IST Professional Development
Seminar
Current Directions in
Library Systems & Services
Mark Haslett
Associate University Librarian
Information Services & Systems
University of Waterloo
October 25, 2002
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Purpose of Today’s Session
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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…
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Some acronyms +
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OCUL
CARL
ARL
CFI
CNSLP
OIT
OII
OAI
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GIS
IR
VDX
CNI
SPARC
EZproxy
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“At bats, hits, home runs…”
Fall 1998 Information Update Session
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Since 1998, the world has
changed
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Fall 1998 Scouting Report
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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
How did our stats look in 1998?
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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.
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“It’s all about service, the rest is
just technology.”
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In-house training facility needed
Information Services Review underway
Continuing infrastructure upgrades
underway
Web development collaboration ongoing
Office automation initiatives in process
1994, 1998, 2002
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October 1994
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October 1998
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2nd International WWW conference, Chicago
Shift to accessing scholarly information resources
via the web starting to accelerate
October 2002
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ARL/CNI/SPARC Workshop on Institutional
Repositories
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Shift to Electronic Access
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Modernization, innovation,
transformation.
3 automation ages:
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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
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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:
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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:
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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)
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1: Increase the breadth and scope of information resources
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2: Enhance and integrate access to information resources and
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3: Respond to changing approaches to scholarly
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4: Assess the effectiveness of library services and information
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5: Support students in the development of information
services
communications and reinforce the University community’s
understanding of the effect of the changes
resources
discovery and critical evaluation skills “information literacy”
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The evolving library environment
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Digital/electronic and paper resources both
continue to grow
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Increasing numbers of e-journals
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Integrating access to information
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To print and digital resources
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Linking digital to digital
The hybrid library
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Print; digital/electronic; …
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E-Resources & services
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A random list of UW initiatives
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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)
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Wireless developments
Links to other UW administrative systems
GIS
CLOE / CLODE
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VDX Project
Scholarsportal
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Open Archives / Institutional Repositories
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E-Reserves service
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Since fall 2001
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In May 2002
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about 50 instructors
approximately 20 courses per term
more than 200 scanned files per term
more than 20,000 downloads per term
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
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Introduced at UW week of October 14th
First phase:
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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.
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Consortial Purchases
OII initiatives
www.ocul.on.ca
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Ontario Information Infrastructure (OII)
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An OCUL-sponsored initiative
Funded in part by the Ontario government’s
Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT)
Responsible for coordinating:
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the introduction of the OCUL Ontario-wide InterLibrary 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
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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
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Access to scholarly information
resources
E-journals @ University of Waterloo
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see http://scholarsportal.info/
Endeavor's ENCompass
The OpenURL standard
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being fast-tracked within NISO
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CFI CNSLP
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Canadian National Site Licensing Project
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Goals
Benefits to UW
Shift to electronic access at UW
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OCUL
SPARC
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CNSLP
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The Canadian National Site Licensing Project
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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
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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:
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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
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American Chemical Society (ACS): Organic Letters
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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
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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.
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the Open Archives Initiative (OAI)
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Open Archives Initiative (OAI)
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Institutional Repositories: A Workshop on
Creating an Infrastructure for Faculty-Library
Partnerships (Co-sponsored by ARL, SPARC,
and CNI)
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www.arl.org/ir2002.html
Research Innovation and Scholarship:
the Role of Open Access Publishing
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www.uottawa.ca/library/carl/
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More on OAI
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Quite simple in concept:
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Describe the information
Harvest the information
As for implementation…
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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
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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
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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.
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And now a little quiz … 
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OCUL
CARL
ARL
CFI
CNSLP
OIT
OII
OAI
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GIS
IR
VDX
CNI
SPARC
EZproxy
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