A Leap in the Dark
A Pilot Project for an
Electronic-Only Engineering
Collection
Laurel Kristick and Margaret Mellinger
Oregon State University Libraries
Introduction
How we got here…
Introduction
Making the case for e-only
– What’s in it for the users?
– What’s in it for the library?
Why is it still a “leap in the dark?”
– Challenges, issues, considerations
What strategies can we use to move
forward?
Why focus on Engineering?
Engineering Faculty
Pressures
– Greater responsibility for funding their own
research
– Balancing research & teaching
Preferences
– Comfortable with online access
– Benefits of convenience
– Types of information needed
Engineering students
Undergraduate curriculum tightly defined
Less use of the library than other students
Technologically adept
Benefits of e-only
Benefits of e-journals
Save the time of the user
Access anywhere, anytime, multiple users
Currency, earlier access
Enhanced functionality
– Search capabilities
– Ability to link to other sources
– Ability to include multi-media elements
Benefits of e-only
Possible cost savings on subscriptions
– Only one format
Save shelf space
No physical items to check-in, mark,
shelve, claim
Save costs of binding and replacement
Leap!
What’s stopping us?
Odin’s Ravens
Huginn
Munnin
Thought
Memory
Challenges of e-only
Challenges of e-only
Publisher considerations?
– Archiving issues
– License agreements
– Pricing models
– Bundling
– Availability of usage statistics
Challenges of e-only
Content issues
– Content discrepancies
Version of record?
Differences between vendors
– Disappearing or masked content
– Contents of bundled packages
Challenges
Technological issues
– Interface quality, ease of use
– Staff expertise and time to provide systems
– Hardware and software, server capacity
– Pressures on campus computer network and
printing provisions
– Interoperability with other online tools:
catalogs, link resolvers, meta search tools
Challenges of e-only
E-journal management
– Electronic collection more expensive to
maintain: administrative, CD, PR and
especially reference related expenses
– Both print & electronic systems in place
– Aggregator duplication; embargoes
Challenges
Staff time to select, acquire, represent in
catalog and manage e-subscriptions
Staff training
User training
Reference
OSU Libraries
OSU Engineering Journal Collection
OSU Engineering Subscriptions 2003
265 Subscriptions (includes combined subscriptions) $301,562.73
226 Are available electronically
$278,454.02 85.28%
87
Print only at OSU (could go e-only)
$128,491.43 32.83%
139
OSU has both Print and Electronic
$149,962.59 52.45%
OSU Electronic-only Subscriptions 2003:
95 ACM Journals & Newsletters
200 ACM Conferences
125 IEEE Proceedings Order Plan
81 Other electronic-only (aggregators)
$2,848.00
$22,995.00
OSU Libraries
2004 Focus
– IEEE Electronic Library (IEL)
– American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
– American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME)
– American Society of Agricultural Engineers
(ASAE)
Looking Ahead:
Going Beyond Journals
Standards
– IEEE Standards included in IEL
– ANSI
– ASTM
– Other standards
Electronic books
– Knovel
– CRC Handbooks
Open Access Journals
Criteria used to judge IEL
Rupp-Serrano, et al. 2002. Canceling
Print Serials in Favor of Electronic:
Criteria for Decision Making. Library
Collections, Acquisitions & Technical
Services 26:369-378.
Criteria
Licensing
– Restrictions
– Archives
Provider
– Reliability
– Aggregator Duplication
Criteria
Publication structure
– Completeness
– Nature of the publication
Technological considerations
– Reproduction capabilities
– Authentication
– Hardware, software, etc
Criteria
Local issues
– Availability in local consortia
– Importance to discipline, curricula, research
– Faculty input
– Institutional commitment
– Subject
– User preference/usage
Criteria
Local resources
– Cost savings
– Space savings
– Staffing
Conclusions
Despite challenges, OSU moving ahead to meet
needs of Engineering faculty and students
Focus is on publishers with stable content which
match our needs
Bundles & “Big Deals” with weak titles or
unneeded content not being considered right
now
Customer service key for libraries and
publishers to work directly
Bibliography
http://www.oregonstate.edu/~mellinma/bibliography.doc
Discussion?