copies of
core journals will be cut, notwithstanding commitments to the state. In many cases, cuts will be dependent on
the library’s licensing agreements with major publishers, limiting our flexibility. Access will be substituted for
ownership (where licensing permits) whether or not we are prepared for that model. One scenario to consider is
centralizing core serials to protect our most basic research. Another would be to re-centralize electronic
resource purchasing, removing packages like the ACS Web Editions from departmental library budgets when
users of these types of resources are interdisciplinary. It is also likely that continued cuts will focus on nonEnglish journals and international literature.
VII.
Other