Earth’s Largest Library

Colorado Library Association

College/University & TSAD

Spring Workshop

May 25, 2000

Presenters:

1) Bibliographic and Catalog Access Issues

Gail M. Dow

Director of Technical Access Services

Denver Public Library

2) Distribution Issues

Julie E. Wessling

Assistant Director for Public Services

Colorado State University Libraries

3) Automation Issues

Veronica F. Smith

Automation Coordinator

Westminster Public Library

and

Front Range Community College Library

Amazon.com

A new model for Libraries:Pros and Cons for Technical

Services

Gail Dow

Earth’s Largest Library Concept

Proponent: Steve Coffman

Director, FYI

County of Los Angeles Public

Library

Steve Coffman

Coffman’s Library Idea• Merges “what we own” with “what we can

obtain for you” in a single source database• Enhances access by including both standard

search strategies and new approaches• Promotes new delivery models• Advocates development of a single integrated

library system (ILS) • Stresses convenience for the user

Bibliographic Issues: Pros• “Union catalog” concept already a familiar

library model upon which we can build• Vastly extends customer access to the totality of

bibliographic sources• 24/7/365 -- at user’s convenience, globally• Accommodates browsability in a variety of

standard and new ways• Potential for readers’ advisory service• User-friendly, fault-tolerant

Browsability…standard ways

• author

• title

• keyword

• subject

• series

• call number

Browsability….enhanced• cover art/dust

jackets

• jacket blurbs/reviews

• customer comments

• awards/best seller lists

• grade levels

• author biographies, interviews, or articles

• value ratings/recommendations

• readers’ advisory links to similar items, by author, subject, genre

Bibliographic Issues: Cons• Retrievability of bibliographic items:

– search strategies– set size– unstructured browsing

• Retrievability of physical item– availability– timeframes– location scoping

Other factors (cons):

• Confidentiality, privacy issues

• Length of enhanced records

• Manageability: record “ownership” and maintenance, quality control

Distribution Issues

Julie Wessling

ELL: Distribution Issues

• Is ILL well enough?

• ELL and ILL: More than one letter apart

L L

User Convenience - Selection

• Availability

On-shelfOn-shelf 24 Hours24 Hours 2-3 Days2-3 Days

1 Week1 Week 2 Weeks2 Weeks ForeverForever

5 ILL clicks = 5 ILL clicks = 1 well purchased book1 well purchased book

• Purchase option

User Convenience - Ordering

• 24/7 online ordering

• Automatic transfer– move automatically between systems

• ISO compliant– “leap tall buildings in a single bound”

User Convenience - Delivery

• Send direct to user

• E-books, not P-books

• Railroad car model

$$$ - Costs

• Amazon– What are the real costs?

– Profitable?

• Libraries– Real costs

– Watering down the costs

$$$ - Cost of ILL

• ARL Cost Study

• CSU FastFlood Model

Turnaround Time

1.27

9.8

15.6

02468

1012141618

FastFlood Service atCSU

CSU-ARL ARL98 RES LIBAVG

Days

$$$ - Cost of ILL

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

FastFloodService at CSU

CSU- ARL ARL98 RESLIB AVG

Dol

lars Lending

Borrowing

$3.32

$5.66

$9.05

$18.35

$9.48

$1.43

$4.75

$14.71

$27.83

Cost of ILL

User

fees

Score

card

How big is too big?

• Library mission

• Optimal cooperation

How big is too big?

Automation Issues

Veronica Smith

Current systems and ELL

• PAC and circulation only from ELL

• What about specialized modules?– Serials, Reserve Book Room, etc– Acquisitions– Collection Agencies

Database size

• Are we asking for trouble?

• Creating the database (Migrating library records)

• Searching capabilities

Accessibility

• How much can you expect from a server?– Setup– Availability– Redundancy– Maintenance and Support

Local LANs in Libraries• Services other than the catalog

– File and print– Email– Hardware and Software upgrades

• Products other than the catalog– CD-Rom databases– Internet databases

• Support staff

Issues for small and rural libraries

• Cost -- Can they afford ELL?– Internet connectivity (equipment and

charges)– Computer hardware and software

• Speed or Bandwidth– Is access really a possibility?

Patron Identification

• Registering patrons

• Identifying patrons

• Checking out materials

Patron Privacy

• Privacy of checkout information

• PIN numbers

• Data encryption– For circulation transactions– For patrons’ personal information

Item Identification and Security

• Barcodes, barcodes, barcodes– Duplication– Types

• Keeping items secure– Security tags– Security systems

Statistics and Reports

• Creating anew from ELL– Will you get the same reports you get now?

• Keeping what you already have– Will you lose the data that is in your current

system?

• Inventory– Procedures & specialized hardware/software– Sorting your items out (RR car theory)

Other related issues

• Abandoning your current system• Weeding your collection• Training for staff and patrons• Marketing your new product to staff

and patrons alike• Web accessible databases...are we

slowly getting there?

What can we do now?

• Make it easier to request material

• Support multiple delivery options

• Delivery directly to the user

• Simplify processing routines

• Nurture partnerships/consortia -- heroic policies

More that we can do

• Train all staff about ILL resources• Communicate with others & share

information

• Enhance current records

• Pay attention to new/upcoming technologies

• Move to web versions of catalogs and/or web front ends

Even more

• Standardize inter-operability of records/data for maximum compatibility

• Support and contribute to local and regional union catalog efforts (Prospector, ACLIN)

• Think expansively, and flexibly -- and for the greater good, not the perpetuation of “the way we do it” or “have always done it”

What do you think?

Bibliography/Resources

• Virtual ACLIN (http://www.aclin.org)

• Prospector (http://prospector.coalliance.org)

• Building Earth’s Largest Library (http://www.incolsa.net/HTML/teleconf/coff.htm

Other resources• This presentation available on the web at:

– (http://gromit.westminster.lib.co.us/automation)

• Gail Dow (gdow@denver.lib.co.us)• Julie Wessling

(jwessling@manta.library.colostate.edu)• Veronica Smith

(vsmith@westminster.lib.co.us)