Information Services News Issue 127 April 2011 ISSN: 1444-8157 (print) 1325-6459 (online) Information Services News www.is.uwa.edu.au
Welcome to the new Information Information Services is now responsible Services News. Starting as a for six libraries, IT infrastructure and services, telephone and audio-visual single photocopied sheet in 1980, services, a range of research and learning the original Library News has support services and special collections. undergone many transformations Information Services News will keep you in its 30 year history, and now is up to date on all these areas, especially the right time for this publication the many important and exciting projects to reflect our expanded outlook. that are currently in progress. Information Services Business/ Investment Strategic Priorities Plan
A major focus for the Information support research and teaching and provide support for single sign on. Services Senior Management Team developments; and 4. Data Centre Consolidation/Student over the past months has been the • the reduction of risks (as identified and Staff Storage/Student Printing – development of the Information in the ITS Review Report and recent reduce the risk associated with data Services Business/Investment audit reports). stored across some 46 server rooms, Strategic Priorities Plan. and improve the student experience of Nine major project initiatives have been cross faculty mobility through central This plan was initiated at the request of the identified and prioritised as a result of data storage and ability to print to the Vice-Chancellor following the appointment evidence and feedback from nearest printer. of Dr Mary Davies as University Librarian • Extensive consultation with members 5. Managed Operating Environment & Director (Information Management) at of the Executive, Deans, Heads of – improve user experience through the end of July 2010, and focussed heavily Schools, Faculty Managers, Faculty IT greater desktop consistency across on the findings and recommendations Managers, key Central Administration campus, reduction in the duplication of the ITS Review conducted in August management and IT staff, and Guild of effort in desktop management 2010. The plan was delivered to the VC representatives; and improving supportability and in December 2010 and endorsed for • The ITS Review Report of August 2010 effectiveness through standardisation. implementation by the Vice Chancellor’s and its 23 recommendations; 6. Hardware Procurement – leverage the Advisory Group in February 2011. • The Student IT Needs Study 2010; University’s purchasing power through • Recent audit reports from the Office of The context for the plan is the need strategic procurement initiatives. the Auditor General and Internal Audit to raise information technology to be 7. Software Procurement and License (Ernst & Young) concerning risk, business a strategic enabler in support of the Management – improve software continuity and disaster recovery. University’s strategic goal of becoming a procurement and licensing services top-50 ranked university in the world by The nine projects in order of priority are: available across campus, and reduce 2050, and the anticipated changes required 1. Network Upgrade – upgrading the risk of license non-compliance. to support the New Courses 2012. current out of date network technology 8. Asset Management – establish a Key outcomes of the plan are: that is limiting our current network comprehensive asset management • the enhancement of the student speed and capacity. system to enable effective life-cycle experience; 2. Directory Consolidation – consolidating management of software and hardware • the facilitation of research and teaching over 30 active directories in use across assets, to increase efficiency, reduce collaborative activities; UWA to reduce complexity and provide costs, reduce risk and facilitate ongoing • the increased throughput of our support for a single identity. IT investment decision making. research data and its security; 3. Identity and Access Management – 9. Policies, Standards and Guidelines – • increased efficiency and effective implement a single authoritative source to ensure a consistent approach to IT working practices; which will improve accuracy of identity service delivery across all faculties and • the release of staff capacity to better information, improve user provisioning, departments. Continued on page 2 p2 INFORMATION SERVICES NEWS
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Project teams are being formed, with Project Managers and specialist technical resources being allocated to these teams. Faculty and Central Administration IT have been invited to nominate staff from their areas with specialist skills that would add value to these project teams.
The Programme governance structure (in the form of a Programme Board, a Project Advisory Group, and a Programme Manager) is also being formed. All Faculty IT Managers and Central Administration representatives are invited to be members of the Project Advisory Group, to ensure that a high level of cross campus Student internet support collaboration is maintained throughout all projects. A new service model for student staff with specialist technical skills. This A Programme Manager, Steve Thompson, internet support is being trialled within enables students to more readily access has been appointed on a contract Information Services with the aim of this support and obtain a more consistent basis, to manage the overall programme increasing the number of convenient user experience across these inquiry schedule and financials, as well as locations for services such as setting points. Simultaneously, by decreasing the co-ordinating all project managers to up wireless internet access and inquiry load on the staff with specialist ensure all 9 projects align, and that resolving Pheme access issues. technical skills, the quality of responses to interdependencies between projects are more complex issues can be improved and Students visiting the Reid Arts and well managed. Steve has had considerable provision of additional technical services Business Library and the Medical and experience managing the implementation can be considered. of similar programmes of work within Dental Library will be able to receive Higher Education environments and student internet support at the same If the trial is successful it is anticipated that brings to this UWA programme a wealth service point where they check out library this service model will be implemented of experience and lessons learned from materials and obtain help on finding in all of our Libraries within Information previous similar engagements. information for their research assignments. Services, further improving the student Queries requiring a more advanced level experience across campus. Updates on these projects will be of technical support will be referred on to communicated through the IS website. EDFAA update
Planning is well underway for a return of the EDFAA Library to its original site on the Nedlands Campus late this year. Honey Hiranandani (an ALVA graduate) is working on the project with Ferguson Architects. The refurbished Library will have a slightly larger footprint allowing for an outdoor area and a new light filled entrance on the Hampden Road side of the building. Other improvements include an increase in student seating and group study spaces, a much improved teaching space and a doubling of the previous number of student PCs. Plan for the new EDFAA entrance
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Unifi, the new University wireless network, was officially launched by the Vice-Chancellor, Alan Robson, on March 9th at the Science Library.
Sam Spilsbury, a 2nd year Arts/Law student, gave a very entertaining account of his experiences with Unifi, praising the much improved coverage, and the ease of access.
The new Unifi service allows students and staff to access the UWA network and the Internet from laptops and mobile devices (e.g iPhones) simply with their Pheme credentials.
Unifi was built using the state-of-art wireless networking technology and is faster, more reliable and easier to use than the old SNAP wireless network. Sam Spilsbury speaking at the launch. Photo: Lindy Brophy. You can see the current coverage of Unifi on this map: http://www.its.uwa.edu.au/wifi/unifi?f=282153 Unifi launched For more information please visit: www.unifi.uwa.edu.au
Managing research data at UWA
Information Services is responsible for the disparate collections of research data descriptions of these collections are made a significant new initiative in research around Australia into a cohesive collection available to the ARDC. data management at UWA. Funded by of research resources. Information Services will also be the Australian National Data Service To achieve the third of these goals, ANDS working with specific research groups to (ANDS), this initiative has three major is developing the Australian Research implement software tools for capturing goals: Data Commons (ARDC), to which public information about their data collections • Building a Registry of Research Data institutions can contribute information as part of the research process. These Collections at UWA; about their research data collections. The groups are in three strategic research combined catalogue of data collections is • Implementing software tools for areas for UWA: rock art research, marine known as Research Data Australia. improving the management ecology research, and characterisation of research data in specific research Information Services at UWA is building and analysis in bio-imaging. fields; a system for collecting and storing The Information Services project team • Reviewing current practices in the information about research data will also be reviewing current practices at management of research data at UWA. collections. The software being used UWA, and making recommendations for ANDS has been funded by the Federal is VIVO, originally developed as a improving training, increasing awareness, Government’s Department of Innovation, comprehensive research profiling service by Cornell University. VIVO is also being and updating policies. Industry, Science and Research (DIISR), deployed by several other Australian and is based at Monash University and Effective management of data is a vital universities to build registries of research the Australian National University. It aims part of excellence in research. Through data collections. to influence national policy in the area these ANDS-funded projects, Information of data management in the Australian The UWA VIVO service will identify Services is aiming to ensure that UWA’s research community; inform best practice strategically important UWA research approach to research data management for the curation of data; and transform data collections and will ensure that is on the best possible footing.
Contact Dr Toby Burrows, ANDS Project Director, UWA: [email protected] Further information Research Data Australia: http://services.ands.org.au | VIVO at Cornell University: http://vivo.cornell.edu VIVO-Web project: http://www.vivoweb.org
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Finding the information you need is now only OneSearch away! Friends of the Library: OneSearch, the Library’s new search tool, was launched to UWA staff and students on Monday February 14. 2011 Programme
The search tool provides users with a new way of searching 19th century journal accounts of life aboard sailing ships the Library’s collections and retrieves search results quicker Tuesday 10 May 2011 than ever before. OneSearch facilitates simultaneous searching Speaker: Joan Robins across a range of resources including the Library catalogue, Contact: [email protected] databases and the UWA Research Repository. Mary Durack – the diarist OneSearch provides UWA users with customisable features Tuesday 14 June 2011 such as reviewing and tagging material and saving content Speaker: Patsy Millet to a private workspace for future use. Results can also be Contact: [email protected] exported to Endnote Web. To access this functionality login to OneSearch using your Pheme details. Eileen Joyce in Kalgoorlie – an unusual childhood for a concert pianist The Library catalogue and SuperSearch will continue to be Tuesday 12 July 2011 accessible from the Library homepage. Speaker: David Tunley Implementation of OneSearch was a team effort in Information Contact: [email protected] Services, involving staff in Information Resource Access Families in the Goldfields: 1895 onwards Management, Information Technology, Information Literacy Unit, and Research and Learning Support. Tuesday 9 August 2011 Speaker: Lenor Layman To search OneSearch go to Contact: [email protected] http://onesearch.library.uwa.edu.au WA’s severe weather For assistance or feedback please visit the OneSearch Tuesday 13 September 2011 LibGuide or contact askUWA. Speaker: Brad Santos Contact: [email protected]
A theatre perspective: from Perth to the world. The place of the Midnite Youth Theatre Co – some reflections Tuesday 11 October 2011 Speaker: Tony Howes Contact: [email protected]
TBA Tuesday 8 November 2011 Speaker: Yasmin Haskell Contact: [email protected]
Christmas party 6 December 2011 Contact: [email protected]
Friends of the Library Reid Library The University of Western Australia M209, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009 T +61 8 6488 2356
Contact us Tel +61 8 6488 1777 Editor Regional students Information Services within Australia 1800 263 921 Kael Driscoll The University of Western Australia Fax +61 8 6488 1012 M209, 35 Stirling Highway, Email [email protected] Crawley WA 6009 Web www.is.uwa.edu.au
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