SMARTech Collection: 2007 Electronic Resources and Libraries Conference

eBooks & Libraries: Near and Future eBook Trends

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 22:58:59 GMT

Title: eBooks & Libraries: Near and Future eBook Trends

Authors: Ives, Gary; Mouw, James; Hawkins, Donald; Shelburne, Wendy; Ferguson, Cris; Burright, Mariann

Abstract: Panel of six leading eBook experts, including university librarians, will discuss the future growth and trends of eBook use by academic, university, and corporate librarians.

Paving the ERM Highway: the Expanding Role of ERM Systems and the Drive to Streamline their Data Population

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Paving the ERM Highway: the Expanding Role of ERM Systems and the Drive to Streamline their Data Population

Authors: Feick, Tina; England, Deberah

Abstract: Electronic Resource Management (ERM) systems are becoming comprehensive data repositories for eResource information, yet populating these systems with information is often labor intensive and time consuming. Our library and agent panel will look at the increasingly important role of ERM systems, the challenges to meet these growing needs through new methods and relationships, and how new standards are streamlining ERM data transmission.

Description: Tina Feick is Vice President, Customer Relations for Swets Information Services, Runnemede, NJ. Deberah England is an Electronic Resources Librarian at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.

Resolving Our Hosting Dilemmas: Comparing Remotely and Locally Hosted OpenURL Link Resolvers

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Resolving Our Hosting Dilemmas: Comparing Remotely and Locally Hosted OpenURL Link Resolvers

Authors: Emde, Judith; Brooks-Kieffer, Jamene

Abstract: A number of OpenURL link resolver products are currently on the market for libraries to evaluate and implement. Criteria to consider when selecting a link resolver include ease of use and management; reputation of the vendor and service provided; depth and quality of maintained knowledgebase; vendor commitment to ongoing development and willingness to meet industry standards; support of extended services such as ILL. Selection criteria are also determined by the specific institution's environment. Does the product require extensive and knowledgeable IT support? What control over customization is desired? What staffing level will be committed to the support of the product? Most libraries choose between remotely hosted systems or locally hosted systems. Remotely hosted systems house the server, provide the programming in configuring the public interface, and add targets. Libraries may be able to customize the public interface through product support staff at the vendor site. Locally hosted systems offer an "out of the box" server setup, software environment and public interface that many libraries mold to their own specifications. While vendors offer technical support for these purchased systems, library staff are responsible for the bulk of maintenance and troubleshooting. Between Fall 2005 and Spring 2006, both the University of Kansas (KU) and Kansas State University (K-State) initiated procedures to separate themselves from the Endeavor link resolver, LinkFinder Plus. Endeavor announced the discontinuation of LinkFinder Plus in early Spring 2006. Each institution separately conducted a review and selected different products. In April, the KU Libraries selected ArticleLinker from SerialsSolutions. There were two main reasons for choosing this product: minimal support required from IT staff for this remotely hosted system, and a service that would integrate easily with SerialsSolutions' A-Z title list already in place at KU. Also in April, K-State Libraries purchased a locally-hosted implementation of SFX from Ex Libris. K-State Libraries wanted to own and customize their product while allowing for future extensibility. The Libraries perceived that SFX offered this kind of server and software environment, plus a large and active network of customer-users to draw on for collaboration and assistance. The presenters will compare advantages and disadvantages of the two hosting models in the context of their libraries' implementations. Product selection, start-up, and ongoing maintenance influence a library's choice between local and remote hosting. The presentation will outline personal experiences in these areas as part of the overall comparison of hosting models.

Description: Judith Emde received her M.S. in library science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has been employed at the University of Kansas Libraries since 1986. Her current title is e-resources/technical services librarian and her responsibilities include management of public records for e-resources. She is also bibliographer for pharmacy, speech-language-hearing, and gerontology and provides instruction for those academic programs. Jamene Brooks-Kieffer is the Resource Linking Librarian at Kansas State University Libraries.

Off-Campus but not Alone: Supporting the Research Needs of Nontraditional Students Using Digital Resources

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Off-Campus but not Alone: Supporting the Research Needs of Nontraditional Students Using Digital Resources

Authors: LaDell-Thomas, Julie

Abstract: While most libraries have implemented changes that integrate electronic resources with traditional library services, and reference and instruction methods have become more effective at reaching library users in their new digital space, many nontraditional students who have chosen a face-to-face classroom environment for their education may not have the necessary level of digital literacy to access, evaluate, and use electronic resources that are critical to their research efforts. Central Michigan University offers master's degree programs designed to meet the unique needs of working adults. Face-to-face classes meet at over 60 locations in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and CMU's Off Campus Library Services (OCLS) continually looks for ways to ensure that off-campus students benefit from library resources even if their digital comfort level is low and the physical library building is many miles away. This session will begin with an overview of CMU's Off-Campus Library Services and the resources – digital and traditional - available to a diverse and widely distributed student population. A summary of OCLS strategies for providing research assistance and document delivery will familiarize session participants with the overall environment. Background information about the Atlanta MA in Education program will be presented, along with a description the student population. An overview of the requirements for the capstone research project that completes the degree will be followed by a snapshot of capstone project data for the Atlanta-based program. The session will review some of the barriers to timely and successful completion of capstone projects, and offer further discussion of the library's role in supporting student research, with an emphasis on serving working adult learners in an off-campus environment. The presentation will outline OCLS' ongoing research and program development efforts designed to better understand the needs of students, and to identify the best methods for providing additional support during this research intensive time in their program. The presenter will describe the Atlanta Metro Center's recently implemented capstone research labs and individual consultation services, which provide an opportunity for students accustomed to face-to-face classroom environments to also consult face-to-face with OCLS librarians. These services are intended to help students develop the digital literacy needed for online research - to build comfort with the research process, with online searching, and with using electronic resources.

Description: Julie LaDell-Thomas is the Off-Campus Librarian at Central Michigan University, Atlanta, GA.