electronic information - an implementer’s view ian winship information services university of...
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Electronic information - an implementer’s view
Ian WinshipInformation Services
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
3 Dec 1998 Electronic information - an implementor’s
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Some assumptions
• A university library service soon will not be primarily dependent on a physical building and its contents
• The electronic library is never static• There is a huge market in information
products• The purpose of delivering information
electronically is to allow each user to print off a personal copy of the information
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Some electronic milestones• 1976 Dialup online in the UK (electronic info)• 1982 Online library catalogues (end-user IT)• 1988 CD-ROM (end-user information)• 1991 BIDS ISI (to the desktop)• 1993 Mosaic (general use of electronic info)• 1993 Adobe Acrobat (document publishing)
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What are we delivering?
• Form - CD-ROM, Web, non-Web online, locally held files
• Content - database, full text, reference/data, library catalogues
• Cost - subscription, additional, free • How select?
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Why deliver electronically?
• Encouraged to by changes - modes of access, student types, student numbers, cost ‘efficiencies’
• Users like/prefer it • End user use is normal• Equality of access• Security of stock• To impress!
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Delivery features
• Who - any university member anywhere?• How - local network (CD or campus); the Web• Where - staff desktop, public IT areas, home• Presentation - desktop; Web pages;
integrated - hybrid library?
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Delivery issues
• IT Service/departments involvement• Suitable spec PCs/software availability• Off-campus access - how?• Printing or download? - charge?• Copyright enforcement
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Passwords
• Too many
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Some passwords
• UNN Exam papers Fame• ATHENS BIDS INSPEC• RAPID MCB Emerald• ICivilE THES• Cambridge UP Aslib• Mintel Current legal info• FT Profile Estates Gazette• Datastream inside Web
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Passwords
• Too many - rationalise?• IP address checking - not off-campus• automatic logon• hidden Web page• printed list• ATHENS - OK in principle; but a need for
personal passwords • local security needs
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User issues
• Expectations - full text/desktop. Users ignore print alternatives.
• IT, Internet and information searching skills• Document delivery not ILL• Documentation - what, format, where, used?• How to learn of services • Support available - online
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(Library) staff issues
Electronic information is exciting, challenging, has great potential
BUT• Training, knowledge needs are wider • Also IT support staff; dual role staff• Good system/service reliability• Prompt technical support
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Supplier policies
• Licences - CHEST: not overseas;
NHS; CD-ROM: casual user;
what is a site?• Marketplace - competition• How to influence - eg,commercial services;
off-campus. At what level?• Costs - increases, especially compared with
previous format. What do we give up?
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JISC policies
• Lack of openness of JISC and committees• Tendering for dataset supply - what
principles?• Multiple suppliers• Proprietary interfaces for CHEST datasets• Uncoordinated development - implementing
the DNER; ejournals: NESLI vs CHEST
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Nevertheless
There's no turning back