Transcript Harvard Science Libraries: Management Issues

Harvard Science Libraries:
Management Issues
By
Michael R. Leach
Director, Physics Research Library
& Head of Collection Development
Cabot Science Library
Agenda
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Introduction & Background
Collection Development Issues
Technical Services Issues
Public Services Issues
Library as Space
Impact of Information Technology
Human Resource Management
Summary
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1. Introduction & Background
Structure of Harvard Science Libraries
 Some Statistics on HSLs
 My experience in HSLs
 Current Environment @ Harvard
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Structure of
Harvard Science Libraries (HSL)
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Currently 11 Science Libraries @ Harvard
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Molecular & Cellular Biology
Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Organismic & Evolutionary Biology
Botany
Engineering & Applied Sciences
Physics
Astrophysics
Anthropology (part of Harvard College Library – HCL)
Undergraduate, + Math & Geology (part of HCL)
Psychology
Rowland Institute (special library)
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Some HSL Statistics
> 3 Million US$ for collections
 Approximate 65 staff
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– Not including student workers
– 25 are professional librarians

> 2 million items
– serials, monographs, maps, photos, etc.

Many older collections
– Unique & world defining
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My Experience in HSLs

22 years in HSLs
– Started as student assistant in astrophysics
– 18 years as Director of Physics Research Lib.
– 7 years as Director of Kummel Library of
Geological Sciences
 Merger with Cabot in June 2005
– Just a few months in Cabot Science Library
 Undergraduate sciences, plus research collections
in math & geological sciences
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Environment @ Harvard

Faculty Growth
– Recently finished a 5% growth period
– New period of 5-7% growth
 Some specific areas even higher (e.g. engineering)
 More tenure from within each department

Women in Sciences Programs
– 50 Million US$ over 5 years
– New faculty plus more visiting researchers
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Environment @ Harvard

Current Campus Building Initiatives
– 3 new laboratories being built
 2 life sciences, 1 physical sciences
– 3 recent labs
 1 life sciences, 1 chemistry, 1 computer science

Future Campus Development
– Allston Campus in Boston
 Some graduate schools, undergraduate dorms, FAS
science initiatives (mostly life sciences)
 No physical library space is planned
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Environment @ Harvard

Era of Fiscal Constraint
– For some areas, not all
– Faculty expansion of 5%
 But not in support staff for faculty
– Library funding is either flat or < 2% growth
 Collection development costs = ~8%/year
 Staff Benefits are increasing >20%/year
– New accounting regulations
 Can not let endowment funds carry over
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2. Collection Development
Serials Crisis
 Growing non-traditional formats
 Supporting current research
 Planning for future research
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Serials Crisis

Has expanded beyond the $ money issues
– Serials costs still 8-10% per years, while
funds are 0-2% per year
– New, tiered pricing structures
– Licensing e-content is helping & hurting
 Helps: consortial & bulk pricing
 Hurts: locked into multi-year contracts & new,
developing products
– Back file purchases

Always new titles for consideration
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Open Access

Complicates serials crisis
– “Membership fees” with BioMed Central (BMC) &
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
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Perception by administration & users that OA will
“solve the serials crisis”
– Costs involved regardless
 Especially with institutional & subject repositories
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Some disciplines have accepted
– e.g. physics & computer science
– Others very reluctant (e.g. chemistry)
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Some Strategies for Serials

Ongoing evaluation processes
– Paper & online
 Usage statistics
– Traditional titles are not longer secure
 Will replace with newer titles
– Duplication of subscriptions is forbidden
 Few exceptions (e.g. “Science” & “Nature”)

Shifting of funds from other areas to collections
– E.g. Less Interlibrary Loan Funding
– E.g. Less Funding for Preservation
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Non-traditional Formats

Cartographic collections
– Traditionally not well supported
– GIS is changing this
 Need to purchase spatial data
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Specialized datasets
– Most are free, but some (e.g. chemistry) are
quite expensive
– Training & public services support questions
– Local datasets for repository
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Supporting Current Research
Now critical to match collections with
current research
 “General” collection development is
shrinking
 Analyze faculty/researcher publications

– Where they publish
– What do they cite
– Development of faculty profile databases
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Planning for Future Research
A difficult process given cost constraints
 Variety of analysis techniques

– Changes in current faculty research
 In person interviews plus research group web sites
– Tracking changes in disciplines
 Similar to competitive analysis
– Society meetings: new program tracks
– New departments & research institute development at
competitor educational institutions
– Support from hiring/tenure committees
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3. Technical Services
Changing Information Access Landscape
 Cost Analysis
 New Efficiency Tools & Procedures
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Changing Information Access
Landscape
Google
 Google & OPACs
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– Different & similar audiences
– Precision vs. popular results

Google Scholar
– Linking to repositories & databases
Information Literacy
 Born-digital generations
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TS Cost Analysis
What is the cost of cataloguing an item
 Balance this with access & retrieval
methodologies
 Cataloguing for masses vs. cataloguing for
the specialized researcher
 Scaling costs have already been done
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– Copy cataloguing, OCLC, purpose delays in
cataloguing (so others can do original)
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New Efficiency Tools & Procedures

Expanded desktop cataloguing tools
– E.g. the new cartographic tools from OCLC
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Reliance on U.S. Library of Congress
– Development of new tools & classifications
– This is slow; LOC is short of personnel & $$
Policies on “minimal cataloguing”
 Reliance on indexes & abstract access
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– Certain serial monographs
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4. Public Services
In-house reference services
 Virtual reference services
 Training & Information Literacy
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In-House Reference Services
Numbers are decreasing in library
 Move to put reference librarians “where
the patrons are”
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– Inside departments
– At cafeterias, social spaces
– Scheduling meetings with key users
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Trend to combine circulation & reference &
other service access points into one
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Virtual Reference Services

Synchronous
– Live Internet Chat
– Visual in some cases
– Still in the “infancy stage”
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Asynchronous
– Comment/request forms on web pages
– Email
– Very high use
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Training & Information Literacy

Goal: Self-sufficient end user
– Basic science class instruction
– Specialized instruction
 E.g. Endnote training in department space
– Realization that “you offer classes at library
and users DON’T come”
– Variety of web-based initiatives
 On-line tutorials
 Short guides to specific disciplines
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Training & Information Literacy

Specialized science information literacy
program: based on American Library
Association/Association of College &
Research Libraries/Science & Technology
Section policy
– Different on a number of levels from general
information literacy
 E.g. Standard 5 on “keeping current in field”

IL is incorporated into all training
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5. Library as Space
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Changing needs of audiences
– Undergraduate students require individual
quiet study space & “noisy” group space
– Must include full IT support, including
wireless, email, applications (e.g. Word), etc.
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Faculty & other researchers don’t need to
visit library as frequently
– Their needs are supported virtually
– Expect delivery to desktop
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Library as Space

Housing collections
– Remote storage is growing
 >half Harvard’s total collections now remote
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Archival vs. Access collection
– Current material is “archival”
 Because available virtually
– Older materials now “accessible”
 No remote storage because no virtual access
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Physical browsing is decreasing
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6. Impact of
Information Technology
External IT trends
 Personal productivity trends
 Security
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External IT Trends
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Some examples:
– Internet & cellular communications
 E.g. the merger of phones & PDAs
– Access & information retrieval technologies
 E.g. Google
– Publishing technologies
 E.g. All-electronic review processes
– Database technologies
 E.g. Institutional repositories
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Personal Productivity Trends

Integrated workstations & software
– Microsoft has capitalized on this
 Their “Office” suite of products
– New competition from Mozilla, Adobe, etc.
 Mozilla: open source browser, email, RSS, etc.
 Adobe: purchase of Macromedia (Dreamweaver,
Flash, Fireworks)  merging with pdf
– Apple & Ipod: podcasting, music & more
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Personal Productivity Trends

New client-side support
– RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
 Turn blogs from “pull” to “push” technology
 Email & RSS integration
– Expandable browsers
 Tabbed browsing windows
 Live RSS feeds (or timed to your specification)
 Customizable
– Bibliographic tools
 E.g. EndNote with search features
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Security

Span overload (85% of all email)
– Email use of facilities in libraries is very high
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Virus & worm protection
– Library systems must be robust, with latest
security technology embedded

Identity theft
– Issue especially for libraries
 Hold ID & personal information in patron records
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7. Human Resource Management

Professional development support
– Changing skill sets
 E.g. IT management, web design, user needs
analysis, competitive intelligence, etc.
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Blurring of professional/support staff
“lines”: reflects changing responsibilities
– Is the MLIS still necessary;
– If not, what are some replacements
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Human Resource Management

Building a flexible workforce
– Term appointments are more common
– Layoffs are a reality
– Service points are no longer “permanent”
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Finding HR efficiencies across units
– Consolidation of tasks
– Strategic reviews on regular basis

Outsourcing
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8. Summary

Harvard Science Libraries:
– Create a flexible, highly efficient organization
– Ongoing analysis & evaluation of collections,
support & services
– Restrictive fiscal environment
– Growing research environment
– Manage print to digital transitions
– Support users/patrons with new information
paradigms & high expectations
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