c/o Katina Strauch 209 Richardson Avenue MSC 98, The Citadel Charleston, SC 29409 CHARLESTON CONFERENCE issue TM
volume 26, number 5 NOVEMBER 2014
ISSN: 1043-2094 “Linking Publishers, Vendors and Librarians” Library Roles with Textbook Affordability by Charles Lyons (Electronic Resources Librarian, University at Buffalo, 520 Lockwood Library, Buffalo, NY 14260; Phone: 716-645-7703)
n the Venn diagram linking libraries and them difficult for many students to manage. course reserves. Finally, simply putting more textbooks, the overlap has for years been Making higher education more affordable energy and creativity into promoting the use of Irepresented by a narrow sliver. Library and accessible to a wider array of students is library-licensed resources as course materials policies rain down on students seeking shelter a theme that resonates as motivation for the is a strategy gaining steam with librarians from high-priced textbooks like an edict from authors of the articles in this issue. looking to play more active roles in textbook the authorities: we don’t own them, won’t What is remarkable is the variety of ap- affordability. purchase them, and can’t borrow them for you proaches librarians are using to tackle text- In “Spreading the Word, Building a via inter-library loan. More recently, how- books. The thrust of many library initiatives Community: Vision for a National Librarian ever, librarians seem to have misplaced their revolves around the creation and promotion OER Movement,” Nicole Allen, Steven Bell, certainty about avoiding textbooks. Indeed, if of open education resources (OER) as al- and Marilyn Billings call on academic librar- the articles in this special issue of Against the ternatives to costly commercially-published ians to unite and form a national movement to Grain are any indication, librarians are discov- textbooks. Some librarians are negotiating promote the widespread adoption of OER with ering they can play significant and impactful with traditional commercial publishers, the the goal of taking control of learning materials roles in the provision and creation of textbooks oft-maligned villains in the textbook world, for away from commercial publishers and putting and other course materials at their institutions. more sustainable pricing and licensing terms it back into the hands of educators. Why are librarians reassessing their stance for e-textbooks. Others are going head-to-head While the number and quality of OER are on textbooks? The central issue is afford- with the bad boys and publishing their own increasing, making the switch from traditional ability: textbooks simply cost too textbooks to com- textbooks to OER-based learning materials is much. Even the most jaded pete with traditional no small matter. Redesigning course materials university bookstore publishers. There is continued on page 12 manager or Pearson also renewed interest representative would and vigor being put not deny that text- into more tradition- What To Look For In This Issue: book costs have risen al library services to levels that make like course packs and “Our Library Needs to Change...”....84 What Exactly Are We Retaining When We Retain That Book? Part One.....100 If Rumors Were Horses Of Ecosystems and Stakeholders.....104 Are Seeds for the Birds or Libraries?....110 Gearing up for the 2014 Charleston Con- BTW, the Charleston Conference program ference! A lot of you will be here! Welcome! is available in a great app — 2014charleston- Interviews Was excited to see the Webcast sponsored by conference.sched.org. Using this app allows Gilles de La Rouchefoucauld...... 44 LJ and ExLibris the other day, which previewed you to download your personal schedule and Dr. Mehdi Khosrow-Pour...... 48 a few of the hundreds of upcoming panels during information about sessions that you want to at- the 2014 Charleston Conference. Michael Per- tend onto your iPad or iPhone, tablet, etc. Very Anthea Stratigos...... 53 ry, Collection Services Manager from Northwest- convenient and useful! David McCune, Jason Hoyt, and ern was the moderator of the panel which included As the great conference directors, Beth Peter Binfield...... 55 Roger Brisson (ExLibris), Rachel Borchardt Bernhardt and Leah Hinds who put together (American University Library), William Cross the whole Charleston Conference schedule Profiles Encouraged (North Carolina State Uni- and loaded all the info into the app, Jessica Bowdoin...... 12 versity), and Hilary Da- etc., etc. with no help from yours Kate Pitcher...... 24 vis (North Carolina State truly said, “There is always something University). The Webcast going to happen that is beyond our Tyler Smeltekop...... 28 lasted an hour and is ar- control.” This time it was a problem Plus more...... See inside chived on the LJ Website. with the sched.org platform. Most Many of the participants of our speaker photos were deleted, in this Webcast will be in leaving only the ones that are linked Charleston presenting at to a Facebook or LinkedIn account the panels. Check it out! continued on page 6 1043-2094(201411)26:5;1-0 The industry’s leading
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WANT TO KNOW MORE? Please contact your YBP representative at [email protected] or visit www.ybp.com. Against The Grain Against the Grain (USPS 012-618) (ISSN 1043-2094) is published six times a year in February, April, June, Sep- TABLE OF CONTENTS tember, November, and December/January by Against the v.26 #5 November 2014 © Katina Strauch Grain, LLC, 209 Richardson Ave., MSC 98, The Citadel, Charleston, SC 29409. Subscription price per year is $50 U.S. ($60 Canada, $85 foreign, payable in U.S. dollars). ISSUES, NEWS, & GOINGS ON Periodicals postage paid at Charleston, SC. Postmaster: Send change of address to Against the Grain, LLC, 209 Rich- Rumors...... 1 Letters to the Editor...... 6 ardson Ave., MSC 98, The Citadel, Charleston, SC 29409. From Your Editor...... 6 Deadlines...... 46 Editor: Katina Strauch (College of Charleston) FEATURES Associate Editors: Rosann Bazirjian (UNC-Greensboro) Library Roles with Textbook Affordability — Guest Editor, Charles Lyons Cris Ferguson (Murray State) Tom Gilson (College of Charleston) Library Roles with Textbook TextSelect: Purchasing Textbooks for John Riley (Consultant) Affordability...... 1 Library Reserves...... 34 Research Editors: Judy Luther (Informed Strategies) by Charles Lyons — Librarians are reassessing by David Gibbs and Jessica Bowdoin — In Assistants to the Editor: their stance on purchasing access to textbooks. order to alleviate high textbook costs encoun- Ileana Strauch Spreading the Word, Building a tered by students, George Mason has begun Toni Nix (Just Right Group, LLC) TextSelect. They emailed department heads Editor At Large: Community: Vision for a National whose courses had books on reserve and Dennis Brunning (Arizona State University) Librarian OER Movement...... 14 emphasized TextSelect’s value not just as a Contributing Editors: by Nicole Allen, Steven Bell and Marilyn substitute for buying required textbooks, but Rick Anderson (University of Utah) Billings — The time is right for a national also as a supplement for students who already Sever Bordeianu (U. of New Mexico) owned the textbook. Todd Carpenter (NISO) OER movement. Bryan Carson (Western Kentucky University) Getting Faculty into the Fight: The The UCLA Libraries Affordable Course Liz Chapman (University College London) Eleanor Cook (East Carolina University) Battle Against High Textbook Costs.....18 Materials Initiative: Expanding Access, Use, Anne Doherty (Choice) by Ann Agee and Christina Mune — For and Affordability of Course Materials....38 Anthony Ferguson faculty, there are many challenges to replacing Ruth Fischer (R2 Consulting Services) by Sharon E. Farb and Todd Grappone — In Michelle Flinchbaugh (U. of MD Baltimore County) traditional, commercially-published textbooks 2013, the UCLA Library launched the Afford- Joyce Dixon-Fyle (DePauw University) with alternative learning materials. able Course Materials Initiative (ACMI) which Laura Gasaway (UNC, Chapel Hill) Library Publishing of Open Textbooks: incentivizes instructors to use low-cost or free Chuck Hamaker (UNC, Charlotte) alternatives to expensive course materials. William M. Hannay (Schiff, Hardin & Waite) The Open SUNY Textbooks Program....22 Mark Herring (Winthrop University) by Kate Pitcher — The OST program is a Op Ed — Opinions and Editorials.....42 Donna Jacobs (MUSC) Do We Need Two Library Landing Pages? Myer Kutz (Myer Kutz Associates, Inc.) collaboration of nine SUNY libraries, made Tom Leonhardt up of community colleges, undergraduate by David Nelson — Library Websites tend Rick Lugg (R2 Consulting Services) comprehensives, and one research university. to leave a lot to be desired. Is change in the Mary (Tinker) Massey (ERAU) future? Jack Montgomery (Western Kentucky University) The Michigan State University Course Bob Nardini (Coutts Information Services) Materials Program: Packing Up Your IMHBCO (In My Humble But Correct Rita Ricketts (Blackwell’s) Opinion)...... 78 Peter Shepherd (Project COUNTER) Textbook Troubles with Course Packs....26 Greg Tananbaum (Consultant) by Tyler Smeltekop — The Michigan State Uni- Local and Global, Now and Forever: A Ma- trix Model of “Depth Perception” in Library Jared Seay (College of Charleston) versity Course Materials Program, a part of the Deborah Vaughn Work by Rick Anderson — Our functions are MSU libraries, exists to assist faculty with the entire local and global, short- term and long-term, Graphics: process of course pack creation and production. Bowles & Carver, Old English Cuts & Illustrations. just-in-time and just-in-case. Grafton, More Silhouettes. Ehmcke, Graphic Trade All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go...30 Symbols By German Designers. Grafton, Ready-to-Use Back Talk...... 110 Internet2/EDUCAUSE E-textbook Pilot Proj- Old-Fashioned Illustrations. The Chap Book Style. Are Seeds for the Birds or Libraries? by ects, a Collaborative Venture with Textbook Tony Ferguson — While discovering what Production & Ad Sales: Publishers and Academic Institutions by Toni Nix, Just Right Group, LLC., P.O. Box 412, unique things libraries are lending to their Monica Metz-Wiseman — This article explores Cottageville, SC 29435, phone: 843-835-8604 patrons, Tony urges us to remember the basics. fax: 843-835-5892
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Against the Grain / November 2014
get too much credit for starting a Confer- Library Roles with Textbook Affordability. creation), Kate Pitch- ence 34 years ago. This conference has We have articles from Nicole Allen, Steven er (faculty-authored I grown because of countless hard-working Bell, and Marilyn Billings (adoption of OER), textbooks), and Sha- people. I am constantly impressed by the Ann Agee and Christina Mune (engaging ron Farb and Todd creativity and great ideas and follow through faculty), David Gibbs and Jessica Bowdoin Grappone (creating of all of you. Thank you. (building a textbook reserves program), Mon- learning materials). This issue is a case in point. Charles Lyons ica Metz-Wiseman (discounted versions of Our OpEd is about has put together a stellar group of papers on etextbooks), Tyler Smeltekop (course pack library landing pag- es and the state of li- brary Webpages, in Back Talk, only Tony Ferguson can make Letters to the Editor seed-sharing interest- Send letters to
6 Against the Grain / November 2014
tive consumer-base of the knowledge? Prices seem locked to the historical print price and have evolved without much consideration for the potential digital uses. Tony Sanfillippo of Penn State Press captured the early days of eBook sales quite accurately when he stated, “The original players, ebrary ke a closer look at.... and EBSCO, were only able to recruit paranoid Ta publishers with the promise of thoroughly locked- down content.” To soften the blow of the “lock- down,” the big players introduced eBook readers that offered features including: virtual, personal bookshelves, highlighting, note taking, citation The CHARLESTON REPORT exporting, etc. Each aggregator and publisher that opted for a proprietary platform introduced new Business Insights into the Library Market eBook reader features and extolled the virtues of these features with authors, librarians, students and faculty. Elsewhere I have written of what You Need The Charleston Report... I call “platform weariness” amongst librarians if you are a publisher, vendor, product developer, merchandiser, managing this field of platforms and eBook reader features. But have authors considered what these consultant or wholesaler who is interested in improving multiple platforms and varied eBook readers mean for the potential knowledge expansion and transfer and/or expanding your position in the U.S. library market. their work is intended to encourage? If scholarly comment and annotation is locked inside an eBook Subscribe today at our discounted rate of only $75.00 platform, it cannot be easily discovered in the way information is normally discovered through a growing network of open forums or through workflows where the author has a digital identifier. The Charleston Company To be sure, much of the highlighting and annotation 6180 East Warren Avenue, Denver, CO 80222 readers make to eBooks in personalized versions on a virtual bookshelf is for study or purely personal Phone: 303-282-9706 • Fax: 303-282-9743 use, but where does one draw the line? Can we feel confident that meaningful observations and possible extensions of knowledge are not being trapped inside an array of discrete eBook platforms? If the only digital version of an eBook is a version protected inside an eBook reader platform, Blurring Lines — eBooks and DRM discovery of the annotations and conversations within that platform will be limited. A Legitimate Defense of Author Rights, Or a Publisher-Imposed Steven Harris of the University of Nevada Reno was recently quoted as saying, “Ideally, we Impediment in Defense of a Troubled Business Model would live in a world where I can get any publish- ers’ content on the platform that I like at a price I Column Editor: David Parker (Vice President, Editorial and Licensing, Alexander can afford.” The single largest impediment to this Street Press NYC; Phone: 201-673-8784)
8 Against the Grain / November 2014
Bet You Missed It Press Clippings — In the News — Carefully Selected by Your Crack Staff of News Sleuths Column Editor: Bruce Strauch (The Citadel)
Editor’s Note: Hey, are y’all reading this? If you know of an article that should be called to Against the Grain’s attention ... send an email to
RED MEAT FOR THE LITERATE TOUGH GUY NOVELS by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) Well, if you’re like me, you’ve always wondered how Ernest Hem- Let’s read about hard men. (1) Frank Norris, McTeague (1899) ingway composed a hamburger. And the recipe’s a doozy: capers; then (dim-witted dentist and depraved miser wife; became 1924 silent classic minced ham, cheddar, tart apple, parsley, garlic, scallion, carrot, onion; “Greed” done by Erich Von Stroheim); (2) Abraham Cahan, The Beau Monde seasoning; egg; India relish; soy sauce. All kneaded Rise of David Levinsky (1917) (Jewish immigrant takes to unscrupulous directly into the fat meat patties. capitalism with a vengeance); (3) Charles Brockden Brown, Edgar See — Helen Rosner, “A Writer’s Beef,” Saveur, June/July, Huntly (1799) (Note the date. Bizarre psychological novel in which man 2014p.18. searching for a murderer slays a cougar and a passel of Indians. Wakes to find he’s sleepwalking in pursuit of his own fears. Influenced Poe, Hawthorne, Melville.); (4) Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye (1953) (Philip Marlowe, P.I. Probably the weakest of Chandler’s, in my opinion, other than the last lines: “So they went away and I never CROWDSOURCING THE ARCHIVES saw any of them again. Except for the cops. Nobody’s figured out how by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) to say good-bye to them.”); (5) Dashiell Hammett, The Glass Key Libraries, universities, museums are eager to preserve fragile, dusty (1931)(Personally, I prefer The Thin Man). files by scanning them and putting them online. And they’re using See — Leonard Cassuto, “Five Best,” The Wall Street Journal, crowdsourcing technology to get them transcribed. Sept. 6-7, 2014, p.C10 (Cassuto is author of Hard-Boiled Sentimentality: The University of Iowa created “DIY History” to let people tran- The Secret History of American Crime Stories). scribe pioneer letters. 42,000 pages have been done. The Smithsonian, sitting on 20 million documents, has created a new Transcription Center. Anyone with a yen for the subject matter can go through scanned, handwritten documents and submit a tran- scription online. BENDING AN ELBOW WITH MARLOWE Irv Cantor, a retired pharmaceutical scientist, has devoted six by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) months to transcribing a 641-page field book written by an archaeologist And speaking of Raymond Chandler, in The Long Goodbye, Mar- traveling in 1920s China. lowe is introduced to the gimlet by a drinking buddy Terry Lennox, Two twin sisters in New Zealand love the Smithsonian’s eclectic who in the first scene falls out of his Rolls blind drunk. Terry says: “A collection. One is working on bumblebee specimens collected in the real gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s Lime Juice and nothing else. It 1800s; the other a field book of a scientific couple who criss-crossed beats martinis hollow.” the West in the early 1900s. Novelist Megan Abbott (The Fever is latest) reviews small-batch gin See — Kelly Crow, “The Smithsonian Turns to the Crowd,” The Langley’s No. 8. She says the Langley’s gimlet is sweet and “infused Wall Street Journal, Sept. 12, 2014, p.D1. with melancholy.” See — Megan Abbott, “Message in a Bottle,” The Wall Street Journal, Sept. 6-7, 2014, p.D6.
VESTIGES OF PRUFROCK by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) The T.S. Eliot family home is preserved in St. Louis. And he has a SONG OF LOVE AND BETRAYAL star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame along with William S. Burroughs by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) and the Rockettes. Author James Ellroy (The Black Dahlia, L.A. Confidential, He came from distinguished line, one Eliot founding Washington Perfidia [Knopf] ) was devastated as a boy by the unsolved mur- University, and another, Charles William Eliot, a longtime presi- der of his mother. His father gave him The Badge by actor Jack dent of Harvard who tried to abolish football. Daddy Eliot Webb (Dragnet. Dum-da-dum-dum.) about founded a chemical-manufacturing company, married a poet L.A. crime cases too gruesome for his show. and social reformer who published two books on medieval He read about the Black Dahlia murder and religious figures. made it part of literary history. They had five sons. One took over the family biz and His latest is inspired by “Perfidia” by was a research fellow in Mesopotamian archaeology for the Alberto Dominguez. He says the Glenn Peabody Museum, published a novel. Another became the Miller version knocked him out. It “al- “most consequential poet and critic in the English language ways takes me back to a time I never ex- of his time.” perienced — when L.A. had big gleaming Gone is the Prufrock Litton Furniture Company whose cars and there wasn’t a particle of smog seven-story commanding presence once occupied an entire block. in the sky.” But T.S. did preserve the name in poetry. See — James Ellroy interviewed by Marc Myers, “’You Love, See — Kevin D. Williamson, “Looking For Tom,” The National You Lose,’” The Wall Street Journal, Sept. 6-7, 2014, p.C13. Review, Sept. 22, 2014, p.45.
10 Against the Grain / November 2014
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press announces the launch of a new monthly online publication, Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. Covering everything from the molecular and cellular bases of disease to translational medicine and new therapeutic strategies, each issue offers reviews on different aspects of a variety of diseases and the tissues they affect. The contributions are written by experts in each field and commissioned as Subject Collections by a board of eminent scientists and physicians. These Subject Collections gradually accumulate articles as new issues of the journal are published and, when complete, each Subject Collection represents a comprehensive survey of the field it covers. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine is thus unmatched for its depth of coverage and represents an essential source for informed surveys and critical discussion of advances in molecular medicine. Scope: Translational Medicine, Molecular Pathology, Cancer Therapy, Genetics, Infectious Disease, Immunology, Molecular Cell Biology Frequency: Monthly, online ISSN: 2157-1422
Subject coverage includes: Addiction Heart Disease Aging Hemoglobin Alzheimer Disease HIV Anemia Influenza Antibiotic Resistance Malaria Bacterial Pathogens Multiple Sclerosis Bone Disease Muscular Dystrophy Cancer Parkinson’s Disease Cystic Fibrosis Prion Diseases Diabetes Skin Diseases Schizophrenia Library Roles with Textbook ... from page 1 against thepeople grain profile can be a time-intensive and daunting endeavor for instructors. Many librarians are finding themselves well-suited to assisting instructors Head, Access Services with the OER curation process: helping them George Mason University Libraries, Fairfax, VA 22030 find, aggregate, and assess the quality of rele-
12 Against the Grain / November 2014
Multidisciplinary. Highly Selective. Open Access.
Editor-in-Chief:
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Carolyn R. Bertozzi
T. Z. and Irmgard Chu Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and Professor of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology at University of California at Berkeley; Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at University of California at San Francisco;
Senior Faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory;
Howard Hughes Medical Institute www.acs.org Investigator. pubs.acs.org/centralscience Spreading the Word, Building a Community: Vision for a National Librarian OER Movement by Nicole Allen (Director of Open Education, SPARC)
cademic librarians have a strange Nicole Allen: Starting With Textbooks Steven Bell: Taking it to the Faculty relationship with textbooks. Despite My introduction to textbook costs came I attended the SPARC Forum where Nicole Aall the other types of books they pur- during my first semester of college in 2003 gave her impassioned talk about the growing chase, librarians rarely choose them. Selec- by way of a $400 bookstore bill. Textbook textbook crisis. Having thought little about the tion policies often forbid textbooks because prices have nearly doubled since then, almost implications of high textbook costs, the Forum of high costs, frequent updates or the lack of matching the increase in my anger and frus- inspired me to believe that an academic library, distinction they bring to disciplinary collec- tration. Back then, I was unaware of OER as collaborating with faculty, could make a dif- tions. Textbooks remain largely the domain an alternative to textbooks, but it was clear to ference for students. At the time, the universe of faculty and their students who are com- me that between the Internet, mobile reading of open textbooks and digital learning objects pelled to buy them. This can put librarians devices and social networks, the tools to make was relatively small but growing. Academic in an awkward position since many students textbooks affordable were right in front of us — librarians could introduce OER, as well as perceive their library as a convenient place we just needed to use them. That is what drove licensed library content, to faculty as a source to find free access to textbooks. Students me to a career as an OER advocate. of alternate learning materials. Shortly there- are quite naturally disappointed to discover My first interaction with the academic li- after I heard Mark Milliron, currently Chief the campus library offers no respite from the brarian community was in 2009 as a speaker at Learning Officer for Civitas Learning, give crushing cost of textbooks. the SPARC-ACRL Forum on Emerging Issues a talk in which he prophesied the demise of Some academic libraries attempt to meet in Scholarly Communication at ALA Mid- commercial textbooks, encouraging us to think this student expectation. They may proactive- winter. At the time, I worked for the Student about offering “curricular resource strategies” ly request that faculty provide a personal or PIRGs directing a national student campaign in which faculty and librarians would work examination copy for the reserve collection. to combat the high cost of textbooks. At the together to identify and provide local and open Others selectively acquire textbooks for a Forum, I explained the underlying cause of learning content. few high-enrollment courses. Fewer still textbook costs with a comparison to scholarly Temple University’s Teaching, Learning commit large sums to acquire every required publishing: students are a captive market for and Technology Roundtable (TLTR), com- textbook. Designed to help students cope textbook publishers just as libraries are for posed of faculty, administrators and academic with costly textbooks, these programs are overpriced journals. I introduced OER as the support personnel, seemed like the appropriate admirable, but suffer the limitation of offering ideal solution from the student perspective. body to support a program to encourage faculty only a few copies, for a few hours at a time, The post-Forum discussion made me realize to abandon commercial textbooks and replace to hundreds of potential borrowers. Despite that libraries were a key partner missing from them with alternate learning materials. While good intentions, when academic librarians the OER movement. While the student voice it can be a tough sell to convince faculty to buy textbooks for students they support a dys- was — and still is — tremendously powerful at choose open journals for scholarly publishing, functional textbook publishing industry that driving the conversation on campus, it is only they are sympathetic to the plight of students has a captive market of students and faculty the first step to bringing OER into classrooms. accumulating college debt and can more readily alike. Academic librarians should be united Many faculty encounter barriers to discovering, accept alternate textbooks as a way they can in shifting more control of learning materials evaluating, adapting and disseminating OER, help. The TLTR enthusiastically responded to back to educators. and students are simply not able to provide the the idea for an alternate textbook project, but Working collaboratively for several years, necessary professional support. That is where recommended creating an incentive for faculty the authors have sought to create awareness librarians come in: professionals at finding, to shift from a commercial textbook to a cus- about the need for and value in creating an evaluating and organizing resources, librari- tomized set of digital learning materials. The alternate path to supplying students with learn- ans can directly connect and collaborate with library administration supported the project ing content. This new approach is motivated faculty. Librarians are the go-to colleagues with ten awards of $1,000 each. by a singular purpose: to free students from for providing access to high-quality academic We are now entering the fourth annual the burden of spending thousands of dollars resources, and that can extend to OER. round of our alternate textbook project. Our on commercial textbooks. This new path That is why I eagerly joined SPARC to lead relatively modest effort has had an institutional also frees educators from the guilt associated a new OER program. Since my appearance at impact beyond the thirty-five faculty who have with students spending enormous sums on the 2009 Forum, advances in online education, received direct awards and the many thousands textbooks, large portions of which often go un- instructional technologies and open access of dollars in savings to students. For example, read. Because many students simply opt out of have sparked a groundswell of interest and a freshman reading and writing course that buying textbooks, shifting to open educational enthusiasm for OER. Much work remains to enrolls thousands of students is moving away resources (OER) provides greater access to expand awareness and expertise, but dozens of from textbooks entirely. While earlier projects 1 course materials and improves learning. libraries have already stepped into this space depended more heavily on licensed library Here, we each share our unique perspec- and are spearheading successful campus-based content, more recent projects are integrating tives on why confronting textbook costs programs to support the adoption and produc- open textbook content as well as faculty au- matters to us, and why it is important for tion of OER, including open textbooks. In thored learning materials. Getting faculty to academic librarians to lead their campuses my new position at SPARC I support efforts collaborate with the library is the academic in creating new options for digital learning to build the momentum. Librarians are now librarian’s Holy Grail — but inspiring faculty content. Our goal is that these isolated in- playing a transformative role in shaping the to do so is more easily hoped for than achieved. dividual efforts will grow into a coordinated campus conversation on access to research, A library-led campus initiative to reform text- national movement involving many academic and they are poised to do the same for textbook book practices appeals to faculty members’ librarians working together to create change. affordability. continued on page 16 14 Against the Grain / November 2014
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Leading Applied Math and Computational Science
SIAM 3600 Market Street, 6th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2688 USA participates in phone +1-215-382-9800 · 1-800-447-SIAM (toll free in USA and Canada) fax +1-215-386-7999 · Email: [email protected] panded to the Massachusetts Commonwealth thirty people responded with overwhelming Spreading the Word ... Consortium of Libraries in Public Higher Ed- interest in more networking and engagement from page 14 ucation Institutions (MCCLPHEI) after Nicole opportunities. With this enthusiastic support we Allen and I spoke at their annual conference. decided to quickly leverage SPARC’s resources innate desire to support student learning and It could potentially lead to the adoption of to create the first library discussion list for OER, academic success — and save them money. OER at all public higher education institutions referred to as LibOER-L. That’s why an increasing number of academic in Massachusetts. A fall OER NERCOMP To keep the momentum going, we began librarians are taking this idea to their faculty, workshop will highlight regional initiatives and planning a face-to-face gathering of this and getting the desired results. promote the formation of a northeast regional emerging community. Rather than establishing Marilyn Billings: Spreading the Word OER collaboratory. our own event, we connected with an existing I too attended that SPARC Forum, along Nationally, I visited several institutions with like-minded program: the annual OpenEd with my library director. We were intrigued library publishing programs, including Purdue Conference organized by Dr. David Wiley, by the possibility of integrating OER into our and North Carolina State, both of whom co-founder and Chief Academic Officer at broader scholarly communication program. have since broadened their OER programs. Lumen Learning. Wiley organized the June Fast forward to 2011 when I sat in on a SPARC Additional presentations were made in 2012 2014 Open Ed Leadership Summit that brought library directors’ phone conversation about at University of Arizona’s “Living the Future together faculty, librarians and academic ad- OER during which I heard Steven describe Conference” and Rice University’s “Future ministrators from across the country to discuss Temple’s alternate textbook project. It was of Academic Libraries Symposium.” Almost open education strategies. We believe Wiley, an such an exciting and doable program that I simultaneously, the UMass Amherst experienced OER advocate, can support emailed him while on the call to obtain more cohort published an article for ARL’s our aspirations for a national librarian details of their program. Research Library Issues entitled “Open OER movement. Educational Resources as Learning With Wiley’s support we were Just weeks later, the Director of Libraries Materials: Prospects and Strategies invited to introduce a “Libraries obtained funding and support from the Provost for University Libraries” (http:// and OER” track to the conference. for the inaugural “Call for Proposals” for the publications.arl.org/rli280/2). We were encouraged to receive UMass Amherst Open Education Initiative Our broadest national impact over two dozen proposals for an (UMA OEI). We emulated Temple’s incentive came from a presentation, “Ditch inaugural day of programming structure, awarding $1,000 per course for facul- Your Textbook: Academic Librarians in which librarians will share ty to create alternatives to expensive textbooks Inspiring Faculty to go Open,” that Ste- their OER projects and present and $2,500 for courses with enrollments of ven and I gave at ACRL 2013 (http:// research into the use and devel- 200 or more. These alternatives include the www.learningtimes.net/acrl/2013/ opment of OER among libraries. adoption and remixing of Web-based OER, ditch-your-textbook-academic-librar- When we meet at OpenEd on licensed library content freely available to ians-inspiring-faculty-to-go-open). November 19, 2014 a cadre of UMass Amherst students and faculty-created Afterwards, many librarians requested per- dozens of academic librarians will be present content. The UMA OEI is a partnership be- mission to make a local copy of the UMass to join the conversation. tween the University Libraries, the Academic Amherst OER research guide (http://guides. Where this heads next we are uncertain, Computing Group and the Center for Teaching library.umass.edu/oer) and sought guidance and Faculty Development. but we believe our initial efforts have cap- for adopting similar programs. tured the attention and enthusiasm of a core After three grant rounds, the results of the The UMA OEI has clearly served as a of academic library OER pioneers. Whether UMA OEI have far exceeded expectations. catalyst for other institutions, regionally and they are leading alternate book projects, the With $39,000 invested by the Provost’s Office nationally, to explore the benefits of OER and authoring of open textbooks, the building of and University Libraries, student savings are to develop their own variations on our alternate 2 OER repositories, building regional consortia estimated at over $1 million. Students who are textbook program. This unprecedented level for sharing textbook content or conducting more engaged in learning and renewed faculty of interest and rapid growth has inspired the research, they are all committed to creating excitement in teaching their courses are but three of us to contemplate bigger and better change at their institutions and beyond. If we two of the many intangible benefits of alternate things — and to more formally organize our are able to successfully harness this energy textbook programs. As faculty created their efforts to advance the role of libraries in the and convert it into a national or even global own open content, the opportunity arose to OER movement. movement, a good next step is to enlist more assist them with applying Creative Commons Vision: Advancing a National academic librarians to join in the effort to be licenses to their work and with depositing their institutional advocates for OER. We will their materials into our institutional repository, Library OER Movement work together with faculty, advocates like ScholarWorks @ UMass Amherst. Along with We have made great strides promoting David Wiley and all those who wish to join library-sponsored faculty workshops, both for- the use of OER at our own institutions and this community effort to redefine the learning mal and informal promotion by our faculty has those of other academic librarians, but in the materials students use and how they access greatly expanded interest on campus. Faculty coming year we plan to take this message to them — so they spend less and learn more. have begun publishing in their disciplinary an even larger audience. Nicole’s appointment journals about their experiences participating as SPARC Director of Open Education was in our program. Best of all, some of the faculty a catalyst that signaled that a growing trend Endnotes who swapped their commercial textbooks for was evolving into an acknowledgement by 1. Park, Jane. “U.S. PIRG report finds OER required no incentives to make the switch. academic librarianship that the time was right students would perform better with open Word of our success spread and we became for a national OER movement. To initiate this, textbooks,” Commons News. January 30, accidental evangelists for OER and open we joined forces to launch several new oppor- 2014. http://creativecommons.org/weblog/ textbooks beyond our own campus. Within tunities for academic librarians to become part entry/41906 Accessed July 10, 2014. the University of Massachusetts system, of a community of OER advocates. 2. Lederman, Diane. “UMass students, UMassOnline (UMOL) has hosted a series We began our multi-pronged effort by library, others want more faculty to take advantage of open source material to of open education symposia with keynotes by surveying a core group of forty librarians and save students costs,” MassLive. April 17, national OER leaders like Cable Green and academic administrators who had previously ex- 2014. http://www.masslive.com/news/index. Kim Thalos. Other institutions in the region, pressed interest in the UMass and Temple pro- ssf/2014/04/umass_students_library_others. including Holyoke Community College and grams. The survey gathered information about html Accessed July 10, 2014. Bristol Community College, have adopted their interest in creating a national community, Additional resources at: http://www.diigo. similar programs after attending a program with international aspirations, and in attending a com/user/blendedlibrarian/oer?type=all. where I spoke about our project. Interest ex- one-day symposium on libraries and OER. Over
16 Against the Grain / November 2014
Getting Faculty into the Fight: The Battle Against High Textbook Costs by Ann Agee (Academic Liaison Librarian, San Jose State University)
“For one semester to save money, I didn’t buy the textbooks necessary for resources and library eBooks for their classes. the class... I didn’t have enough money to buy textbooks, so my GPA dropped eBooks from the library appeal to faculty as both authoritative and easily accessible to their drastically from a 3.4 to a 2.9.” students, and ALS capitalized on this interest early by creating the Textbooks Available This quote from a San Jose State University is found, technical problems can arise if it is not as eBooks in the Library list. http://library. (SJSU) student in 2012 underlies the situation compatible with the devices students are using. sjsu.edu/affordable-learning-solutions/text- facing many students across the country as Self-authored materials are an alternative to books-available-ebooks-library textbook costs continue to rise at three times OER but demand even more of a faculty mem- Textbooks Available as eBooks in the 1 the rate of overall consumer prices. The quote ber’s time to create. Library materials, another Library (TABL) List also epitomizes the motivation behind the Af- alternative, still require the time necessary to fordable Learning Solutions (ALS) initiative. research and compile them for classroom use. The list is created with the help of one of the library’s campus partners, the Spartan This California State University (CSU) system These were the obstacles we needed to Bookstore, a Barnes & Noble outlet. Before initiative promotes the adoption of low-cost and overcome when ALS was rolled out at SJSU each semester begins, the bookstore shares free classroom materials by faculty across the in 2012. At SJSU, and many other CSU cam- its list of textbooks ordered by faculty with 23 CSU campuses. Its goal: to lower the cost puses, the ALS initiative is coordinated by li- the library’s Technical Services department. of a college education for students. brarians, professionals committed to providing The library matches this list of textbooks For faculty, there are many challenges to equal access to information. To kick off the to the library’s collection of nearly 130,000 replacing traditional, commercially-published campaign on the SJSU campus, an ALS Fair multiple-use eBooks. This is a painstaking textbooks with alternative learning materials. was held with speakers from the Education process because the format of the bookstore’s This change requires not just swapping out a division of Apple, Flat World Knowledge, list and the library’s catalog are not a precise book but redesigning syllabi, modifying lesson and Open.Michigan, the University of Mich- match and the data needs to be reformatted by plans, recreating assessments, and rewriting igan initiative that encourages faculty to use, hand. However, in the Spring 2012 semester, lecture notes. Faculty can also lose access to create, and share OER. A student panel spoke a total of 126 textbook titles were found to be the timesaving supplements that frequently about the effects of textbook prices on their available in the library’s eBook collection. come with a textbook, such as test banks, in- education, and a panel of faculty already using structor’s manuals, PowerPoint presentations, textbook alternatives outlined their approaches. Once posted to the library’s Website, the and prepared lecture notes. A raffle — with iTunes gift cards and two iPads TABL list is promoted to students through There are additional barriers to making this donated by the campus bookstore as prizes — social media and the campus newspaper. In the change, especially when using open educational topped off the event. Spring 2012 semester, usage of the 126 eBooks increased by 794% compared to the previous resources (OER), teaching and learning materi- After this opener, an ALS Website was term’s usage. Classes that had a combined als that are freely available online. The absence created to provide faculty with information on total enrollment of more than 1,700 students of an easy, centralized way to find OER and a finding open resources (library.sjsu.edu/als), a were using these eBooks as either required or lack of quality control for these learning objects Webinar was provided for online instructors, supplementary textbooks. Using these enroll- can make locating an appropriate resource and workshops were held where faculty could ment figures and the books’ usage statistics, it time-consuming and frustrating. Once an OER work one-on-one with librarians to find open was projected that the TABL list saved students more than $50,000 in its first semester. Com- bined with usage figures from the Fall 2012 list, this estimate grew to over $200,000. The list against thepeople grain profile is now in its fifth semester, and its success is reflected in new library collection practices that give preference to multi-user eBooks. Head of Collection Development & Preservation While this for-profit/library partnership may George Mason University, Fairfax, VA •
David G ibbs Philosophy: Carpe diem. required in these adoptions. Material must How/Where do I see the industry in five be evaluated, courses redesigned, and new years: Hopefully publishers will be offering print and assessments created. Clearly, faculty deserve eBooks as a bundle. recognition and support for such efforts. continued on page 20 18 Against the Grain / November 2014
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American Society of Agronomy Crop Science S il SOCIETY OF AMERICA Science Society of America and had difficulty turning anyone away. So We recognize the innovative achievements Getting Faculty into the Fight… for the first round of TAP grants, we requested of TAP participants in a number of ways. Pro- from page 18 additional funds from the Chancellor’s Office files are showcased via a revolving spotlight in order to fund 11 out of 17 submitted projects. on our ALS Website. Participants’ deans and While working on a solution, we heard about This raised the total award amount available colleagues are invited to an annual event, a program piloted in 2012-2013 at Chico from $6,000 to $9,500. called “da Vinci Day,” that recognizes the State, another CSU campus, called TAP or the We incorrectly assumed that applicants winners with a lunch and a keepsake poster Textbook Alternatives Project. This project would select the amount of funds they needed that highlights their projects and outcomes. awarded grant funds to faculty working on for their course redesign and submit that with Additionally, letters of recommendation are more affordable course materials meant to a budget breakdown. Unsurprisingly (in sent to their department chairs and directly replace expensive textbooks. In Spring 2013, hindsight), all of the applicants requested the to the faculty. These letters are for inclusion we brought TAP to SJSU. As of Summer 2014, highest amount. We had to then decide how in faculty dossiers and annual evaluations, to we’ve completed three rounds of TAP grants much we would offer each winner using their prove service to students and a commitment to and have had 23 faculty members participate. rubric score. Once awarded, some winners teaching and learning at SJSU. TAP is currently funded by grants from the decided the amount was not enough (mostly Next Steps CSU Chancellor’s Office. These grants are those that received $500) and pulled out of the offered to ALS programs for each university in project. For the next iterations, we specified a In addition to our TABL list and TAP grants, the system, and campuses receive up to $20,000 set amount — $1,000 — and all of the winners we plan to pursue other opportunities to en- each. Requirements — such as the contribution received this amount. gage faculty in switching to affordable, open of finished projects to MERLOT.org, an OER materials for the classroom. Most promising We also found the original requirements of is our Open Textbooks Project. This project depository, and the planning of faculty recog- the Memorandum of Understanding each TAP nition events on campus — come with these targets large, General Education courses for recipient signed to be rather onerous—on both the adoption of OER or library materials as funds. Here are some of the projects our TAP the recipient and the ALS coordinators. We faculty produced: replacements for current textbooks. This removed required meetings with library faculty project reverses the process, however, by finding the material first, then matching it to Cost Savings (Appx Course an existing course. Department Course Materials Enrollment x Cost High quality, open access textbooks and Savings per Student) library eBook vendors have already been identified by librarians. We plan to fund ad- Rather than requiring three textbooks at a total cost of $160 as he has previously junct librarians to match these books — from Eastern Religious Studies done, the instructor will use a combi- $6,960 vendors like Open Stax (from Rice University) Religions nation of free library resources and or library eBooks from ebrary and EBL — to a custom AcademicPub course pack. textbooks currently used in high-enrollment Software Engineering is a required General Education courses at SJSU. Librari- course for Computer Science majors ans would also research and identify relevant Software and has an enrollment of 200+ a year. textbook supplements, such as test banks, Computer Science $72,000 Engineering The current textbook costs $128. The instructor manuals, PowerPoint presentations, instructor is replacing it with an open and prepared lecture notes, that would make online textbook. adoption of these affordable materials easier More than 250 students take this class and more attractive. Open textbooks and each year. The current text costs $66 library eBooks that show a strong alignment (used) to $158 (new). The instructor Hazards, Risks with textbooks currently in use would be will be replacing it with an open online Geology of Earthquakes $18,480 textbook he has created with learning promoted to the faculty teaching the courses and Volcanoes activity worksheets, peer-reviewed in- and to the department chairs. We hope the structional materials, and articles avail- Open Textbooks Project will reach even more able from federally funded sources. students and keep a college education within These two accounting courses can their reach by making it more affordable. Introduction enroll up to 400 students a year. The to Financial instructor has created an e-textbook Accounting Accounting titled Discovering Accounting which $80,000 Endnotes & Survey of will be priced at $55, replacing a $255 1. U.S. Government Accountability Of- Accounting traditional textbook for a savings of fice. “College Textbooks: Students Have $200 per student. Greater Access to Textbook Information,” Publication No. GAO-13-368. (June 2013). Initially, we offered TAP grants from $500- and the mandate that they adopt a Creative http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/655066.pdf $2,000. Applicants were required to submit Commons license for self-authored material. (Accessed August 1, 2014). a proposal that included: number of students We do still ask that they submit a showcase and sections per term, current cost of course profile for our Website, post completed open materials, projected cost, and a description of resources to MERLOT.org, and provide assess- new materials, including information about ment and evaluation information. how these materials would be assessed. The Evaluation of the new affordable materials Rumors grant proposals were reviewed by the ALS in existing TAP courses is an ongoing proj- from page 6 coordinators using a rubric. The most heavily ect. Faculty need to develop a convincing weighted criterion was the savings to students, assessment that compares the effectiveness of several sessions at this year’s Conference about which was determined by multiplying the num- original materials with the new materials they self-publishing initiatives. ber of students affected by the cost reduction have chosen to use. TAP participants must Was excited to read about Usus – a communi- of course materials. also report these results to us in a way that ty Website on usage in this issue of ATG (p.105). There were some clear winners, mostly can be shared with the Chancellor’s Office and Usus (Latin for usage) is a new, independent, large General Education courses with expen- other stakeholders. Deciding on appropriate community-run Website (http://www.usus.org. sive textbooks, which represented the courses assessment indicators — such as GPA, reten- uk/) for all those interested in the usage of online we had intended TAP to target. However, as tion, survey results, or individual qualitative content. It is designed to support a productive reviewers, we felt many projects had merit feedback — continues to be a challenge. continued on page 46 20 Against the Grain / November 2014
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Introduction & Background source other than the campus book- faculty were interested in publishing open text- SUNY Geneseo is one of sixty-four campuses store, renting textbooks, purchasing books. We determined that our grant funding in the State University of New York (SUNY) used books, selling their used books, could support the publication of four textbooks. system, and one of twelve comprehensive, and using copies on reserve at the Using a rubric created by the OST project four-year undergraduate colleges. It is a liberal campus library. team, librarians carefully reviewed, ranked, arts-focused, highly competitive, and extremely • Institutions’ libraries that provide and selected the top textbook proposals in each selective undergraduate institution. System-wide, textbooks for checkout are extending of seven subject categories (Anthropology, Art there are over 460,000 students enrolled in an important lifeline to students who & Music; Business & Economics; Computer SUNY programs, and in 2012, Geneseo’s own cannot afford to purchase a textbook. Science; Education; English & Foreign Lan- full-time equivalent enrollment was 5,418. Like • 64% of students reported not buying guages; Math; and Sciences). The four propos- most publicly funded institutions, Geneseo faces a textbook for a course, 49% took als that received the highest evaluation scores intermittent budget cuts and flat funding, while fewer courses, 45% didn’t register were selected for publication. An additional 11 enrollment remains steady or increases. Leaders for a course, and 27% had dropped textbooks were identified as strong candidates on campus and across the system are encouraged a course — all because of textbook for publication and four SUNY libraries agreed to innovate and look for high-impact solutions. costs.2 to contribute $40,000 to fund the publication of In 2012, SUNY created the Innovative In- these textbooks, bringing the total number of On our own campus, we’ve conducted polls accepted proposals in round one to 15. structional Technology Grant (IITG) program and informal surveys and found similar infor- to incentivize faculty and staff to pursue new mation — students are going to great lengths In 2013, the OST team applied for and was initiatives that positively impact teaching and to avoid purchasing expensive textbooks, awarded a second IITG grant, this time for learning. SUNY Geneseo’s Milne Library including dropping and adding courses based $60,000. Review of manuscript proposals was applied for and was awarded a $20,000 grant to on the cost of textbooks. Students are spending handled differently during this second round: design and build an open textbook publishing more money on textbooks and tuition without instead of project team members reviewing program. The Open SUNY Textbooks (OST) the prospect of a greater return on investment. and ranking proposals, librarian liaisons from program is a collaboration of nine SUNY According to the College Board, students and the partner libraries were asked to identify and libraries, made up of community colleges, un- their parents spend approximately $1,200 work with willing faculty on their campuses dergraduate comprehensives, and one research per year on textbooks.3 In addition, the 2005 to review a one-page, blind abstract and use university. The program’s goal is to create an GAO report raised concerns that publishers a rubric to rank the feasibility of the textbook open textbook publishing system spearheaded are increasing the frequency with which they proposal in question. This new approach also and managed by libraries, one that capitalizes on revise their textbooks, not because they feel allowed for the team to identify a pool of fu- our libraries’ existing infrastructure and relation- compelled to update the content, but in order to ture peer reviewers. Reviewers came from all ships with faculty. Since 2012, additional SUNY limit the used “discount” market for textbooks, sectors of the SUNY system and all disciplines. libraries, the SUNY Press, and other individuals preventing the resale of older editions.4 Stu- The team also modified the incentive structure have worked with the original project team to de- dents want solutions, and they are prepared to for the second round — a $1,000 award for velop and build a sustainable academic-friendly make serious decisions about their future based authors and $300 for peer reviewers. This has publishing model for open textbooks. on the problems they see in higher education. enabled us to fund the publication of 15 text- book proposals in round two with publication Why Textbooks? How Open SUNY Textbooks Works expected by the end of 2015. Nationally, students bear a high cost to at- The OST program has two major goals: to One outcome from both rounds of the grants tend college, but how much do textbook costs engage faculty and students in the creation and is the creation of documentation that can be used factor into these budgets? The GAO reported publication of open textbooks; and to develop to implement initiatives similar to Open SUNY in 2013 that: a framework for library publishing services Textbooks at other institutions. Part of the work More recent data show that textbook and an infrastructure to support such creation. being done by partners includes developing the prices continued to rise from 2002 to The original $20,000 grant in 2012 provided roles of editor, copyeditor, proofreader, and 2012 at an average of 6% per year, while funding for author and peer reviewer incen- instructional designer at the member libraries. tuition and fees increased at an average tives and for the establishment of an editorial In this regard, the project also relies on a part- of 7% and overall prices increased at an and review system for authors, reviewers, and nership with the university press, SUNY Press, average of 2% per year…new textbook librarians. A call for authors was released in to assist with workflow design, role clarification, prices increased by a total of 82% over November of 2012 and sent to SUNY faculty and professional development. this time period, while tuition and fees through the SUNY Provosts’ listserv. Inter- increased by 89% and overall consumer ested faculty members were invited to submit Why the Library as Publisher? prices grew by 28%.1 proposals for the creation of an open textbook, As more universities and colleges take on In 2012, the Florida Virtual Campus (a encouraged to involve their students in the publishing initiatives within their organiza- network of public colleges in Florida) interviewed creation of the book, and given the deadline tions, roles will need to be clarified. There are hundreds of students from all eleven of Florida’s for submission of their manuscript. Incentives several reasons why the library is a good fit as state universities and administered an anonymous were included: authors would receive a $3,000 a publisher on a university or college campus, online survey in which students from twenty-two award upon completion of their manuscript and especially if the focus is on open access text- of its twenty-eight colleges, community colleges, an additional $1,000 award for the successful book publishing. First, libraries are advocates and state colleges participated.2 Not surprisingly, integration of students into the creation of the for sharing and reusing information. Open ac- they found that textbook costs continue to take textbook (after completing an assessment of cess is a means to the dissemination of research a toll on students financially and academically. student learning from the experience). Peer and information across the scholarly landscape Among their many findings, these stand out: reviewers received a $1,000 award. and libraries are well-positioned to work with • Students use a wide variety of meth- The OST project team was very encouraged authors and researchers to create, produce, ods to reduce costs of textbooks, that we received 38 proposals in only three and disseminate their research through open including purchasing books from a weeks — this demonstrated to us that SUNY continued on page 24 22 Against the Grain / November 2014
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www.opticsinfobase.org The Michigan State University Course Materials Program: Packing Up Your Textbook Troubles with Course Packs by Tyler Smeltekop (Course Materials Program Manager, Michigan State University Libraries)
Introduction are converted to grayscale during the printing fees is a divisive and highly-charged political The development of course curricula must process. Color printing also carries greater issue at MSU. strike a balance between the costs of course expense, so it is typically used in cases where While the assessment of class-wide fees for content and the pedagogical value of that con- color is critical to the concepts being discussed, course materials generally raises objections, tent for faculty and students. Before purchas- such as electrical wiring or organic structures. there are certain situations where this not only ing an expensive textbook for a course, many All our print course packs are shrink-wrapped makes sense, but it simplifies matters. We have students carefully evaluate the balance between and three-hole punched, unless coil-binding is found that the use of fees works best — and cost and value by assessing the amount of con- requested. The production is not handled in- is palatable for administrators, instructors and tent in the book that is actually required to be house, as our volume is too large to be handled students — when a successive-style curriculum read or is directly referenced by the instructor. by our Library Copy Center, so we partner with has students congruently moving through a cer- The more content that goes unused in a course, area printing operations on a contractual basis. tain order or number of classes. MSU’s Human the more negative the balance becomes, posing Contract terms stipulate that printers will turn Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine students a particular challenge for faculty in selecting around reprints of course packs within 24 to provide one example. These students move their course resources. 48 hours, if stock runs out at the bookstore — through a different semester structure than Course packs, also referred to as course far faster than many other commercial course others on campus, taking up to nine courses in readers, are a response to this dynamic. As pack and custom publishing operations. Man- a single semester, each with its own required highly-customized products, they are designed agement of quality control and maintaining course pack. Under a previous model, students to contain only the pieces of information that adequate pack supply requires considerable paid online for their print course packs during are most pertinent to the course for which they coordination and effort, which may be an ob- a preorder period. Print pack quantities would are being created. The intensely curatorial pro- stacle for smaller-scale operations. be finalized based on these preorders and then cess of content creation that is the hallmark of In general, disadvantages inherent with distributed on certain dates and times, requir- course packs synthesizes content from a broad print course pack models are largely internal: ing hundreds of students to gather and wait in array of sources and provides several benefits in addition to comprehensive supply chain line to receive the pack for their next class. It to faculty and students. Primarily, a positive management, the modes of distributing print was chaos. Following the conclusion of the cost-value balance is easier to achieve because course packs to students can provide challeng- preorder period, students would inevitably course packs contain very little, if any, unused es. Our program partners with two bookstores, come to us providing often-valid reasons for content. It is also possible for faculty to include one on campus and one near campus, to handle being unable to order the pack in advance — a wide variety of types of content in a single the retailing of print course packs to students. notably, one student was literally climbing volume, ranging from book chapters, journal The benefit is twofold: one, since our packs are Mount Kilimanjaro during the duration of the articles, public domain resources (such as available at limited locations, these brick-and- pre-order period. Students were also frustrated government documents) and their own content, mortar operations benefit from students coming by the need to participate in so many preorder- often created specifically for the course pack. to get their course packs, as well as other course ing intervals. materials and supplies; and two, without the Around this time, there was a growing Course Packs at MSU retail experience to manage, our team is leaner desire by both students and faculty to have the The Michigan State University Course and able to focus on the primary duties of work- course materials available in electronic format. Materials Program (CMP), a part of the MSU ing with faculty, preparing course pack files for By assessing a materials charge each semester Libraries, exists to assist faculty with the entire printing and triaging copyright licenses. for these groups of medical students, we were process of course pack creation and production. able to streamline the process of paying for and During our last full academic year (Fall 2013, From p-Packs to e-Packs receiving the full bevy of printed course packs Spring 2014 and Summer 2014), our program This Fall 2014 semester, we are fully roll- these medical students use during their aca- produced 27,733 printed course packs. In ing out our Electronic Course Pack (e-Pack) demic career, and also release each print pack total, over 10.2 million impressions (a printed Program across campus after two semesters with an e-pack version. At first, the issue of a side of a sheet of paper) were printed. Our of piloting with two courses. A student who broadly-assessed additional charge for medical program handles the copyright clearance for is enrolled in a course with an e-pack can pur- students was highly political, but with student any third-party copyrighted content on behalf chase access in MSU’s Non-Credit Registra- leadership vocally supporting the availability of our faculty members; we negotiated licenses tion System (NCRS), a system that is typically of e-packs and administration supporting the for approximately 250 faculty in this last year, used to assess registration fees for conferences changes, the Provost and Registrar approved to the tune of over $145,300 paid out in roy- and seminars on campus and miscellaneous the use of fees for these students. alties. The scale of our operation has grown lab fees. Payment is made by credit card. Given the experience we have had produc- over nearly 20 years, due largely to persistent Once access is purchased, the e-pack files are ing e-packs for the medical colleges, we’ve outreach efforts to make our services known to unlocked in MSU’s current learning manage- already noticed a number of advantages of MSU faculty and to the flexibility of the way ment system, Desire2Learn (D2L), for the e-packs over print packs. Unlike a printed our products can be formatted and produced. student. In this way, the decision to purchase product, electronic files can be easily updated Our print course packs frequently take the the e-pack is made by the student and access in the event of errors, a simple process of cor- form of anthologies of selections, but we also is optional, just as it is optional for students to recting the mistake and notifying the faculty produce course packs created entirely by fac- purchase hardcopy textbooks. This element and students. Additionally, there is no differ- ulty, designed to closely resemble textbooks in of choice is very important for us to maintain. ence in cost to have full color in an e-pack, their format, content and structure. Color print- The alternative is to levy a course fee on all whereas there is a significant gulf between ing is not common, as the majority of content students upon enrollment in the class. While black-and-white and full-color printing. The included in print course packs are text-based administratively easier, such fees are very biggest advantage, however, is the utilization selections with minimal color graphics, which difficult to implement and initiating any new continued on page 28
26 Against the Grain / November 2014
The Michigan State University ... from page 26 against thepeople grain profile of currently-implemented digital solutions like NCRS and D2L in that 24/7, on-campus techni- cal support already exists. This frees our staff Course Materials Program Manager, Michigan State University Libraries up to focus on other aspects of our operation. 366 W. Circle Drive, Room W223, East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: (517) 884-6468 • Fax: (517) 335-1690 Course Packs and the Library:
28 Against the Grain / November 2014
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Journal_Librarian_AD.indd 1 9/25/14 9:48 AM All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go Internet2/EDUCAUSE E-textbook Pilot Projects, a Collaborative Venture with Textbook Publishers and Academic Institutions by Monica Metz-Wiseman (Coordinator of Electronic Collections, University of South Florida)
hances are, if you know a recent college course readings in lieu of a textbook, collabora- library was the most involved unit across all graduate, you know someone grappling tions between university presses and academic campuses. Cwith student debt. According to the libraries, experimentation with online course USF became involved primarily to deter- Project on Student Debt (http://projectonstu- reserve, and eBooks that might take the place mine if e-textbooks were an acceptable format dentdebt.org/), students who graduated with a of traditional textbooks. This article explores to students and faculty and in the hopes of bachelor’s degree in 2012 accrued an average a possible solution through the efforts of aca- realizing lower textbook costs. The USF student debt of $29,400 and seven out of ten demic institutions working in conjunction with Library viewed the pilot as an opportunity to college seniors reported having student loans. major textbook publishers in three e-textbook help our students. We decided to participate In 2013 and 2014, student debt surpassed auto pilots sponsored by Internet2/EDUCAUSE. as the neutral party, in a domain where there and credit card debt in the U.S. Meanwhile, The Internet2/EDUCAUSE E-textbook was significant money at stake. For the library, over the past decade the price of textbooks in there was no potential for loss of revenue, un- the U.S. has risen substantially higher than the Pilots, a Proof-of-Concept Initiative like our commercially-run campus bookstore rate of inflation. With many textbooks selling Following in the footsteps of Indiana or the university itself, which realizes some of for $200 or more, it can be argued that the cost of University and other universities, the first the bookstore profit. textbooks is contributing to rising student debt. e-textbook pilot was launched under the More generally, we reasoned that librar- Expensive textbooks also negatively im- organizational umbrella of Internet2/EDU- ians have a unique set of competencies and pact teaching and student learning outcomes. CAUSE in the fall of 2012 with 23 colleges skills which are necessary to successfully The National Survey of Student Engagement and universities participating. The last of implement an e-textbook pilot. Librarians (http://www.nsse.iub.edu/) reports that 27% the three pilots ended in December of 2013. are no stranger to innovative technologies, of freshmen and 34% of seniors Institutions paid a flat fee accessibility issues, the publishing industry, “often” or “very often” chose based on the anticipated budgets, support issues, vendor negotiations, not to purchase required ac- number of participating licensing, working with faculty and students, ademic materials because students and the e-text- or dealing with bibliographic information. of cost. Students who books were provided Librarians also possess strong project man- cannot afford required to students and facul- agement skills and research and assessment textbooks often strug- ty at no cost. Course- expertise. Finally, librarians are curious. gle in their courses. load, the e-textbook We wanted to know if an e-textbook and the Some students cannot platform used in the e-textbook platform would have an impact on take required cours- pilots, featured capa- teaching and learning. This curiosity, coupled es or delay enrolling bilities that allowed with the skills and abilities encompassed in courses based on students and facul- within librarianship, made it seem natural the price of the text- ty to take and share that the library should take on a leadership book. As a result, notes, search within role and engage in the pilot implementations their course loads drop, the e-textbook, and to and assessments. they take longer to grad- bookmark, highlight, and uate, or, worse of all, they drop out altogether. read sections offline. Access to the e-textbook The Logistics of Implementing Faculty, on the other hand, concern was granted through the course management the Pilot themselves with the quality and suitability of system. Only one publisher participated in the In order to participate, colleges and uni- textbook content and not always with price. initial pilot. In subsequent pilots, launched versities were required to be members of A faculty survey conducted at the University in the spring and fall of 2013, there was an EDUCAUSE or Internet2 and had to secure of South Florida (USF) revealed that over increase in the number of publishers and a funding in advance. Fees for the first pilot 90% of faculty participate in the selection mix of new and returning institutions. In all were based on tiers that ranged from 800 of textbooks adopted for courses. Faculty pilots, institutions could opt to include open students (Tier I, $20,000) to 1,600 students invest considerable time and effort in de- access course materials, such as open access (Tier II, $35,000). To help determine level signing course curriculum around an adopted textbooks, on the Courseload platform at no of participation, each campus gathered data textbook. They often select traditional, some- additional cost. on publisher specific textbook adoptions. times expensive, textbooks where the only There was some financial risk involved in change they need to deal with is the release of Why did Librarians Get Involved? deciding whether to participate in the pilot at a new edition. According to the survey, fac- Twenty-three institutions including Cor- Tier I or II, as faculty had to be both willing ulty place value on particular publishers and nell, Michigan State, Iowa State, Dartmouth, to participate in the pilot and able to adopt familiarity with the content. They also cite University of Kentucky, University of Buffa- an e-textbook that was included in the pilot. ease of use and the amount of time required lo, and USF participated in the fall 2012 pilot to find an alternative textbook as reasons for documented in the report, Understanding What Administrative and academic buy-in using the same commercially-created text- Higher Education Needs from E-Textbooks: from diverse units on campus was necessary. books semester after semester. An EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Pilot (http://www. USF’s Provost, Faculty Senate, General Academic institutions and federal and state educause.edu/library/resources/understand- Counsel, Information Technology (IT), Office governments continue to look for solutions to ing-what-higher-education-needs-e-text- of Student Disabilities, and the University the problem of high-cost textbooks, solutions books-educauseinternet2-pilot). According to Bookstore all had a say in whether to move that take into consideration both student’s this report, of all of the stakeholders involved forward on the pilot. For many institutions, financial needs and faculty’s focus on quality in the fall 2012 pilot — libraries, teaching and getting permission or a waiver from the content. Some solutions that are being ex- learning centers, information technology and campus bookstore was a non-starter. Each plored include open access textbooks, online instructional technology departments — the continued on page 32
30 Against the Grain / November 2014
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To learn more, visit pubs.acs.org/ebooks or find your sales representative at pubs.acs.org/salescontacts TextSelect: Purchasing Textbooks for Library Reserves by David Gibbs Head of Collection Development & Preservation, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA)
raditionally, most academic libraries Communication and outreach were critical books were not available electronically. We have not purchased textbooks. The gen- to our success, and the IT/engineering liaison considered targeting subject areas with high- Teral philosophy has been that students librarian contacted every faculty member using cost textbooks, such as business and STEM are responsible for buying required reading a book included in our pilot. She explained the courses, but in the end decided to focus on for their classes, while the library furnishes reserves program and requested that faculty classes whose students we felt were the greatest material for student and faculty research. Of share the access information for the reserves retention risks: freshmen and transfer students. course, textbooks have always found their way books with their students. Though feedback We created a list of classes that satisfied the into the library stacks, and many students as- from teaching faculty has been minimal, it University’s lower-level General Education sume that textbooks will be available to borrow. has been very positive. The faculty liaison (Gen Ed) requirements and worked with the The increasing cost of textbooks, coupled with from the Electrical and Computer Engineering bookstore to generate a list of required books a weakened economy, has increased student department, for example, praised the Libraries’ for these classes in order to estimate a budget demands for more affordable textbook options efforts to help his students who lacked funds for the year. and with that demand has come increased at- to pay for their own textbooks. The University Bookstore tention on the issue at state and national levels. Since the Fall 2009 semester, circulation In early 2009, the George Mason Uni- data for each title has been reviewed regularly We were originally concerned that the versity Libraries attempted to address student and used to decide whether books should re- bookstore (operated by Barnes & Noble Col- concerns about textbook access options by main on reserve. After the first two semesters, lege) would see us as a competitor, but they analyzing interlibrary loan (ILL) borrowing the older editions were taken off reserve, as were enthusiastic about the project and quickly statistics. Though ILL statistics may seem they received little use. Initially, books were became a crucial and cooperative partner. We like an unlikely place to begin, we found that removed during semesters they were not used, discussed renting textbooks from them but 90% of the 50 most-borrowed titles were infor- but after several books went missing while in decided that purchasing would work better for mation technology (IT) and engineering text- the open stacks and replacement copies had to both sides. The bookstore offered to buy back books. Most of these titles (83%) were being be purchased, we decided to leave these titles the textbooks at the end of the semester, but due used in Computer Science and Electrical and on reserve year-round. Additionally, if eBooks to strict rules about the disposal of state proper- Computer Engineering courses. The Libraries were also available, print copies were taken off ty, this was not a viable option. We purchased already owned 76% of the titles in print, even reserve. Statistics for the first three years of the the books from the bookstore at a generous though for many years our official policy had pilot showed steady use: each title circulated an discount using a university purchasing card. been to not collect textbooks. average of 11 times per semester, with averages The problems with textbooks and ILL varying between 7 and 15 circulations. Workflow are well known among ILL practitioners. Workflow challenges abounded because Textbooks are in high demand among many Expansion of the Program this was new territory for the many staff institutions, with few available copies. When In Fall 2012, the Libraries’ new Associate involved in identifying, purchasing, and students borrow a textbook through ILL, the University Librarian for Research and Educa- processing such a large volume of textbooks, loan period is usually only four to eight weeks, tional Services was appointed by the Provost to (see Fig. 1). In the beginning especially, 1 often significantly less than the amount of time a Task Force on Textbook Affordability, and she communication between acquisitions staff and the item is needed. Students often expect that charged a working group to investigate the fea- the bookstore was complicated by differences once they return the textbook, a second copy sibility of expanding our reserves pilot program. in the ways we identified or differentiated can be readily obtained, and they are surprised An environmental scan by the working group between titles, and the spreadsheets we to find themselves without a textbook halfway provided many examples of textbook reserves received from the bookstore often needed through the semester. programs at other institutions, including the translation. Version control became an issue University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign, as every participant in the workflow had Initial Textbook Reserves Pilot the University of Minnesota, Miami Univer- different information needs and manipulated In the summer of 2009, the Head of ILL sity, North Carolina State University, and the spreadsheets in different ways, resulting and the IT/engineering liaison librarian ex- Virginia Tech. The scopes of these programs in some confusion and even mistakes. pressed interest in placing high-demand titles on reserves to better leverage library resources. Fig. 1: Original Workflow (Fall 2013) After assessing options, we established our initial textbook reserves pilot. The primary Bookstore Manager → AUL for Research and Educational Services (RES) → Policy Analyst goals of this pilot were to provide students and Planning Specialist for RES → Head of Collection Development → Collection Develop- with equitable access to high-demand engi- ment Support Specialist → Head of Technical Services → Ordering Coordinator → Senior neering textbooks and to alleviate demand for Fiscal Coordinator → Copy Cataloger → Print Reserve Coordinator textbooks requested through ILL. Space in the print Reserves area was a big limitation as we only had space for 50 titles. varied from a few courses or departments to, Bundling The pilot was limited to courses taught in the in the case of NC State, near-comprehensive Some titles came bundled with access School of Engineering with the highest num- coverage. Some programs rented textbooks, codes to supplemental online material (test ber of ILL requests. Initially, all copies of the but most purchased them. Most programs, in banks, study guides) that could only be used current edition of a title were placed on reserve, addition to purchasing textbooks, solicited dona- by one student. We worked with the book- along with one copy of a previous edition, if tions from faculty or publishers and made use of store to obtain codeless versions of titles but already owned. If a title was not owned, the textbooks that were already in their collections. accepted titles with access codes if that was IT/engineering liaison librarian ordered the Some provided a mechanism for students and the only option. We considered blacking current edition, paying for it with her subject faculty to request specific textbooks for reserve. out the access code but decided to allow the funds and managing the purchase process until The working group decided to focus on lucky first borrower of the textbook to use it. the book arrived and was given to Reserves print textbooks, as we felt that a majority of Although the bookstore understood that we staff for processing. students prefer using print and that many text- continued on page 36 34 Against the Grain / November 2014
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Visit www.igi-global.com to view IGI Global’s complete list of Reference Publications [email protected] | 1.866.342.6657 ext.100 | 717.533.8845 ext.100 www.igi-global.com patrons, but this increases the likelihood that One note of concern is that the number TextSelect: Purchasing Textbooks ... they will no longer be available when we need of noncirculating titles increased from 16% from page 34 to put them back on reserve (as we had seen in the fall semester to 50% in spring. We earlier with the engineering textbooks). Before are assessing reasons why this may have did not want lab manuals or consumable items the summer semester we added a form to our occurred. To our surprise, cost did not such as workbooks, in some cases there was Website allowing students to suggest purchases necessarily correlate with usage: there were no way to disaggregate such content from the for the TextSelect program. several textbooks with list prices of $200 or textbook itself. Title Lists Fig. 2: Revised Workflow (Summer 2014) Because some faculty members are notori- ously late in getting their orders to the book- Bookstore M anager → Collection Development Support Specialist → Ordering Coordinator store, we received new lists weekly. These lists → Senior Fiscal Coordinator → Copy Cataloger → Print Reserve Coordinator were vetted to ensure that only Gen Ed classes were included and that none were left out. Ti- Challenges more that had no usage at all. We suspect tles were manually searched in the catalog to Fostering awareness of TextSelect is a chal- that either the students did not know that identify titles we already owned – these were lenge as students and faculty are understandably their textbook was on reserve or the title, retrieved from the stacks and put on reserve unsure of which courses and textbooks are though supposedly required, was not heavily by Access Services staff. All textbooks were or can be included. The parameters of the used by the professor. Another observation is placed on two-hour reserve at the Johnson program are objective (though evolving), but that “regular” books (novels and inexpensive Center Library (now the Gateway Library) subject librarians determine which engineering trade paperback nonfiction) were more likely and listed in the catalog under professor and to have low or no usage than “traditional” course name. and business textbooks are most appropriate to place on reserves. Timing is also an issue: textbooks. Going forward, we will likely Marketing students may not be aware that a title has been focus more on traditional textbooks. To market the pilot program, which we ordered before buying the book themselves, For Fall 2014, we are continuing the named TextSelect, we emailed department and, no matter how far in advance we start the TextSelect program and expanding it to heads whose courses had books on reserve. ordering process, we are not able to get all the include required courses in all STEM fields We emphasized TextSelect’s value books ordered and on reserve before as well as the School for Conflict Resolution not just as a substitute for buying classes start. and Analysis (S-CAR). We are pleased with requiring textbooks, but also as the results of our year-long TextSelect pilot, a supplement for students who Assessing Success along with the engineering reserves program already owned the textbook. Overall, we have been that preceded it; we feel it has been a step in We highlighted TextSelect on pleased by the usage of the right direction toward easing some of the the library homepage and in the textbooks that we have burden of textbook costs for our students. the library news and sent out put on reserve (see Fig. 3). an announcement in Mason Overall, use increased by Authors’ Note: We would like to thank E-files, a university-wide 58% from fall to spring. Theresa Calcagno, Diane Smith, and Meg weekly announcement email. We did not see any clear Manahan for their contributions to this arti- We also arranged for an article trends in usage by sub- cle. — DG & JB about the program to be published in the ject area, but in general liberal arts courses student newspaper. seemed to have lower textbook use than social Endnotes Fine-tuning sciences and STEM disciplines. The ten most- used textbooks in the spring semester were 1. The final report of the task force can be For Spring 2014, we made some adjust- in math, electrical engineering, management, accessed at http://www.gmu.edu/resources/ ments to TextSelect, streamlining the or- civil engineering, chemistry, computer science, facstaff/senate/MINUTES_FS_2013-14/13- dering process and tweaking the purchasing economics, and physics. The preponderance of Task%20Force%20Report%20FINAL.pdf criteria. Originally, we ordered two copies engineering and computer science titles on the of textbooks for classes with more than 500 list is likely due in part to more awareness of the students, but we found that class size did not program since its inception dates back to 2009. increase usage enough to justify an extra copy. We also increased the minimum textbook price from $20 to $50; expanded the program Fig. 3: Titles Purchased and Usage from 100 and 200 level Gen Ed courses to include Gen Ed courses at all undergraduate Titles Average Average Zero levels; and invited the Business librarian to Purchased* Cost/Title* Total Uses** Use/Title** Usage** include graduate level courses in the School of Management. Fall 2013 222 $76 1,047 6 16% We improved workflows and reduced the Spring 2014 213 $92 1,664 4 50% number of staff involved in the process from ten to six (see Fig. 2). We are still assessing op- tions for how to handle TextSelect titles when Summer 2014 27 $125 N/A N/A N/A they are not being used for a class. Ideally, we would like to make them accessible for our * Excludes titles already owned by the library. ** Includes titles already owned by the library.
36 Against the Grain / November 2014
The UCLA Libraries Affordable Course Materials Initiative: Expanding Access, Use, and Affordability of Course Materials by Sharon E. Farb (Associate University Librarian, University of California, Los Angeles)
In 2013, the UCLA Library launched the The UCLA Library modeled the ACMI with enrollments of fewer than two hundred Affordable Course Materials Initiative (ACMI) on certain elements of programs created by students and $2,500 to instructors teaching with four overarching goals: the libraries at UMASS Amherst (http:// courses with larger enrollments. These mod- • Lowering costs of course materials guides.library.umass.edu/oer), Temple Uni- est yet significant sums were meant to offer to students versity (http://sites.temple.edu/alttextbook), an incentive for instructors to take the time • Building open educational resources and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to identify new resources, adjust syllabi, and (OER) (https://libraries.mit.edu/scholarly) that modify assignments. The funding could also focus more specifically on open educational be used to cover any actual expenses incurred • Greater integration of library collec- resources (OER) and open textbooks. We by the instructor. In addition, the faculty tions in teaching and learning envisioned our program being broader and committee reviewing the initial round of appli- • Increased engagement with faculty focused on the diversity of material used in cations suggested that we designate collection and students teaching that extends well beyond any notion development awards to build or enhance library Broad sponsorship for this initiative was of a textbook alone. We designed the ACMI collections in support of specific courses. essential to its successful launch, and the pilot to more effectively utilize existing UCLA Since announcing the ACMI last March, the was developed and scoped, in part, through Library collections, develop new ones, and UCLA Library has received 27 applications. many conversations that occurred at various help faculty enhance their course materials Applicants have come from many different levels across campus. As a result of these in ways that support affordability and ease departments across campus, though English conversations, the ACMI is endorsed by the of access. By building on our colleagues’ has had the most (5), followed by Nursing, Office of theUCLA Executive Vice Chancel- initiatives, we hoped to provide another model Law, and Chinese (see Figure 1). We’ve lor and the UCLA Academic Senate, partial for academic libraries. made 23 awards: 19 monetary awards, three funding is provided by the California Digital In addition to better integration of UCLA collection development awards, and one for Library, and support comes from the UCLA Library collections and services into instruc- expertise to help address copyright issues for student government and the campus bookstore. tion, the ACMI also supports Library efforts an open access textbook. A total of $27,500 has The ACMI is the latest in a diverse set of to identify OERs that meet the needs of the been given in cash awards, with an additional services designed and led by the UCLA Li- faculty and that are alternatives to high-priced $2,916 spent on acquisitions. In addition to the brary to promote the broadest possible access commercial publishers’ textbooks. We also awards, each recipient is assigned a library staff to and use of library collections in support of work with UCLA faculty to more effectively member to serve as the awardee’s point person UCLA’s mission of teaching and research. make their scholarly articles, books, and in- offering subject expertise, intellectual property The UCLA Library previously partnered structional resources available to students and and copyright advice, digitization services, and with UCLA Bookstore by sharing the terms colleagues via open access. technology assistance. of our negotiated license agreements. The The ACMI incentivizes instructors to use Assessing Success collaboration enabled the bookstore to avoid low-cost or free alternatives to expensive paying permission fees for content (typically course materials. These alternatives include Although not the sole measure of the pilot’s online journal articles) that the library already open-access scholarly resources; library-li- success, direct savings to students are signifi- licensed on behalf of the campus community. censed and owned resources; digitized content cant and readily quantifiable: thus far, the more This partnership resulted in substantially lower from UCLA collections; and learning objects than 1,000 students in ACMI-awarded courses costs for creating print course packs, especially and texts that faculty create themselves. We have saved a collective total of $112,000. This for classes that rely heavily on journal articles. awarded $1,000 to instructors teaching courses figure was calculated by figuring the cost of the materials used the last time each awarded course was taught and the cost during the AC- Figure 1 MI-awarded quarter, and then multiplying that difference by the number of students enrolled during the ACMI quarter. Several examples provide additional context. The last time an awarded mechanical engineering course was taught, students had to buy a $200 textbook. During the ACMI quarter, the professor created a “textbook” from his lecture notes, which he provided at no cost to his 56 students, saving them $200 each for a total of $11,200. Students in an awarded theater course were able to access all their assigned readings through the UCLA Library, saving them a total of $11,375. In addition to the cost savings, qualitative feedback from instructors has been positive. One professor for an English composition class noted that participation in the ACMI has “really been a nice shot in the arm for my teaching,” and an assistant professor in Chi- continued on page 40
38 Against the Grain / November 2014
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Powered by photonics Visit www.SDLinfo.org for information on subscribing The UCLA Libraries ... from page 38 against thepeople grain profile nese and Religion noted that she was able “to make the course less expensive for students, to waste less paper, and to use a wider vari- Chief Executive, AMALIVRE ety of materials so that the course was more 62 Avenue de Suffren, 75015 Paris, France engaging.” Another professor noted that the Phone: 33 (0) 1 45 67 18 38 • Fax: 33 (0) 1 45 66 50 70 ACMI helped him “get to know the resources
40 Against the Grain / November 2014
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FOLLOW US ON TWITTER FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @CHURCHILLONLINE @DRAMAONLINELIB ATG Interviews Gilles de La Rochefoucauld Director of AMALIVRE by Tom Gilson (Associate Editor, Against the Grain)
ATG: The merger of Aux Amateurs de space of 500 sq. meters in the heart of Paris at a Livres and Librairie Internationale Touzot reasonable cost was a bit of a gamble. We had first announced in July of 2012 is near com- the good fortune to find, immediately adjacent pletion. Can you give us some background to the Aux Amateurs’ offices, the additional on how these two venerable companies came space that we were lacking. to this decision? What strengths does Aux My surprise and satisfaction came from see- Amateurs de Livres bring to the new com- ing how the two teams have come together rap- pany? How about Librairie Internationale idly and effectively. However, for the Touzot Touzot? team, there was the shock of having to move, GLR: The two companies have been in and for the Aux Amateurs’ team, the need to operation since the Second World War. They find working space for 15 new arrivals. Mixed have often served the same clients, worked in teams organized by service were planned and much the same way, and generally offered the put in place from the first day and have worked same services, monographic order fulfillment, well from the start. As of the 1st of July, all our new title services, subscription management, staff members have felt comfortable working and shelf-ready services. If I had to note under the new identity AMALIVRE even as a distinction, a small one, between the two they remain proud of their respective histories. companies, it would be that Aux Amateurs ATG: In the original letter to your cus- de Livres put more emphasis on approval plan tomers you claimed that the merger was “a services in support of library collection devel- terrific opportunity to expand our service opment profiles, whereas Touzot developed ATG: Besides integrating the databases offerings and strengthen our promotion of a remarkable offer service for new titles that what other improvements, completed and French culture and French language collec- clients then confirmed as orders. Of course, we yet to be done, are being added to the online tions abroad.” Now that the merger is nearly want to preserve both these traditions without platform? complete what evidence of this will current favoring one over the other. GLR: The management of monographic and potential overseas customers see? What ATG: We noticed that as of July 1 you standing orders which was possible on the new services are being offered? have a new corporate identity for the com- Touzot Website but not on the Aux Amateurs’ GLR: I would like to insist on the fact that bined bookshops. AMALIVRE will unite the has just been added to the AMALIVRE site. the merger was not initiated to save money but long histories of Librairie Touzot and Aux Search, sort, order, and claim functions have to strengthen our operations. This is true for Amateurs de Livres into one company. Where all been added to this module. In the same each department, notably for the bibliographic did the new name come from? Does it have way, the management and review of serial and cataloging services, where the teams have a particular significance? subscriptions will be put in place between been doubled. It’s true as well for the Website, GLR: I wanted the merger to be expressed now and the end of the year. Finally, account which we are working on to make more re- through the new identity. Rather than create an management, with detailed statistics by subject sponsive and in line with the needs of libraries entirely new name, breaking with the identities and funds, which already exists in large part by joining our resources rather than working of the two former organizations, we wanted to on the AMALIVRE site, will be enhanced. separately on development projects each on hold on to the word “livre.” We also needed a We plan also to offer mutual access to his own side. It’s true at last from a business short and easily recognized name. We thought libraries with reciprocal or cooperative ar- perspective as we will have greater resources of having the three letters “AMA” precede rangements so that they can better manage to apply to customer service and to meet with “LIVRE” as they are the three initial letters of their collections. clients, whether at conferences and profession- “Amare,” to love in Latin, a good reflection of ATG: Looking back on it, what were al meetings or onsite at their libraries. our identity and our undertaking. the most difficult challenges in making the I’d add that we are going to devote a great ATG: Now that you are completing the merger work? Not only have you merged amount of time and resources to develop our integration of data from the Touzot database businesses but you’ve combined physical title offerings from Francophone regions and at www.touzot.fr into the unified database operations as well. What led to that decision? notably from the southern areas of the Fran- at www.amalivre.fr, what differences will How has it worked? What about your staffs? cophone world. There are some terrific books customers see when using the new database? How have they adjusted? published in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as How does the new database enhance the user GLR: The challenge was double. First we the Caribbean, but these are difficult to obtain. experience? had to find a location sufficiently large to ac- We want to put in place regular and reliable GLR: Firstly, the new database at www. commodate 35 people while still remaining in collection and supply networks. amalivre.fr will be expanded by comparison the heart of Paris. Second, we had to integrate ATG: Will the merger allow you to better to the two pre-existing databases. We esti- the information systems and capture historic address the demand for eBooks and other mate that this expansion will represent a 20% data, if not from 70 years, at least from the last digital formats? If so, in what ways? growth over the existing data. It will continue 10 even 20 years’ activity. The scope of the GLR: The development of eBook sales to grow more rapidly than the old Touzot and difficulty posed by the IT issue turned out to depends not so much on our efforts and the Aux Amateurs databases because the new be greater than foreseen. We finally came to resources we commit to it but more on the timid bibliographic team simply has more human completing the integration towards the end of and conservative attitude of publishers. Under and technical resources. June after some 18 months of work. the pretext of safeguarding their rights, they Additionally, the functionality and ease of For the offices, as I said, I wanted us to re- are putting in place models that are ill-suited use of the new site will continue to be actively main in Paris proper, here where 75% of French to academic libraries. developed. publishing activity takes place. Trying to find a continued on page 46
44 Against the Grain / November 2014
Interview — Rochefoucauld from page 44 againstpublisher the grain profile We have recently signed with a large pub- lisher a partnership agreement, and we will be marketing 80 titles each month from their cata- AMALIVRE logue. This is a first initiative, and we hope that it will catch on with other publishers. Corporate Headquarters: ATG: Given the dramatic changes the 62 Avenue de Suffren, 75015 Paris, France publishing industry is experiencing, mergers Phone: 33 (0) 1 45 67 18 38 • Fax: 33 (0) 1 45 66 50 70 like yours may become commonplace. Do you have any words of wisdom for other companies www.amalivre.fr considering such a merger? GLR: You’re right. When I attended my AFFILIATED COMPANIES: Editions Clément Juglar (Law and economics), Distributor for the first ALA meeting, 25 years ago next year, Voltaire Foundation, (Oxford), Centre d’études sur le XVIIIe siècle (Ferney-Voltaire, France) and there was an entire aisle devoted to foreign Société Diderot (Langres, France). vendors. In Las Vegas last June, we were five OFFICERS: Gilles de La Rochefoucauld, Christèle Giboire, Lionel Chaumontet. or six gathered together at the end of one aisle. The movement towards consolidation is thus ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS, ETC.: Member of SNIEL (French Association of vendors which clearly visible. sell abroad); ACRL-WESS. As concerns business mergers, people often VITAL INFORMATION: We maintain a database of over 650,000 new French language titles say that the human element is the most delicate. with bib records published around the world. In our case, this was the easiest. By contrast, KEY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: Monographs (print and electronic), journals, series, DVDs, I understand better the difficulties that libraries microfiches, out-of-print material marketed through firm ordering, approval plans, standing face when they undertake a system change. Based on our experience, the advice I’d give, in orders, or subscriptions. the case of merging two bookselling operations, SERVICES: Bibliographic information, cataloging (MARC21 FCR), tables of contents (pdf and would be to devote some time to carefully study MARC21), shelf-ready processing… the compatibility of information systems and put CORE MARKETS/CLIENTELE: Academic Libraries, Public Libraries, Museums and Research everything in place for a complete, reliable, and Institutions, Foreign Booksellers marketing French materials… useful consolidation of past activity. 35 ATG: Gilles, thank you so much for tak- NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: ing the time to talk us about this exciting new HISTORY AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR COMPANY/PUBLISHING PROGRAM: Founded venture! in 1935, initially as a dealer for antiquarian books and as a publisher. Began working with North GLR: Thank you and thanks to your readers American libraries as a bookseller and subscription agent in 1945. Focused on current and out-of- for your interest in AMALIVRE. print search since 1990 on the Amateurs de Livres side and since 2013 on the Touzot side.
Rumors from page 20 AGAINST THE GRAIN DEADLINES VOLUME 26 & 27 — 2014-2016 conversation among librarians, publishers, ag- gregators, and repository managers so that we 2014 Events Issue Ad Reservation Camera-Ready can all get the best possible usage reports for our electronic resources. The Usus Website provides: ALA Midwinter Dec. 2014-Jan. 2015 11/13/14 11/28/14 1) a source of hints and tips on solving known problems; 2) a list of vendors with problems that 2015 Events Issue Ad Reservation Camera-Ready are affecting the credibility and/or usefulness of Annual Repot, ACRL February 2015 01/08/15 01/22/15 the COUNTER reports; 3) a collection point for suggestions for new COUNTER usage reports MLA, SLA, Book Expo April 2015 02/19/15 03/12/15 and metrics. The Usus Supervisory Board will ALA Annual June 2015 04/09/15 04/30/15 ensure that the Website is editorially indepen- dent and will serve the needs of the community. Reference Publishing September 2015 06/18/15 07/09/15 Chaired by Anne Osterman, Deputy Director Charleston Conference November 2015 08/20/15 09/10/15 of VIVA (the Virtual Library of Virginia), the members of the Supervisory Board are: Anne ALA Midwinter Dec. 2015-Jan. 2016 11/12/15 11/27/15 Osterman, VIVA, USA (Chair); Simon Bevan, Cranfield University, UK; Melissa Blaney, ACS FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Publications, USA; Anna Creech, University of Toni Nix
46 Against the Grain / November 2014
ATG: For those readers who may not MK-P: We have been afforded an ex- be familiar with the works published by IGI traordinary privilege to be present for such Global can you tell us what they might find phenomenal technological changes where if they visited your Website? the whole world is becoming one electronic MK-P: The first thing that one will find village in which we can identify and share on the IGI Global Website is the fact that IGI knowledge instantly. As it was mentioned Global is now offering quality reference titles above, the pace of technological change has far (peer-reviewed reference books, scholarly exceeded many experts’ imaginations, causing journals, and databases) in all areas of aca- many organizations, including libraries, to be demic research — including, but not limited forced to formulate the best possible course of to: Business, Communications, Computer actions to deal with this ever-changing set of Science, Education, Engineering, Environ- challenges and opportunities. mental Science, Healthcare, Library Science, Content strategy and collection develop- Psychology, Public Policy and Administration, ment, have been, and will continue to be, signifi- Security, as well as in the Social Sciences and cantly impacted. Discoverability has become a Humanities, and not just content focused on significant topic of conversation for publishers, information science and technology research, vendors, and libraries all over the globe. which is what IGI Global had predominately In my opinion, many libraries, specifically been known for since the company’s inception those in more developed nations, have man- in 1988. We have been expanding our content aged to persevere through these changes that coverage since 2009, and today offer a diverse Encyclopedia of Information Science and Tech- have been brought upon them by fully utilizing collection of titles in all of the above academic nology can become obsolete very quickly. The a variety of technology-related applications research areas allowing us to become a major initial edition of this publication, which was a in their day-to-day operations. Regrettably, disseminator of knowledge in all content five-volume set released in January 2005, was libraries in the lesser developed nations, do areas, and not just those with purely an IS&T well-received both by researchers and academ- not have the same accessibility to these appli- focus. IGI Global’s portfolio of content ic libraries all over the world. Subsequently, cations and sadly as such, the divide between currently includes more than 2,600 reference the eight-volume, second edition was released these regions is becoming much more evident. books, 160 journals, and close to 30 different in October 2008, and included many new arti- Many institutions are becoming much more database purchasing options. Not to mention cles (roughly 60% new content) as well as some progressive in their handling of electronic more than 59,000 full-text book chapters and articles (roughly 40%) from the first edition. content and are on the verge of eliminating 14,000 full-text journal articles available for Over the years, the publication became a major print resources completely. individual purchase. source/platform for researchers, students, and many practitioners worldwide to learn about ATG: In the case of the Encyclopedia of On each page of our Website, we provide a the latest research discoveries related to the Information Science and Technology, you are full-text search for titles — also searchable by field of information science and technology wearing two hats, serving as both publisher subject area, publication type, and copyright research and its applications. As a result of this and editor. What is it like blending those year; with purchasing options on all levels worldwide recognition and requests from many two roles? fitting a variety of budgets. Additionally, we researchers, back in 2011 we began planning provide reviews/testimonials for each of our MK-P: Although it becomes difficult for the third edition. One of the hardest deci- publications, a list of best-sellers, and also a list from time to time, I have always tried to keep sions that we had to make was whether or not to of indices where our publications are currently my scholarly work totally separate from the pull any content from the previous edition. Due discoverable. Content can be purchased in both business world that I also live in. I devote to the nature of the research and how quickly electronic format as well as in print; on the full two full days each week to my scholarly work new innovations are introduced, we decided to book or journal volume level; on an individual which is extremely important to me; since in only include new content in this third edition. article or chapter level; as well as in a multi- my heart, I am still, and always will be an ac- Also, in order to make this edition much more tude of collections including, but not limited ademician first…and a business man second. appealing to a wider community of researchers, to eBook and print bundles; subject-based or As a publisher and purveyor of content who un- students, and practitioners, we have opted to discipline-based databases; as well as in our derstands the gap in the current market and the include a number of content areas that were largest databases InfoSci-Books, which holds needs of libraries looking to grow their timely not reflected in past editions, including, but every book published by IGI Global, and collections, as well as a scholar and current certainly not limited to: Big Data, Assistive InfoSci-Journals, which holds every journal Editor-in-Chief of four peer-reviewed jour- Technologies, Digital Media, Engineering published by IGI Global. All of our electronic nals (the Information Resources Management Science, Gaming, Healthcare Administration, content has extremely liberal DRM. Journal, the Journal of Electronic Commerce Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism Management, in Organizations, the Journal of Information ATG: We were excited to learn that IGI Management Science, Marketing, Materials Technology Research, as well as the Journal Global was publishing a third edition of the Science, Psychology and Human Behavior, of Cases on Information Technology), I have Encyclopedia of Information Science and Robotics, and Sustainability, just to name a few. had the opportunity to create and disseminate Technology. What led you to decide the time ATG: There has been a lot of change in scholarly content that feeds my own scholarly was right for a new edition? the information industry since the last edition interests as well as the needs of the academic MK-P: Taking into consideration the rapid of the Encyclopedia in 2008. What would you markets. It is like being the owner of a sym- pace of technological revolution and the impact say are the key new developments and trends? phony orchestra and, at the same time, being of technology on all facets of life, the contents How are these changes affecting libraries? a composer too! of previous editions of a publication such as the How are libraries responding? continued on page 50
48 Against the Grain / November 2014
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Volume 1: Microchannel Heat Sinks for Electronics Cooling Volume 1: Cooling of Microelectronic and Nanoelectronic Suresh V Garimella & Tannaz Harirchian [Purdue University, USA] Equipment: Advances and Emerging Research Madhusudan Iyengar [Facebook, USA], Karl J L Geisler [3M, USA] Volume 2: Air- and Liquid-Cooled Cold Plates & Bahgat Sammakia [SUNY Binghamton USA] Allan Kraus [Kraus Associates, USA] Volume 2: Energy Optimization and Thermal Management of Data Centers Volume 3: Dielectric Liquid Cooling of Immersed Components Bahgat Sammakia [Binghamton University, State University of Karl Geisler [3M Center, USA] & Avram Bar-Cohen [University of New York, USA], Yogendra Joshi [Georgia Tech, USA], Maryland, USA] Dereje Agonafer [University of Texas, Arlington, USA] & Emad Samadiani [State University of New York] Volume 4: Thermoelectric Microcoolers Bao Yang & Peng Wang [University of Maryland, USA] Volume 3: Compact Thermal Models of Electronic Components Clemens Lasance [Philips Research Laboratories, Emeritus, The Volume 5: Energy Ef cient Solid State Lighting Netherlands] & Mohammed-Nabil Sabry [Mansoura University, Egypt] Mehmet Arik [Ozyegin University, Turkey], Anant Setlur, Stanton Weaver Jr. & Joseph J Shiang [General Electric, USA] Volume 4: Thermally-Informed Design of Microelectronic Components Volume 6: Experimental Thermofluid Characterization of Sachin Sapatnekar [University of Minnesota, USA], Electronic Components Ankur Srivastava & Yufu Zhang & Bing Shi Gary Solbrekken [University of Missouri at Columbia, USA] [University of Maryland, USA]
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AD JO 10 14 01 E.indd 1 10/3/14 10:01 AM ATG: In addition to ensuring well-bal- tests. Why? What role does print play in your Interview — Mehdi Khosrow-Pour anced topic coverage, what measures have publishing strategy? Do sales really justify from page 48 you taken to increase the navigability of the the investment? Or are there other factors encyclopedia? that play into it? ATG: When we interviewed you in May MK-P: Based on the recommendations MK-P: Our projections regarding digital 2012, you said that IGI Global’s growth would of many researchers and libraries, the issues opportunities for IGI Global have been right not have been possible without the strong col- surrounding navigability in this edition of on target during the past decade and we are now laboration of your authors and editors. Taking the Encyclopedia of Information Science and witnessing that more than 50% of our revenue the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology have been improved significantly. is coming from our e-content particularly IGI Technology as an example, how do you recruit Global InfoSci databases which offers the most quality authors and editors? What criteria do The previous editions had the articles ar- comprehensive collection of contents for a fraction they need to meet? ranged alphabetically by the title of each article. In this edition, all articles are divided into cate- of the combined total cost of the print versions. MK-P: Our authors and editors from all gories relevant to their topical coverage. There over the world have always been an integral In regards to making such a sizable invest- are 100 different categories, with each volume part of our success at IGI Global. The field of ment in publishing a ten-volume encyclopedia, containing multiple categories. Each of these information science and technology research is there are other factors that have contributed to categories is arranged alphabetically across the borderless and in many ways its arena is almost our decision in also publishing this edition in ten-volume set, beginning with “A” categories 100% global. We are proud of our collaboration print too. The primary factor is the fact that the and ending with “W” categories. Within each with more than 65,000 experts from all over the print world is still present and the global academ- category, the articles are also arranged in alpha- world; each lending their research, expertise, ic community still does not seem to want to let betical order. As each new category is intro- and time to our publications over the past 30 this go! Many of our contributors are still ex- duced, section dividers represent the transition years! IGI Global has always been a facilitator pressing that their university is reluctant to only from one category to the next. of knowledge development and a disseminator accept the electronic version of their published of progressive academic research conducted by To further assist with easy navigation, there materials in support of their tenure and promo- our colleagues all around the globe in various are two different tables of content compiled tion efforts. You’d be surprised to know about academic disciplines. at the beginning of each volume. The first the number of potential contributors who check represents the “Contents by Volume,” which with us first to make sure the final publication For the Encyclopedia of Information Science displays the arrangement of the content in its is also available in print! However, thanks to and Technology, Third Edition, specifically, I respective categories, and the second represents the technology of POD (Print On Demand) and had the privilege of working with more than the “Contents in Alphabetical Order,” which SRDP (Short Run Digital Printing) we have been 1,800 researchers from 50+ countries who displays the arrangement of content from A to able to minimize our print costs significantly. contributed more than 760 articles to this pub- Z by the articles’ titles. Each volume also con- For your information, we released the electronic lication. Some of the contributors to this edition tains the preface and user’s guide, the full list of version of this encyclopedia long before the print had articles in the previous edition that were contributors with accompanying page numbers, version was available, and most of our revenue well-received and favorably reviewed, and as as well as a full index. so far for this publication is coming from the such we opted to invite them to contribute their The User’s Guide, new to this edition, pro- electronic version through IGI Global’s plat- most recent findings as new material in this form and through platforms and distribution edition. In order to make the content in this vides the reader with an overview of the features both on a volume-by-volume level as well as channels offered by our major e-content provider edition as progressive and diverse as possible, partners, such as: ProQuest (Ebrary), EBSCO we also sent a number of exclusive invitations the article level, and how to effectively navigate across the volumes to find the content most rele- Information Services (EBSCOhost), Gale: to experts in the field with cutting-edge research Cengage Learning (Gale Virtual Reference interests in a variety of discipline areas. vant to their needs. Obviously, in the electronic version of the encyclopedia, the navigation Library - GVRL), Credo Reference, Ingram ATG: In developing a comprehensive work Content Group, Inc. (MyiLibrary), Skillsoft like the Encyclopedia of Information Science features allow for full-text searching which returns search results much more expeditiously. (Books24x7), Safari Books Online, Dawson and Technology, how does an editor ensure that Books, YBP Library Services, etc. the topic coverage provides the best-balanced Each article contains in-depth discussions ATG: What aspects of your publishing compilation of concepts and issues? of key issues, terms, and concepts, as well as thousands of critical terms with detailed defini- program have expanded? Contracted? What MK-P: The first step in developing a com- market forces have led to these changes? prehensive publication such as this ten-volume tions. Specifically including: a brief introduc- set, is defining the overall scope, and then tion to the topic area; an overview of issues, MK-P: Since our last interview in 2012, identifying the various topic areas to be covered controversies, and problems as they relate to we have been able to expand our coverage within. For the third edition of this publication, the theme; solutions and recommendations on areas even further by offering many more ref- we decided to broaden the scope of the coverage. how to deal with those issues presented in the erence titles (books, journals, and databases) In the previous edition, there were 26 separate preceding section; charts, graphs, tables, and encompassing a variety of cutting-edge topics research categories. Each of the hundreds of formulae are included as illustrative examples in academic areas such as business, engineering, articles fell into its respective category. In the wherever appropriate; discussions of future environmental science, healthcare, communica- third edition, we expanded the coverage to in- research directions; a conclusion; extensive list tions, social sciences, and even the humanities in clude 100 different research categories, many of references; additional reading section; as well addition to keeping a strong focus on our tradi- of which I already outlined in my responses as key terms and definitions. tional coverage areas in information science and above. A greater emphasis was placed on the All listed references have been submitted technology. Today, our business titles generate utilization and management of IS&T in areas to CrossRef and will experience increased more than 20% of our revenue followed by titles such as Healthcare, Business, Communications, visibility through this linking network, and our in information science and technology, educa- Engineering, and Psychology, all areas that were hope is that the content will also be considered tion, medicine, engineering, media and com- underrepresented in the previous edition. As we for inclusion in a number of indices such as munications, as well as environmental science. issued a “Call for Submissions” we made sure DBLP Computer Science Bibliography, ACM We have also placed a much stronger focus that we maintained a balanced coverage and Digital Library, and The Book Citation Index on publishing more large compilations. In this that there was a strong acquisition of articles in in Web of Science. new copyright year, IGI Global customers each of the research categories. Obviously, it is ATG: In that same May 2012 interview, will start to take notice that our collection of almost impossible to have equal coverage in all you mentioned that IGI Global started taking major reference works has increased signifi- 100 areas, but we are pleased with the balance of advantage of digital opportunities as early cantly with more large compilations such as coverage we ended up with at the end, making as 2002. But today you still make a sizable the Encyclopedia of Information Science and this edition very suitable towards the needs of investment in print as the new Encyclopedia Technology, Third Edition being added to our all researchers and their students. of Information Science and Technology at- continued on page 52 50 Against the Grain / November 2014
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For more information regarding IGI Global’s InfoSci®-Databases, please contact: [email protected] | 1.866.342.6657 ext.100 | 717.533.8845 ext.100 Interview — Mehdi Khosrow-Pour from page 50 against thepeople grain profile expansive portfolio. Additionally, we will be releasing more handbooks of research (single and two-volume) as well as multi-volume book Co-founder & CEO, Outsell, Inc. collections in a vast array of subject areas than 330 Primrose Road, Suite 510, Burligname CA 94010 ever before. This trend will continue substan- Phone: (650) 342-6060 • Fax: (650) 342-7135 tially with an anticipated 25% growth by the
economic growth, development, and prosperity. Anthea C. Stratigos PHILOSOPHY: Live a good life, be honest, and make a positive difference along the way. In order to cater to any budgetary constraints that academic libraries, corporations, or other MOST MEMORABLE CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: Became the youngest female VP in the organizations are experiencing that might stand in D&B company when I was 29. Starting Outsell. the way of acquiring publications such as the En- GOAL I HOPE TO ACHIEVE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW: Continue to grow new services cyclopedia of Information Science and Technolo- in Outsell, launch some start-ups, and publish a couple of books I have in the works that gy, Third Edition into their reference collections, support a philanthropic as well as business legacy. we just recently began offering one- and two-year subscription options so that these institutions do not have to purchase the entire set up front. libraries? In what ways do you feel that this port of research efforts, is extremely important. We also offer a number of pre-publication compilation will progress the researchers of to- The entire research community benefits from discounts on both the print and electronic ver- day into more forward thinking for tomorrow? providing transparent research data. We encour- sions of our titles. On the Encyclopedia of Infor- What sets it apart from other similar major age our contributors to submit their data sets to mation Science and Technology, Third Edition, reference works on the market? centralized repositories specific to their fields of in particular, we are offering a pre-publication MK-P: As mentioned previously, ongoing research. The growth of these highly available discount which has been extended to Decem- research findings are the fuel for new innova- repositories extends the knowledgebase for the ber 31, 2014. To learn more about the current tions and discoveries in all economies. The entire research community. In an effort to pro- discounts on this publication as well as others, interdisciplinary nature of the content in this mote the sharing of research data sets, we also one can visit the IGI Global Online Bookstore. encyclopedia sets it apart from others in the continue to grow our own data set repository Also, with each print purchase of this edi- field. Also, the rigorous peer-review process of and offer open access freely to data sets within tion of the encyclopedia, we are also offering the encyclopedia is only one of the many facets our Website as well as on our award-winning complimentary lifetime electronic access to that make this an essential addition to academic InfoSci database platform. the ten volumes, as well as complimentary life- libraries. In order to ensure that the material ATG: As you know, we always like to end time electronic access to any updated content/ included in the final publication represents the our interviews on a more personal level, and volumes that are added to this edition of the highest quality, all proposals for submission we know that you are an avid reader and a encyclopedia in the future. were carefully reviewed and then all full submis- big music fan. What are you latest favorites? For those libraries that have purchased, or sions were subjected to the double-blind review MK-P: Among my latest additions to my are interested in purchasing IGI Global’s InfoS- process before any articles were accepted for this music collection are “One More Night” by Ma- ci-Books database, our largest book database, publication. Knowing the wealth of coverage roon 5 and “Nothing Without Me” by Markus they will have access to this publication as part offered in this third edition of the encyclopedia Schulz featuring Ana Diaz, both of which I of their database package. by more than 1,800 scholars and experts from institutions in more than 50 countries, we hope enjoy playing on my new SONOS wireless For those who do not want to purchase the ten-speaker stereo system at home, which I entire encyclopedia and do not have access this comprehensive reference collection will make a fundamental impact in the discovery of love. The latest book I have read is Robert B. to it through their institution’s library, all 760 Parker’s Blind Spot by Reed Farrel Coleman. articles will be available for single-article pur- new innovations, solutions, and opportunities in all areas of academic research. I must admit that my world is not only occupied chase through IGI Global’s pay-per-download by long working hours, but also lots of contin- platform, InfoSci-On-Demand. This platform ATG: Access to the data supporting re- uous excitement with activities such as scuba allows customers to perform a full-text search search is a growing need. Does IGI Global diving (I am a certified diver), as well as frequent through all of IGI Global’s book and journal offer separate access to the data sets that sky diving, car racing (recently I completed a content, then purchase and download the full support the research in your publications? If 20-mile race at the Pocono Raceway), and I am PDFs of each book chapter or journal article. not, are there plans to do so? currently taking lessons towards obtaining my ATG: Why do you feel that this encyclo- MK-P: We have always strongly believed helicopter pilot’s license. Overall, I would say pedia is an essential addition to academic that providing open access to data sets, in sup- that I am a thrill junky!
52 Against the Grain / November 2014
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ATG Interviews Anthea Stratigos Co-Founder and CEO, Outsell, Inc. by Tom Gilson (Associate Editor, Against the Grain)
ATG: Anthea, how would you explain AS: We wanted to provide a 360-degree what Outsell does for someone unfamiliar view of the market and critical market sizing with the company and its mission? metrics and operating benchmarks. Gartner AS: We provide syndicated and custom group, for example, provides great stats to research for decision-makers in the information IT execs but librarians didn’t have anything industry who want to better understand their similar. Vendors in high tech had IDC, for markets, the competitive landscape and the example, for market sizing and customer data, changing nature of technology and it’s impact. and vendors in information services didn’t. So we set out to cover competitors, and markets ATG: When you and Greg Chagaris start- for vendors along with benchmarks and best ed Outsell in 1994 market metrics and bench- practices and for librarians and IM profession- marks were being applied to the technology als provided information about vendors and side of the information industry but not to the their products as well as IM function bench- content side. Outsell changed all that and marks. We put a lot of time into our market focused exclusively on information content. segmentation which is on our home page (www. What led you to develop that strategy? outsellinc.com) and cover the industry from AS: I was the head of business develop- those various dimensions. ment and marketing for an information firm ATG: Up to this point we’ve talked about trying to go public, and I was preparing the the information industry broadly. Where do market section of the S1 filing documents. The academic libraries and publishers fit into investment banker asked me where the inde- ATG: From the start you set the compa- the mix? pendent market validation was for the industry, ny’s research agenda and market definitions. and I told him there wasn’t any. Before that What factors went into such decisions? Now AS: They are important stakeholders. Ac- I’d been in information companies and had no that you are the CEO with other responsibil- ademic librarians share the librarian moniker vital data sources to help me, so we launched ities are you still as deeply involved in these with national libraries, public libraries, school Outsell to fill the gap in the market. activities? continued on page 54
Against the Grain / November 2014
54 Against the Grain / November 2014
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ATG Interviews David McCune, Jason Hoyt and Peter Binfield Director, SAGE Publications and Co-Founders of PeerJ by Tom Gilson (Associate Editor, Against the Grain)
ATG: It was recently reported that SAGE personal level, I was a C coder many years and O’Reilly had invested an undisclosed ago, spending my nights wrestling unruly amount in PeerJ. Can you give us a ballpark Unix boxes to the mat. Tim O’Reilly’s books figure on how much money was involved? saved me from many a sleepless night. He’s How did the deal come about? Who initiated been an idol of mine ever since. the negotiations? ATG: This is the second round of outside JH: We had already talked previously on funding that PeerJ has managed to attract. a general business-to-business level prior to Can you give us some details on the first any investment discussions, in part, because round of funding? We believe that O’Reilly our London offices are near each other and AlphaTech Ventures and O’Reilly Media were because Pete had previously worked at SAGE. the primary investors, correct? What have So there was already a relationship there, and they received for their investment? the investment opportunity naturally arose out of informal conversations to start. JH: Yes, OATV and O’Reilly Media were the lead investors of the Series Seed round in DM: We’ve been intrigued by PeerJ’s 2012. They were impressed with how well mission and business model since its founding David McCune, Director things have gone over the past two years and and have followed it closely. As Pete and SAGE Publications decided to re-invest as a consequence. Tim Jason developed their individual and institu- O’Reilly retains his position on PeerJ’s Board tional membership models, our interest became The fact that O’Reilly AlphaTech Ven- of Directors. enthusiasm. We expressed that enthusiasm to tures was a seed investor and that Tim Pete last year and said that if there ever were O’Reilly was on the PeerJ board was also ATG: Part of the new deal also includes another round of investments, SAGE would attractive to us. Tim has been one of the most another investment from O’Reilly. How do be interested. When the time came, Pete and innovative, challenging voices in publishing, they fit into the current mix? Jason contacted us. open source, and technology transfer. On a continued on page 58
Against the Grain / November 2014
AMERICAN HISTORY, 1493-1945 From The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York Module 1: Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 “From its inception, the Gilder Lehrman project has been invaluable in facilitating my research, as well as that of my students, into various aspects of the American South. Now, its expanded, and searchable, format makes the many, and ever growing, riches of the collection even more readily and easily available. This is a research tool that will long remain of the utmost signifi cance.”
Betty Wood, Emeritus Reader in American History, The University of Cambridge.
AMERICAN CONSUMER CULTURE, 1935-1965 Market Research and American Business
Presenting the complete research proposals and studies of Ernest Dichter and his Institute for Motivational Research. Containing thousands of reports that are unpublished elsewhere, this collection off ers unparalleled opportunities for research into consumer culture in the 20th century.
For other Adam Matthew titles relating to American history please visit: www.amdigital.co.uk/US
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AMERICAN HISTORY, 1493-1945 From The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York Module 1: Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 “From its inception, the Gilder Lehrman project has been invaluable in facilitating my research, as well as that of my students, into various aspects of the American South. Now, its expanded, and searchable, format makes the many, and ever growing, riches of the collection even more readily and easily available. This is a research tool that will long remain of the utmost signifi cance.”
Betty Wood, Emeritus Reader in American History, The University of Cambridge.
AMERICAN CONSUMER CULTURE, 1935-1965 Market Research and American Business
Presenting the complete research proposals and studies of Ernest Dichter and his Institute for Motivational Research. Containing thousands of reports that are unpublished elsewhere, this collection off ers unparalleled opportunities for research into consumer culture in the 20th century.
For other Adam Matthew titles relating to American history please visit: www.amdigital.co.uk/US
www.amdigital.co.uk @AdamMatthewGrp Contact [email protected] for pricing [email protected] /TheAdamMatthewGroup Interview — SAGE and PeerJ from page 55 againstpublisher the grain profile JH: Structurally, nothing changes from the previous round other than David McCune joining the Board. Probably the most exciting SAGE change now though is the different dynamic you get with a new Board makeup. David SAGE Publications USA, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 McCune and Tim O’Reilly both come from Phone: 1-800-818-7243 • Fax: 1-800-583-2665 • www.sagepub.com very successful, yet varied, publishing back- grounds. It’s early days of course, but so far it’s been an excellent combination that is already AFFILIATED COMPANIES: CQ Press www.cqpress.com; Adam Matthew http://www.amdigital. impacting how we think. One example of that co.uk/; Corwin www.corwin.com; MD Conference Express www.mdconferencexpress.com; is in how we think about approaching different Learning Matters http://www.uk.sagepub.com/learningmatters/. market segments. Tim and David each have OFFICERS: Blaise R. Simqu, President & Chief Executive Officer; Tracey A. Ozmina, Executive experience with different segments (or entire Vice President & Chief Operating Officer; Chris Hickok, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial markets), so it’s very beneficial to draw upon Officer; Stephen Barr, President of SAGE International; Ziyad Marar, Global Publishing Director; those perspectives as we chart our own course. Mike Soules, President, Corwin Press; Phil Denvir, Global Chief Information Officer. It’s difficult to imagine a more suited makeup for a small start-up board aimed at 21st-century Association memberships: SAGE has forged strong partnerships with societies and academic publishing; we’re really quite lucky associations for nearly half a century, publishing on behalf of more than 290 societies. Read in that regard. more at http://www.sagepub.com/socAssn/testimonials.htm. ATG: We understand that it was PeerJ’s VITAL INFORMATION: Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015, SAGE has been a privately “innovative model” that caused SAGE to owned company since its founding. Our founder and executive chairman, Sara Miller McCune, make the investment. That strikes us as a fair- has guaranteed the company’s independence indefinitely. ly broad explanation. Are there more specific Key products and services: Journals, books, and digital media. reasons to invest in PeerJ? Were there other Core markets/clientele: Academic, educational, and professional markets. “innovative models” besides PeerJ that were Number of employees: More than 1,200. considered for possible investment? NUMBER OF BOOKS PUBLISHED ANNUALLY: 800+ DM: SAGE is constantly searching for TOTAL NUMBER OF JOURNALS CURRENTLY PUBLISHED: 700+ ways to increase the creation and dissemina- tion of quality, scholarly research. We also HISTORY AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR COMPANY/PUBLISHING PROGRAM: Guided look for ways to foster active dialogue and by an unwavering dedication to academia and an entrepreneurial spirit, the passionate and debate among scholars, and seek sustainable determined Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE in 1965 just a few months shy of her 24th models to do this. OA can be an important birthday. With the help of her mentor and future husband George McCune, Sara set out to ingredient in reaching this goal. We work in start a publishing house that would allow scholars to disseminate quality research in their own close concert with our primary constituents: voices, often breaking ground in new or emerging areas of study. Simultaneously, Sara and scholars, scholarly societies, libraries, research George endeavored to support the dissemination of useable knowledge by publishing innovative, funders and students, and any model for better high-quality scholarship and pedagogical content. Their company’s name — SAGE — is derived dissemination of research needs to be of value from the first two letters of their names. to all of these groups. PeerJ’s model of rig- Nearly 50 years later, SAGE remains an independent company that shares with librarians the orous review, low-cost memberships, and very belief that flourishing educational programs and engaged scholarship create healthy minds fast publication seems attractive, especially and healthy societies. Our publishing program ranges across the social sciences, humanities, in the natural sciences. With our rich history medicine, and engineering and includes journals, books, and digital products for academic and of publishing in the social sciences, we are professional markets. We value working closely with librarians to achieve shared goals, including intrigued to see whether some variation of partnering on white papers and research projects to ensure that together we meet the changing the model can work in the social sciences and needs of students and researchers. humanities, where the funding picture is very different from STM. Additional Items of interest to ATG readers: Earlier this year, SAGE acquired The Goodwin Group International, LLC, publisher of MD Conference Express, the first publication ATG: Does this mean that we can expect to to subject medical conference highlights to the rigorous test of peer review. see a future version of PeerJ for the social sci- ences and humanities? Has the possibility of MD Conference Express reports are written entirely from primary source materials, with content such a journal been part of your discussions? selected in partnership with the scientific planning committees of the conferences themselves. That would be an exciting development, and The presenting faculty is invited to review and comment on the short summaries, which are then we’d love to hear more about it. subjected to rigorous peer review by an advisory board of experts from top medical institutions around the world. PB: At the moment we have no plans to move into the Humanities and Social Sciences. Core to SAGE’s mission is the belief that authors should feel at liberty to express their unique Our cost-effective pricing structure is very at- points of view without restriction. As part of this mission, we are the proud publishers of Index tractive to researchers in those areas, and so we on Censorship, which promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression. We are also get this question a lot. However, we launched active supporters of ALA’s Banned Books Week Effort. in the Biological/Medical/Health/Life Sciences With feedback from librarians and their patrons, we commission, select, and curate the highest (already a very large field to cover), and when quality content on easy-to-use platforms to create innovative digital products. So far in 2014, we start to expand we will most likely do so we have launched manipulative data and statistical tools such as SAGE Stats and US Political by expanding out from our current core areas. Stats, an interactive research resource, SAGE Research Methods Cases, and later this year, we DM: We launched a Social Science and will be launching a new streaming video program with high-quality pedagogical content to meet Humanities mega-journal, SAGE Open, more both curricula and research needs. Other upcoming digital products for SAGE include in-depth than three years ago. It has since published reports written by expert journalists in business, health, and education as well as business and more than 600 papers and established a firm management-focused products with real-life case studies and reports for students. continued on page 59
58 Against the Grain / November 2014
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Interview — SAGE and PeerJ from page 60 againstpublisher the grain profile before submitting as a journal article; to get an article out rapidly when there was a chance of being scooped; to republish old pieces PeerJ which had never seen the light of day and so on. Therefore, I think it is clear that amongst PeerJ, Ltd., 341-345 Old St, Third Floor, London, EC1V 9LL, UK the almost 500 preprints we have published PeerJ, Inc., P.O. Box 614, Corte Madera, CA 94976, US there has been a great deal of experimentation with the format and the community norms —
Against the Grain / November 2014
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to employ one of the best management teams eventually — in areas that make sense for Interview — SAGE and PeerJ on the planet. them. And likewise, there’s such a wealth from page 62 SAGE has decades of experience talking of knowledge that David McCune brings to all of the various stakeholders in higher that we can hardly anticipate where exactly SAGE will be an active participant, whether education, whether they be senior scholars, we’ll draw from, but we know that we will via our own internal innovation, start-up newly-minted Ph.D.s, librarians, students, undoubtedly do so. launches, or investments in other companies. scholarly societies, university administrators, DM: PeerJ will be a huge success, We would welcome a potential collaboration or research funders. These stakeholders share having proved that the individual and insti- with any entrepreneurs that have ideas for the broad goal of education, but they also have tutional membership model of paying for increasing the amount of quality scholarship somewhat divergent agendas, experiences OA works and meets the needs of various and research and for improving teaching in and incentives. SAGE’s experience building stakeholders in the educational process. the world. This is an exciting, optimistic coalitions among these educational groups SAGE will still be a minority shareholder, time in the education field, and we are proud may prove valuable to PeerJ. and a very happy one at that! to be part of it. JH: Despite its size, SAGE is still a ATG: Business relationships are also family-owned publisher, and that means they learning experiences. So far, what is the key can still behave in many ways that are similar thing that SAGE has learned from PeerJ? to a start-up or small publisher (as opposed What has PeerJ learned from SAGE? Rumors to a publicly owned company). That’s a from page 46 DM: In addition to learning about their tremendous advantage that was a delight to membership models and their innovative learn about as we got to know them better. which we all deal with on a regular basis. In publishing system based on open-source We’re expecting to learn a lot going forward fact I just saw that one of the exhibitors, SPIE is software, it is a lot of fun to watch a couple since they’ve been through the growth stages making research papers (100 in all) published by of creative, passionate entrepreneurs innovate. that we’ll eventually see. In fact, it is that six 2014 Nobel Prize recipients freely available in The feedback loop between trial, evidence, family-owned aspect that was a key decider the SPIE Digital Library. The new Nobel Lau- reevaluation, and retrial is currently very short in taking on investment from SAGE. reates are Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and for PeerJ. SAGE is a fairly large organization Shuji Nakamura, who were awarded the Physics ATG: It we were gazing into a crystal that is operationally very efficient, but our prize for their invention of blue light-emitting ball, what would the SAGE-PeerJ relation- trial-error-retrial loop is longer; while we are diodes (LEDs), and Eric Betzig, Stefan Hell, ship look like in two to three years? constantly innovating, our innovation cycle and William Moerner, recipients of the Chem- takes longer. Perhaps we can learn from JH: The normal course with investments istry prize for the development of super-resolved watching PeerJ. By the same token, PeerJ like this is that over the course of time the fluorescence microscopy. will likely have to scale up to many, many investor and investee develop more trust www.spie.org/nobelpapers times its current size, and being efficient often and third-party connections. It would also Speaking of which, I am very excited that becomes a challenge as organizations grow. be great if some of our streamlined business the awesome Regina Reynolds is coming to PeerJ may learn from SAGE, which is proud processes could find their way into SAGE continued on page 72
Against the Grain / November 2014
SAGE has recently published another For further information see: http:// The intended audience is not the lower-level encyclopedia it its collection of interdisciplinary knowledge.sagepub.com/view/encyclope- undergraduate but rather those pursuing rel- reference works. Edited by Teresa L. dia-of-health-communication/SAGE.xml. evant majors, graduate students, faculty, and Thompson of the University of Dayton, professional practitioners. Individual articles the Encyclopedia of Health Communication are often highly specialized including those (2014, 9781452258751. $525) is a three- IGI Global has just published the third edi- with titles like Meta-Digital Accounting in the volume set that consists of nearly 600 scholarly tion of the Encyclopedia of Information Sci- Context of Cloud Computing; Stochastic Neu- articles that attempt to reflect and define this ence and Technology, (2014, 9781466658882, ral Network Classifiers; Enhancing Service “burgeoning” discipline from core concepts $3950). This latest version is a massive set Integrity of Byzantine Fault Tolerant Appli- and theory though actual practice. that stretches over ten volumes with a total of cations; and Novel Algorithmic Approach to Articles cover key themes from every day 758 individual articles — some 95 additional Deciphering Rovash Inscriptions. and family health communication concerns to articles above the total offered in the 2008 Given its price, the Encyclopedia of Infor- global health issues to the specifics of provider- edition of this reference. All of the articles are mation Science and Technology represents a patient interaction. There are also entries original to this edition, and the scope has been major investment for most libraries, and many that discuss media coverage and advertising, expanded to cover a total of 100 topic areas or will be concerned about justifying its purchase health education, the impacts of technology, categories. The new topic areas include but for their students and faculty. Fortunately, and the challenges of communication in public are not limited to: Big Data, Digital Media, librarians and faculty liaisons can get a fairly health and relaying health policies. Providing Engineering Science, Gaming, Hospitality, good sense of what the Encyclopedia has a conceptual framework there are individual Travel, and Tourism Management, Materials to offer and make their own determination articles that treat relevant theories that underlie Science, Psychology and Human Behavior, by pointing their browsers to http://www. much current and past research. In short, the Robotics, and Sustainability. igi-global.com/book/encyclopedia-informa- coverage offered by this set is impressively Once again the encyclopedia is edited by tion-science-technology-third/76156. Here diverse, with articles that can range from Dr. Mehdi Khosrow-Pour and claims con- they will find a complete list of the articles discussions of celebrity endorsements in health tributions from some 1,400 scholars and re- and by clicking on the article title can read campaigns to politics and political complexities searchers representing “hundreds of prominent a “chapter preview.” There are also links to to the need for warning labels. The articles institutions throughout the world.” Rather than sample PDFs consisting of the first two pages themselves are thoughtful, fact-filled, and using the tradition A-Z subject arrangement the of the article. In addition, there is a search informed by recent academic research. They contents are divided into the 100 topic areas or box where they can search to see if the topic should appeal to a diverse audience including categories mentioned above with the articles areas most relevant to students and faculty are faculty, undergraduates, and the serious lay listed alphabetically within the categories. Ac- covered adequately. reader. As is usual with SAGE publications, cess is provided by full tables of contents from As far as pricing goes we understand that this set offers helpful value-added features that, all the volumes and a complete alphabetical the pre-publication discount has been extend- in this instance, include a ten-page chronology, list by article title as well as a general index ed to December 31, 2014, and those libraries a glossary of terms, and an appendix of health referencing specific volumes and pages. All of that purchase the print set gain free lifetime posters, not to mention finding aids like a these finding aids are reprinted in each volume electronic access to the Encyclopedia. The thematic reader’s guide, see-also references, lending to the overall bulk of the set. electronic version allows you to search the full and a thorough index. Each entry has a short In his introduction, Dr. Khosrow-Pour text by keyword. The navigation interface is bibliography, and black-and-white photos are describes a rigorous submission process in- organized by categories. However, no alpha- interspersed providing visual breaks in what is volving topic proposals and a review by three betical table of contents is provided nor is there generally a text-rich set. experts on a double blind, peer-review basis. In real subject searching via established headings. The Encyclopedia of Health Communi- fact, this set resembles as much a collection of As with other IGI Global titles, there is another cation offers interested readers and scholars scholarly journal articles or chapters in multiple purchase option. You can opt to buy access to a source of well researched and authoritative anthologies as it does an encyclopedia. Rather the individual articles for $37.50 each. articles containing facts and context on nu- than emphasizing all topics both historical merous key topics. While it should help an- and current that might be seen as germane to swer specific questions, it will also provide a information science and technology, the focus Guide to Reference in Business and solid foundation for further exploration. This of the Encyclopedia is more on issues and con- Economics (2014, 978-0838912348, $65) is set also serves another valuable function: it cepts that are perceived as presently relevant to the newest in ALA’s series of annotated bibli- helps lend sense and definition to a diverse and researchers. And while the articles are factual ographies culled from the Guide to Reference growing field of study that borrows numerous and descriptive they can also be proscriptive. database that supersedes the classic print ref- components from other disciplines. Each article follows a similar general for- erence of the same title. Edited by Steven W. SAGE provides online access to this mat including an introduction, a background Sowards and Elisabeth Leonard, this volume title via the statement, and sometimes a literature review, provides citations and evaluative descriptions SAGE Knowl- which is then followed by a discussion of of close to 800 selected print and electronic edge platform. practical issues, problems, recommendations, sources and is intended for use by both refer- future research directions, and a conclusion. ence and collection development librarians. Each article ends with an often impressive Coverage includes sources of value for bibliography of the sources referenced and general business as well as a number of spe- a selected list of additional readings, as cialized areas. In fact, there are individual well as brief glossary of terms. The articles chapters listing resources useful for research themselves generally run five to six pages in in international business; economic conditions length. The writing style is academic and and world trade; company information; basic technical with articles often including charts, and specialized industry information; as well tables, diagrams, and formulas, making the as sources related to occupations and careers; articles most helpful to those already some- and those focused on a number of functional what versed in the topics being discussed. continued on page 65 64 Against the Grain / November 2014
Against the Grain / November 2014
Column Editor’s Note: This year’s Charleston Conference considers the importance of NSA metadata scandal. Indeed, one of the great being earnest with our collections. Collections include increasing numbers of digital resources strengths of the book is its balanced approach — how do we manage such resources alongside print titles? How do we share information to the rise of datafication, neither cheerleading through repositories? How do we share information with patrons via the cloud? These topics relentlessly for the cause of progress nor warn- will not only be addressed in plenary sessions, concurrent sessions, and lively lunches; they ing direly of our loss of privacy and agency. are also the focus of the titles reviewed in this month’s book reviews. Throughout the book, Blanke refers to Many thanks to veteran reviewers Patricia Dragon, Wm. Joseph Thomas, and Marjorie concepts and examples from a huge variety of M.K. Hlava for sharing their thoughts on these titles. Happy reading and happy conferencing, sources, from Tim Berners-Lee to Marx. At everyone! — DV times it may rely too heavily on others’ ideas. A good deal of the discussion of Big Data is Blanke, Tobias. Digital Asset Ecosystems: Rethinking Crowds and Clouds. cited from Mayer-Schönberger and Cukier’s Chandos Information Professional Series. Kidlington, UK: Chandos, 2014. 2013 book Big Data: A Revolution that Will 978-1843347163. 192 pages. $80.00 (print). Transform How We Live, Work, and Think; however, the present book does integrate these other sources into a new frame for the issue. Reviewed by Patricia Dragon (Head, Special Collections Cataloging, The twenty-page bibliography is in itself a Joyner Library, East Carolina University)
66 Against the Grain / November 2014
Against the Grain / November 2014
Column Editor’s Note: The “Collecting Story of Life.2 It definitely qualifies for the life over time with beautiful, colorful fossil to the Core” column highlights monographic coffee table, as it is filled with illustrations photos and illustrations, and Fortey has won works that are essential to the academic li- providing wonderful tableaus of prehistoric much recognition for his ability to explain brary within a particular discipline, inspired periods derived from “100 of the finest fossil science to the public.5 One would be com- by the Resources for College Libraries bib- sites from around the world.” Characteristic pletely edified and entertained by reading liography (online at http://www.rclweb.net). species are drawn, named, and placed in time any of the following books by evolutionary In each essay, subject specialists introduce and space, all in full color. Palmer includes biologist Sean B. Carroll: The Making of and explain the classic titles and topics that a gazetteer of sites, an index to species, a the Fittest, Endless Forms Most Beautiful, 6-8 continue to remain relevant to the undergrad- taxonomic listing of species, and a section or Remarkable Creatures. His ability to uate curriculum and library collection. Dis- depicting relationships (cladistics) among communicate abstruse concepts and clearly ciplinary trends may shift, but some classics animals based on fossil and biochemical sim- illustrate scientific stories makes him one of never go out of style. — AD ilarities. By contrast, paleontologist Michael the current preeminent authors writing scien- Benton has written The History of Life, which tific research with mass appeal. The chapters you can stick in your pocket, though it is also of Fittest begin with captivating stories from volution is fascinating subject matter available online as part of Oxford’s “Very great moments of scientific history, including for specialist researchers as well as the Short Introduction Series.”3 It is eminently the first use of DNA analysis, the discoveries Egeneral reader. Tracing a universe set readable, with 20 key photos, charts, and illus- of the icefish and the coelacanth, and the in motion by a “big bang” 13.8 billion years trations. His chapters include origins of life, tale of Trofim Lysenko’s pseudoscience. In ago, science scholarship has shown that evo- sex, skeletons, and life on land. He devotes Remarkable Creatures Carroll presents a lutionary change is never-ending. We have a chapter to “Forests and Flight,” when plants compilation of biographies learned that life emerged from stardust and and animals adapted to land-living, and he of famous naturalists and under “just so” conditions single living cells discusses the end-Permian mass extinc- scientists who have made arose. Throughout its 4.5-billion-year exis- tion and origins of modern ecosystems remarkable discoveries, of- tence, Earth has been shaped by cataclysmic and humans. ten under great hardships, as well as infinitesimal change, and the life in natural history, fossils, The lasting legacy of forms that began approximately 3.5 billion or species. He features the Charles Darwin rever- years ago have adapted to — or perished from groundbreaking work from berates through nearly — the many different conditions and circum- thinkers like Alexander all present-day work on stances. Recent decades have brought new von Humboldt, Charles evolution. Modern sci- discoveries from the field by paleontologists Darwin, Alfred Russel entists not only build on and biologists and in the laboratory by mo- Wallace, and Henry Walter Bates, then Darwin’s hypotheses and observations, they lecular biologists and geneticists. This essay moves into the modern molecular basis for use his lyrical language. One of the most discusses evolution books (largely specific to evolution with stories about Linus Pauling, recent to do so is author Carl Zimmer, an animals) aimed primarily at the general public Emile Zuckerkandl, Allan Wilson, Vincent award-winning and reliable source for elo- or nonscience student. Any single one of Sarich, Mark Stoneking, and Svante Pääbo. these titles offers an accessible background to quent popular science writing. His 2014 The evolutionary science; as a whole, they provide Tangled Bank: An Introduction to Evolution Any list discussing monographs on evolu- a small collection of contemporary general is a valuable textbook whose title alludes to tion should also include work by the influen- works for anyone interested in evolution and Darwin’s poetic imagery, from the concluding tial paleontologist and evolutionary biologist the history of life on Earth. pages of the Origin of Species, of an “entan- Stephen Jay Gould. Of his many works, Wonderful Life is included here because of its Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de gled bank” teeming with interdependent life forms.4 Zimmer briefly defines evolution discussion of the Burgess Shale Formation Buffon, natural historian of wide-ranging 9 as “descent with modification” and sets out found in the Canadian Rockies. These are interests, conceived of the ideas of geological fascinating fossils of many different soft-bod- history and paleontology in the mid-eigh- his agenda with the statement, “Understand- ing evolution is too important to be limited ied fauna that appear to have no descendants, teenth century, preceding those with much an example of “chance” evolution. In this more familiar names in the foundation of evo- only to evolutionary biologists.” He begins with “Walking Whales,” showing that some book Gould also echoes Darwin’s ideas lutionary theory: Charles Darwin, Alfred regarding the testability of evolution — its Russel Wallace, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. forms of life returned to the water; additional chapters cover geology and paleontology, the unpredictability and contingent nature — by Additional credit belongs to George Gaylord explaining theories via “embryology, bioge- Simpson, Alfred Romer, and Lynn Margulis biological tree of life, how change can occur, molecular evolution, adaptation, sex, origins, ography, the fossil record, vestigial organs, for testing and transforming evolutionary the- and taxonomic relationships.”10 Andrew ory into proven fact. John Maynard Smith and macroevolution. The final three chapters deal with the evolution of humans and behav- Knoll (Professor of Natural History and deserves recognition as having written one of Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences the twentieth century’s seminal works in the ior, as well as evolutionary medicine. Each chapter has a generous bibliography pointing at Harvard University) deserves inclusion field,The Theory of Evolution, first published also for his scholarly yet lucid book Life on a by Penguin in 1958 with a 1993 canto edition readers to further research and nearly every page features a color photo, illustration, chart, Young Planet: The First Three Billion Years of from Cambridge University Press featuring Evolution on Earth.11 He writes picturesquely, 1 or graph. a foreword by Richard Dawkins. Whereas even though the book does not contain many Maynard Smith’s work is perhaps the most If pictures appeal, certainly Fossils: The pictures or illustrations, and the epilogue is dense cited here (though quite comprehensible History of Life by Richard Fortey, former particularly eloquent. This book includes a for the general reader), the most beautiful senior paleontologist at London’s Natural lengthy section for further reading. Paleon- book in this list is easily evolutionary bi- History Museum, deserves inclusion. Now tologist Neil Shubin is Professor of Anatomy ologist Douglas Palmer’s Evolution: The in its fourth edition, this volume illustrates continued on page 69
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and evolutionary biology at the University religion. His later book, Genetics of Original Collecting to the Core of Chicago, wrote Why Evolution Is True.14 Sin: The Impact of Natural Selection on the from page 68 He defines evolution and explains how we Future of Humanity, is outstanding, but rather can tell the age of fossils by what is “Written despairing of humanity’s destructiveness.17 Si- at the University of Chicago and was part of in the Rocks.” Coyne discusses embryonic mon Conway Morris, a paleobiologist, takes a team to discover a missing link in the evo- development and dead ends, with chapters the position that evolution is more patterned lution of creatures from sea to land, Tiktaalik on sexual selection and human evolution. and directed than random. He has written at roseae. His Your Inner Fish: A Journey into Throughout, the writing is clear, insightful, least one monograph defending this stance, the 3.5 Billion Year History of the Human and well documented. The Fact of Evolution, Life’s Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Body traces aspects of human development by anthropologist Cameron Smith, plainly Universe, as well as chapters for compilations from the first vertebrates, following the explains biological replication, variation, on science and religion.18 An excellent book phylogeny (development over generations selection, speciation, and evolution.15 He re- on evolution and the origin of life is How of related species) of teleost fishes to human counts evidences of evolution in action with Life Began: Evolution’s Three Geneses, by anatomy: arms and hands, teeth, breathing examples from insects, crustaceans, birds, French marine biologist Alexandre Meinesz apparatus, olfaction, hearing, and vision.12 fish, mammals, viruses, and other microbes. (translated by Daniel Simberloff).19 It con- This monograph is a best seller which has also There are figures and tables, extensive notes centrates on three “geneses” of life — bacteria, been adapted into a PBS television series, and and indexes, and a healthy bibliography and nucleated cells, and multicellular organisms represents well how approachable scientific webliography. — showcasing how evolutionary events like research can be for the general population. Scientific discourse naturally contains natural selection, recombination, mutation, and Titles explaining evolution also often a long history of contrasting and culturally geologic cataclysm create biodiversity and a directly confront the sector of skeptics who charged viewpoints (see eighteenth-century “grandeur of life.” doubt evolutionary science. Two publications French paleontologist George Cuvier and In a topic as historic, wondrous, universal, released in 2009 (also the 150th anniversary his then-radical ideas on extinction); other and ever-changing as evolution, it can be chal- of the original publication of Darwin’s The authors attempt to integrate the possibility that lenging to limit titles to a brief bibliography Origin of the Species) attempt to cement religious belief is compatible with evolutionary such as this. Many of the selections herein evolution as a scientific certainty. Richard truth. Nobel Prize winner and biochemist exist at a fine intersection to be profitably, Dawkins is a well-known scientist (and Christian de Duve has written a few books and enjoyably, read by both the amateur and secularist) who makes a very solid case for that approach evolutionary science with an professional. These monographs not only com- the “inescapable fact” of evolution in The element of spiritual grace. Life Evolving: plement the undergraduate library collection Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Molecules, Mind, and Meaning explores the in the sciences; they offer entry for everyone Evolution.13 The evidence presented is not chemical molecules that make up life, the into the never-ending story of evolutionary life only observational and empirical, but has origin of cells, multicellularity, and beyond.16 on Earth. been experimentally recreated in the lab as Raised Catholic, de Duve writes eloquently well. Jerry Coyne, a professor in ecology about the differences between science and endnotes on page 70
Against the Grain / November 2014
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a husband, marry quickly and have children forming free cardiac care. But their parents Media-Centered and quite thoroughly demur to her husband’s aren’t allowed on the 2,500-mile trip to the from page 70 family. Instead, she chose to run away from Sudan. And if the children die, their bodies home at age 14 to escape an arranged marriage must remain there. Rwandan cardiologist Dr. verite — the stories of three young boys living to a much older man and follow her passion of Emanuel Rusingiza works with Dr. Gino in this small rural American town; Andrew, boxing. Seeing marriage as a “jail life,” Thu- Strada to save children suffering severe car- Harley and Appachey. Palermo’s cinematic lasi refused to compromise, trading in her sari diac complications stemming from untreated eye offers a dreamily lyrical visage strongly and bangles for boxing gloves and headgear. strep throat and rheumatic fever (an epidemic juxtaposed against these young boys’ realities Thulasi — and many young women like her affecting more than 13 million in Africa today). — childhoods deeply affected by poverty, their who are struggling to carve some social and Here, director Kief Davidson forges a new parent’s drug addictions and mental health financial freedom — look to fighting in the ring path in health-issue advocacy docs, exchanging issues, abandonment, incarceration as well as as a means of achieving their independence. sanctimony and didacticism for emotion and domestic violence and child abuse. No doubt a gifted boxer, Thulasi ranked 3rd visceral, pulse-quickening drama. And, his Tragos’ approach lends an amazingly or- in India for her weight division, but immoral cinematic eye and narrative mind craft a much ganic-level intimacy, allowing us to see these coaches, demands from boxing officials asking larger story than one would imagine possible stories unfold without external judgment or for endless bribes and unexpected injuries in in a scant 40 minutes. Much like the cardiac social commentary — something that undoubt- the ring continually stand in her way of success. surgeons he presents, Davidson’s documentary edly works to pull us in almost immediately. Here, directors Hofseth and Østigaard poi- is one of precision and compelling detail. Sur- Filmed over the course of several months, that gnantly deliver Thulasi’s struggles inside and gery scenes, while graphic, work to underscore time yields a fairly full and deeply complex outside the ring with a serene visual precision the amazing resiliency of the heart and the child portrayal of each of the boys’ lives — and expertly charged with sparks of humor and to which it belongs. we’re hooked; we see struggle, poverty, pain despair that are poignantly reflective of both Open Heart Director: Kief Davidson 2013 and loss — but we also see hope. Thulasi’s personality and her plight. Country (openheartfilm.com/). Rich Hill Director(s): Tracy Droz Tragos Light Fly, Fly High Directors: Susann and Andrew Droz Palermo 2014 Country: Østigaard, Beathe Hofseth 2013 Country: Pablo’s Winter USA. Available on DVD via Passion River Netherlands. Available on DVD via Women Former Almadén mercury miner Pablo Films (www.passionriver.com). Make Movies (wmm.com). spends his halcyon days cursing, kvetching and chain-smoking to the chagrin of his wife Light Fly, Fly High Open Heart and doctor. For centuries, Almaden was home Thulasi Ekanandam believes fervently Eight Rwandan children, including six- to one of Spain’s major mercury mines. Now that she was born to be a boxer. As a former year-old Angelique, have been approved for closed for many years, the town and its former Dalit in India, society demands that she remain life-saving heart surgery at Salam Center, miners like Pablo continue to struggle. Direc- at the bottom of this social system — accept the one hospital on the African continent per- continued on page 72
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72 Against the Grain / November 2014
treaming video has been an option for academic libraries for nearly 2. Responsibility for streaming video may be a decade. What is the state of streaming video in academic libraries distributed across the institution, Stoday? How are these libraries acquiring streaming videos? Who but libraries have primary responsibility. makes acquisition decisions? How much staff time does supporting streaming video require? When asked who provides infrastructure for streaming video within the institution (a “check all that apply” question), 71% indicated the IT The authors, both experienced media librarians in academic settings, unit, while 59% indicated the library. But when asked who primarily faced these and other questions and realized that the information was not is responsible for the infrastructure, these numbers change dramatical- out there. Published results from some small surveys existed (Kaufman ly. The figure for libraries drops slightly to 54%. But the figure for and Mohan 2009, Primary Research Group 2010). Data from these the IT unit drops to 28%. Data from the SAVS clearly demonstrated surveys was limited, and the sample sizes were small. that libraries play a significant role in the infrastructure for providing Thus in Spring 2013 the authors developed and distributed a sur- streaming video within academic institutions. vey designed to collect information on the status of streaming video in academic libraries. After testing the survey with other academic 3. There is no clear pattern of key responsibility media librarians, and with numerous revisions, the authors distributed for streaming video content within libraries. the Survey of Academic Streaming Video (SASV) in May 2013. Using Streaming video acquisition requires multiple responsibilities not Survey Monkey to collect responses, the authors distributed the survey necessarily associated with other digital resources in libraries. In via invitations sent to numerous discussion lists, including VideoLib, addition to selection there are responsibilities for licensing, digitizing/ Coll-Lib, AcqLib, and Digital Copyright, among others. Individual encoding, ingestion, and metadata. These functions are widely dispersed responses were confidential. Respondents had the option to be included in academic libraries. SASV data reveals that multiple staff positions in random drawings for incentive awards, and to receive the results of have primary responsibility for selection. the survey. Since the survey asked for figures we encouraged respondents to Position % with primary responsibility read through the survey before completing it. The survey included a separate link to a PDF of the instrument for that purpose. Similarly, Media librarian 24 % a separate document provided definitions of key terms that could be Subject librarians 23 % reviewed while taking the survey. The survey instrument and the defi- nitions documents are available online: tinyurl.com/SurveyASV and Acquisitions librarian 17 % tinyurl.com/ASVDefinitions. Other 31 % Response was strong, resulting ultimately in 336 valid responses. These responses came from 48.9% of all Research/Doctoral universities, Comments provided for “Other” demonstrate a wide variety of alter- 21% of Masters institutions, 20% of Baccalaureate institutions, and 12% native areas of responsibility, including: director, electronic resources of Associate degree granting institutions in the United States. Forty three librarian, committee, and consortium roles. (43) ARL libraries responded. The survey received responses from 48 The question of primary responsibility for licensing returned a U.S. states and 6 Canadian provinces. similar array. Analysis of the data provides a clear picture of the current (as of % with primary summer 2013) state of streaming video in U.S. academic libraries. The Position authors have organized findings from the data into ten key concepts. responsibility for licensing Percentage points are rounded. Dedicated licensing agent 3% 1. Streaming video has reached the tipping point. Media librarian 16% Data from the 2010 Primary Research Group survey indicated Acquisitions/collection 34% that across all Carnegie classifications approximately 33% of academic development librarian libraries provided streaming video (Primary Research Group 2010). SASV data shows that figure has flipped; 70% of all academic libraries Other 39% now provide streaming video. Again, comments provided for “Other” returned a wide variety of This percentage varies by Carnegie classification and ARL status: alternative personnel with this responsibility, including director, elec- tronic resources librarian, and consortium. Carnegie classification / ARL status % streaming While the survey provided “media librarian” as a response for these Doctoral / Research University 78% questions, it failed to establish whether or not responding institutions had a librarian who is primarily responsible for media. Thus we are Masters institution 68% unable from this survey to determine how these responses may vary if Baccalaureate institution 56% there is or is not a media librarian present. Associate institution 70% 4. Video formats in academic libraries are changing. ARL library 92% This should come as no surprise to anyone who works in libraries. The shift in video formats is not the first time libraries have dealt with Furthermore, when asked about plans to stream video, survey results content format changes. But the survey revealed key information on show additional adoption. Of those respondents that did not currently the degree to which video collections are shifting format as well as how stream, 17% indicated intent to do so within the next year (2014). An they are shifting format. additional nearly 23% indicated intent to stream within 2-3 years. continued on page 74
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Average spend Video format Most surprisingly nearly 25% reported not cataloging streaming $ 20,125 Physical copy video (DVD, Blu-Ray, etc.) videos at all. $ 4,980 Individual streaming video titles Libraries that employ catalog records for streaming videos rely heavily on MARC records (59 %) and/or meta data (20 %) provided $ 21,381 Subscription streaming video collections by the video distributor. $ 2,093 Institutional funding for streaming video 9. Libraries employ multiple solutions for While the amount spent for physical video in the last fiscal year is hosting streaming video. strong, survey results foretell significant changes in video expenditures Nearly three-quarters (72%) of libraries rely on vendor hosting to come. Of those who already stream, 32% anticipate spending less for at least some of their streaming video. Overall, vendor hosting for physical copy video in the next fiscal year. For streaming videos, solutions manage between 81 and 100% of libraries’ streaming 42% anticipate spending more for individual titles and 47% anticipate collections. spending more for streaming video collections. For content not hosted by vendors there is no dominant model or hosting solution. In-house solutions range from the institution’s 6. There is no single acquisition tech infrastructure to a solution internal to the library. Academic model for streaming video. institutions use both turn-key (e.g., Ensemble, UStream, V-Brick) As the figures in item #5 above already suggest, there are multiple and locally developed hosting systems. There is no dominant com- approaches to acquiring streaming video content. Three approaches dom- mercially available hosting system. Few institutions use third-party inate: single title purchase with in-perpetuity rights (now often referred hosting. to as “life of file format”), term licensing, usually (but not always) for a period no longer than three years, and subscription to a collection. None Hosting Approaches % of libraries employing of these approaches precludes the others. Respondents to the survey Vendor portal 72.5 % reported using all three of these approaches, in various combinations. Of the respondents that currently stream video, 44% reported ac- In-house (Academic institution) 42.5 % quiring individual titles through in-perpetuity purchase. Similarly, 42% In-house (Library) 22 % reported acquiring collections in perpetuity. An even larger number of respondents have term-licensed streaming videos: 66%. Ninety per- Third party 11 % cent (90%) of those that stream subscribe to at lease one subscription collection. continued on page 75
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The Case feedback and input. One, an online Excel • Long battery life on a single charge. Librarians’ work has gone mobile. We use spreadsheet in SkyDrive (the Surface users), Can use a full workday without smartphones and tablets in our personal lives; and also a Google Spreadsheet in Google Drive charging. why not take advantage of them at work? (for the Chromebook users). We asked the ten • Can Install third-party apps like Last fall 2013, the Informatics and Cyber- librarians as they used either the Surface or the Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter. infrastructure Services department at ASU Chromebook to record what app or program Technology specific advantages included: they were using and record on a Likert satis- Libraries, asked librarians (the authors) • Chromebook works well with Mimmo Bonanni and Dennis Brunning to factory scale of 1-5 whether the app had a high rate satisfaction (5) or low satisfaction (1). In Google drive Apps (i.e., document, investigate technology needs in today’s mobile presentation, and spreadsheet). workflow. The proposal • Chromebook touchpad is more pre- was to purchase and test cise for day-to-day work instead of mobile technology for a touchscreen. select test group of librar- ians. We decided to con- • Chromebook keyboard is closer to a centrate on lightweight, desktop keyboard, and easier to use inexpensive, powerful compared to the attached Surface mobile computing plat- keyboard. forms for librarians. Two • Chromebooks are a better value. models stood out: tab- They are significantly less expensive lets and Chromebooks. compared to MS Surface tablets; The question was; can half the cost. tablets or Chromebooks • Surface works comes with MS Of- replace or act as posi- fice and Skype built-in. tive additional tools for • Surface monitor is brighter and has the day-to-day work of better resolution, so reading PDFs librarians? and documents is easier than on a We randomly select- Chromebook. ed ten librarians to receive Google Samsung the spreadsheet, we asked the librarians to also • Surface form factor is more portable Chromebooks and Microsoft Surfaces with record the date of use, and also any comments (without keyboard) to take to meet- keyboards. Five Chromebooks and five Sur- they would have about the app or program ings and conferences. faces were given out by lottery. based on the above criteria. Library staff • Surface offers unique multi-task The librarians agreed to use either the recorded the input over a four-month period, touch features and multi-tasking Surface or the Chromebook as their primary November 2013 - February 2014. The authors software, allowing you to see more computer in the late fall (Nov/Dec 2013) and also gathered input from the librarians during windows on the screen at once. early spring semesters (Jan/Feb 2014). The monthly meetings. • Surface has better offline capabil- group also agreed to provide feedback on During the monthly meetings, we had open ities; when offline you can save their experience via online spreadsheets, and discussions based on the input gathered in the documents to the drive of the tablet monthly discussion meetings. Librarians also MS Excel or Google Spreadsheets. The dis- and upload to Skydrive later. would use ASU digital Web-based voicemail cussions covered the criteria of how effective Some shared disadvantages of both include: during this period to replace office phones. the mobile technologies were in the day-to- We met with testers regularly throughout day workflow for communication, document • No remote desktop functionality; the year, together and grouped by computer. writing, and work specific projects. including VPN or Remote Desktop. We helped with setup and mutually discussed • Not all library-related apps are best practice guides and tips. Findings available, like libraries ILS (Inte- The technology was distributed to the We discovered that there were certain ad- grated Library System), or library librarian lottery winners in late October 2013 vantages to using a tablet, and other advantages suggested products like Mendeley. for initial setup, and the project began in No- to using a Chromebook: • Both products do not have a vember 2013. Implementing ASU Enterprise • Mobile works well remotely; taking completed integrated enterprise proved to be a significant barrier to testing. notes, answering reference ques- system using apps; cannot get access As such, we made the decision to implement tions. Users are not tied to offices. to network files or network printers. user profiles and email settings outside of the • Would need to develop a new mobile ASU system. • Mobility helps librarians stay en- gaged even when out-of-office. ASU Libraries image. We developed a rubric for Librarians to • Built-in cloud functionality would evaluate the technology. Evaluation criteria • Lighter and smaller form factor than previous laptops. need system integration work with included: communication (email, Skype, Goo- ASU Libraries. • Inexpensive compared to a laptop. gle hangouts), document writing (documents, • Confidentiality: Mobility means if presentations, spreadsheets), and work specific • Built-in cloud functionality; retrieve lost, staff information is less secure. project needs like original cataloging, Web- documents without having to save based work, etc. Since we were evaluating to hard drive (i.e., Surface had MS • Both tablets and Chromebooks rely two different types of technology, and types of SkyDrive; Chromebook has Google on an Internet connection: offline collaboration, we created two ways to collect Drive). work for both is limited. continued on page 77 76 Against the Grain / November 2014
Rumors Along these lines, I am really looking for- Our library has been discarding print from page 75 ward to Tony Horava’s and David Durant’s books for digital books right and left. Part presentation in Charleston called “The Future of it is the need for study space for students but of Reading in Academic Libraries.” Is it part of it is just the race to digital — that’s not between casual and research reading. And it’s important to support the full range of reading very alliterative — about the desire for digital doubtful that the print book will go away because and learning styles in both print and electronic? — better? We are definitely far from alone. there are benefits to print just as there are benefits What are the implications for libraries and for The other day one of the main proponents to brick and mortar stores. legacy print collections? Speaking of which, of the eBook actually said, “I think that the http://literature.sdsu.edu/bios/peter_herman.html Tony will be guest editing the February and eBook phenomenon has peaked.” Hmmm. This http://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2014/09/29/ April issues of Against the Grain on this very reminded me of a recent article that we posted hidden-costs-e-books-university-libraries/ important topic. continued on page 91
Against the Grain / November 2014
cademic libraries are in an interesting and difficult position, The general orientation of any particular librarian on any particular one that makes us different from most other public and private issue will fall somewhere in (or, more likely, across) the four quadrants Ainstitutions. We are charged with meeting the immediate needs defined by this matrix. So will the mission of an individual academic of students and faculty (needs that can usually be identified and defined library — the library at a national university may be expected to focus with at least some degree of precision), but also with creating lasting substantially on its role as a long-term and comprehensive archive, while collections that will meet the largely unpredictable needs of future users. the library at a regional community college may be charged almost ex- At the same time, we also function as supportive infrastructure on our clusively with serving students and faculty in the here-and-now. Most campuses, active contributors to the scholarly and creative output of academic libraries serve some combination of these functions, but the our institutions and profession, and participants in a global scholarly mix will vary quite a bit from library to library, depending on the needs communication ecosystem. Our functions are local and global, short- and missions of the institutions that host (and pay for) them. term and long-term, just-in-time and just-in-case. Attitudes and Orientations Depth Perception: Spatial and Temporal To help us think about the interactions and implications of these Working within this complex structure of needs and expectations dynamics, I’ll characterize each of the four quadrants with a phrase requires us constantly to be shifting focus. Think about how your eyes that seems to me to describe the overriding attitude that is predominant work: they have muscles that contract and relax in order to adjust the in each one — bearing in mind (and accepting, for the purposes of this distance between the retina and the lens, making it possible for you to model) that in each case, that phrase represents an oversimplification. shift your attention from objects that are far away, to objects that are in the near distance, to objects that are very close. Depth perception is the ability to locate objects in space when they’re at different distances from you. Now consider how you think about the work you do in your library, whether it be as a support staffer, a librarian, a manager, or an admin- istrator. Is your focus generally on more distant and global issues (the scholarly communication system, copyright law, intellectual freedom), or on issues somewhere in the midrange (how the library’s services support the institutional mission, whether your collection matches the curriculum, how your ILL operation works with those of other institutions in the state), or on issues that are very close and granular (whether your signage is helpful, how equipment is maintained, how budgets are managed)? I’ll call this set of concerns the “spatial” vector of perspective. The issue of perspective applies in a temporal sense as well as a spa- tial one. To pick a global issue (the scholarly communication system) as an illustration: is your day-to-day focus mainly on long-term issues (is the journal subscription model sustainable?), on midterm issues (what will be the state of the scholarly monograph five years from now?), or on short-term ones (what will happen if Journal X is bought by Publisher So, for example: if I think about a library policy or practice ex- Y?). I’ll call this the “temporal” vector of perspective. clusively as it affects my library’s patrons (local) in the here and now The interaction of these two vectors can be expressed simply in a (short-term), my perspective on that policy or practice is falling squarely two-dimensional matrix like this: into the lower-left quadrant of this model (“Satisfy the Patron”). If I tend to focus on how it might affect the world of scholarship (global) Depth-Perception Matrix of Library Work in the long run (long-term), then my perspective on that issue falls into the upper-right quadrant (“Change the World”). And so forth. Applying the Model It’s important to bear in mind that no quadrant in this matrix has a monopoly on right answers to the difficult questions facing us in libraries and the scholarly communication system. Each perspective has something to recommend it, and each poses potential problems. At every point in this model there is a mix of upsides and downsides, and this suggests that it would probably not be wise for any individual to pick a single spot in this matrix and plant an ideological flag there. For example, on the temporal vector: one upside of maintaining a long-term focus is that you may see threats coming on the horizon that those with a shorter focus do not. (For example, subscribing to comprehensive journal packages may provide spectacular value to patrons in the near term, but may not be sustainable in the long run.) But a downside of the long-term perspective is that if you’re not careful, you can let yourself be paralyzed by “what-ifs.” The farther you look down the road, the more possible scenarios — many continued on page 79 78 Against the Grain / November 2014
Section Editors: Bruce Strauch (The Citadel)
BORDEN V. KATZMAN, UNITED It doesn’t say why she didn’t claim it a a federal question. Skelly Oil Co. v. Phillips STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE work-for-hire. Co., 339 U.S. 667 (1950). They both live in ELEVENTH CIRCUIT, 881 F.2d 1035; 1989 Borden filed suit in 1985, asking for a Florida, so diversity is out. Borden says it falls U.S. App. LEXIS 12914. declaratory judgment that she was “without under the Copyright Act because Katzman is Dr. Arthur Borden is an emeritus professor right to threaten suit,” alleging copyright denying him a right to publish, which is a right of English at New College of the University infringement or theft of copyright. Katzman of a copyright owner. And that puts them in of South Florida. Anita Katzman wrote and said this was not a copyright issue, but a fidu- federal court. published a novel entitled My Name is Mary. ciary one. And she counter-claimed, asking Katzman conceded that Borden held The book grew out of a 1974 trip to Tahiti he be permanently enjoined from publishing copyright in the translation. And she has no where Katzman learned of a 19th-century his translation. desire to publish the translation. She’s just Tahitian Queen, Pomare IV. The district court held for Borden, saying threatening him if he does. My Name is Mary is selling used for $0.01 publication rights are the exclusive domain of Federal jurisdiction only applies if she on Amazon, and it really has nothing to do with the Copyright Act of 1976. And, as it was a violates his rights by selling or vending the the case. I guess it just establishes she’s not a copyright suit, gave Borden attorneys’ fees and translation. fantasist. She got published before self-pub- costs — $21,757.90. State Matters. lishing appeared on the scene. Boy that must have stung. But they didn’t Upon her return, she set to work writing round off that 90¢. Katzman says she introduced him to the A Reason to Tarry. Doing research, she Moerenhout book and obtained the copy in Ta- discovered a book written during the time of And Now We’re on Appeal. hiti. Borden knew all about A Reason to Tarry Pomare’s rule — A. J. Moerenhout, Voyages The late Judge Friendly of the 2d Cir. once and that the material in Voyages was vital to it. aux Iles au Grand Ocean. remarked a layman might be surprised to learn She said this created an implied agreement of confidentiality which he has breached. Borden and Katzman were acquaintances that an action in which the copyright owner is at New College. Katzman doesn’t speak prevented by a threat of litigation from exercis- Whether they entered a fiduciary relation- French, and Borden offered to translate the ing his rights of ownership is not an action ship is a matter for state courts. book in exchange for $500 contributed to arising under the copyright laws. T.B. So they reversed and remanded the New College music festival. Borden did Harms Company v. Eliscu, 339 to the district court to vacate the several other translations as well and assisted F.2d 823, 824 (2nd Cir. 1964), judgment and make Borden give in organizing research materials for A Reason cert. denied, 381 (U.S. 915 (1965). Katzman her money back. to Tarry. He was paid for this. Borden brought suit under the I can’t find A Reason to Tarry on But he hadn’t started on Voyages yet. Declaratory Judgment Act, but that the Web. Perhaps you’ll have more Katzman had looked at it in the Library doesn’t confer federal jurisdiction luck. Or perhaps it didn’t make the cut of Congress and gone back to Tahiti where unless there is diversity of states or “in today’s tough fiction market.” she searched for a copy of the out-of-print book. And she found it, and Borden did the translation. Katzman certainly has an enviable lifestyle. Book browsing in Tahiti. But now things get Questions & Answers — Copyright nasty. Borden — he’s an aged prof after all — Column applied to the Copyright Office to register his translation. And he got a contract with Column Editor: Laura N. Gasaway (Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, University Press to publish it. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Law, Chapel Hill, NC 27599; University Press of Florida serves all the Phone: 919-962-2295; Fax: 919-962-1193)
80 Against the Grain / November 2014
Against the Grain / November 2014
he Comic Book Legal Defense Fund her with their planned activities, and encour- (CBLDF) is on the front lines of fighting aged planners to register their events with the Endnotes for the First Amendment. The comics ALA for inclusion on BannedBookWeek.org 1. Maren Williams, “CBLDF Joins T 7 Call to Restore Paper Towns in Pasco advocacy and anti-censorship group has as well. recently been involved in efforts to restore Gomez has also uploaded Working with County,” CBLDF News Blog, March 18, John Green’s Paper Towns to a reading list in 2014, accessed Sept 14, 2014 http://cbldf. Libraries! A Handbook for Comics Creators org/2014/07/cbldf-joins-call-to-restore-pa- 1 8 Florida, urging the South Carolina legislature to issuu.com. The guide is aimed at helping per-towns-in-pasco-county/. to reconsider budget cuts over last year’s choice comic writers and artists understand library 2 2. Betsy Gomez, “CBLDF Joins Coalition of Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home, and partici- programs, events, and collection development Urging SC Senate to Restore Funding to pating in numerous auctions, fundraisers, and practices. The work features an introduction Universities,” CBLDF News Blog, March educational events. by Harvey Award winner Jeff Smith, creator 18, 2014, accessed Sept 14, 2014, http:// CBLDF has been gearing up programs for of Bone from Scholastic and himself a CBLDF cbldf.org/2014/03/cbldf-joins-coalition-urg- the fall with its “Back to School with Comic Board member. ing-sc-to-restore-funding-to-universities/. Books” series. Just in time for the start of the 3. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, In August CBLDF announced the addition “CBLDF Banned Books Handbook,” school year and Banned Book Week events of UNLV Curriculum Materials librarian accessed Sept 14, 2014, http://issuu.com/ in late September, the group’s Betsy Gomez Katherine Keller to its Board of Directors. ebetsygomez/docs/cbldf_bbwhb_final. announced the release of the CBLDF Banned In addition to her prominent librarian role 3 4. Betsy Gomez, “Back to School with Books Week Handbook. This resource for doing outreach and instruction in Las Vegas, Comic Books: The CBLDF Banned Books libraries, educators, and retailers is a free Keller is the co-founder of Sequential Tart, a Week Handbook,” accessed Sept 13, 2014, download hosted on issuu.com and provides long-running Webzine focusing on women’s http://cbldf.org/2014/09/back-to-school- “the scoop about banned comics, how to re- issues in comics and pop culture. Gomez with-comic-books-the-cbldf-banned-books- port and fight censorship, and how to make recently relayed Keller’s feelings on her new week-handbook/. a celebration of Banned Books Week in your position on the CBLDF site: “Given the ex- 5. Betsy Gomez, “Back to School with community.”4 In addition to the free handbook perience and expertise of the current Board, I Comic Books: CBLDF Discussion Guides,” accessed Sept 13, 2014, http://cbldf. downloads, you can purchase Banned Book am both humbled and excited about being able org/2014/09/back-to-school-with-comic- Week kits with print versions of the handbook to bring what I know about comics retailing, books-cbldf-discussion-guides/. 9 plus stickers and buttons. libraries, and education to such a group.” It 6. Meryl Jaffee, “Raising a Reader. How The CBLDF also provides some wonderful would be easy to think Keller’s experience Comics & Graphic Novels Can Help Your online discussion guides focused on frequent- with organizing outreach programs also had Kids Love to Read,” accessed Sept 14, ly challenged comics, including Fun Home, something to do with the group’s well-timed 2014, http://issuu.com/ebetsygomez/docs/ Batman: The Killing Joke, Watchmen, Maus, efforts at the beginning of the academic year. cbldf_raising_a_reader_comic_book_f. Persepolis, and Pride of Baghdad. These ma- Keller was involved in fundraising for 7. Gomez, “Back to School with Comic Books: The CBLDF Banned Books Week terials are an invaluable resource for librarians CBLDF’s support of comics retailer Gordon Handbook.” working on classes and events dealing with Lee against charges of distributing harmful 8. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, “Work- censorship (or simply for comics or general materials to minors in 2007 and of manga ing with Libraries! A Handbook for Comics media-literacy programming). Each guide reader Christopher Handley’s prosecution Creators,” accessed Sept 14, http://issuu. contains a synopsis, a breakdown for possession of objectionable com/ebetsygomez/docs/cbldf_libraryhand- of the work’s major themes, the materials in 2009. Lee’s charges book_interior_fina. reasons it is often challenged, sug- were dropped but he died after 9. Betsy Gomez, “Library Professional and gested age ranges for readers, and having a series of strokes in Sequential Tart Founding Member Katherine discussion questions and activities. 2013.10 Handley was pressured Keller Joins CBLDF Board of Directors,” The guides are available as free PDF into a guilty plea and served six CBLDF News Blog, Aug 18, 2014, accessed downloads from cbldf.org.5 They months in prison, followed by Aug 19, 2014, http://cbldf.org/2014/08/ library-professional-and-sequential-tart- look like they’ll be useful regardless years of supervised release and founding-member-katherine-keller-joins- of the time of year. The Raising a probation, due to his possession cbldf-board-of-directors/. 6 Reader guide, aimed at very young of seven particular books in a 10. Charles Brownstein, “RIP, Gordon readers and timed for release with broad collection of manga that Lee,” CBLDF News Blog, January 14, Free Comic Book Day in May, numbered in the thousands of 2013, accessed Sept 14, 2014, http://cbldf. looks like a boon for early pri- volumes.11 org/2013/01/rip-gordon-lee/. mary school and public libraries Full disclosure: I’m a 11. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, throughout the calendar. card-carrying member of the “CBLDF Case Files – U.S. v. Handley,” ac- cessed Sept 14, 2014, http://cbldf.org/about- This is well-coordinated CBLDF and proudly wear my us/case-files/cbldf-case-files/handley/. bunch of materials from Gomez “I Read Banned Comics” mem- and the CBLDF crew. Gomez bership t-shirt to any event I can. also furthered the collaboration Download those guides and by inviting libraries to contact use them year round.
82 Against the Grain / November 2014
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Booklover — #nobelliteraturelaureates Column Editor: Donna Jacobs (Retired, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425)
f you are not living on the edge, you are and/or emotion sometimes need more than 140 and used his words to further the Left-wing taking up too much space — an interest- characters. Which brings me to Björnsterne movement. His affection for the life of the Iing concept and one that prevails in the Björnsen, the Norwegian author who was peasants and farmers heavily influenced his academic world. I lived in this awarded the third Nobel Prize writings. Interestingly, Björnsen was one world my entire career, a world for Literature in 1903. His of the original members of the Norwegian where the cutting edge of ideas, short story “The Father” is the Nobel Committee. His tenure on this com- technology, and theories are perfect study for conveying an mittee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize born. A heady space and much intense emotional message with was from 1901-1906. different from the world where a minimum of words. “The Father” was originally published in these ideas, technology, and Björnsen, born in Kvikne 1881. The story unfolds on four pages in an 8 theories are put into practical Norway on 8 December 1832, x 6.5-inch hardback book or 62 lines on this use. The distance between idea is considered with Henrik Ib- Website: http://www.bartleby.com/195/14. and popular acceptance can be sen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander html. It is a powerfully emotional story, one long and time consuming. I Kielland as one of “The Four that I reread several times, embracing the learned that “new ideas” on the Great” (De Fire Store) Norwe- minimalist use of words and yet the depth front page of a newspaper could gian writers. Poetry was an of understanding, and the complete life that be decades old by my standards. early passion, and he pursued was portrayed. Embracing new technology, this discipline in his studies. From the first request of the father to the change, and the learning curve Like Deledda, the subject of the priest: “I have gotten a son,” said he, “and I that came with it was daily life, previous Booklover column, he wish to present him for baptism.” To the last until now. Retirement is a new wished to use his literary skills consoling statement of the priest to the father animal and with it a desire to sometimes to describe the life of the peasant after the loss of his son: “Yes, I think so my- be comfortable in old shoes of thought. So for the national readership. His pen was self,” said Thord, “looking up while two big excuse me when I am ignorant of new stuff not limited to poetry as he matured. Björn- tears coursed slowly down his cheeks.” The and how it works. One example is Twitter, sen’s words influenced the arenas of drama, reader knows in the fewest of words the life tweets, hash tags and the effective minimalistic theater, prose, politics, and even lyrics to of this boy and the pride the father has in him. use of words to deliver an electronic message. the national anthem. He lived in a time of #skillfullycraftedwordsmakemehappy. Directness is easy, but the subtleties of humor, political and social transition for Norway
Against the Grain / November 2014
Column Editors’ Note: Greetings. As we stated at the outset of the Todd: Well, if you look at our Website for Digital Conversations series, this will be an actual conversation — and the library [http://www.carthage.edu/library/] we want you to join in! To that end, we have started recording our con- you can see some images of the Bleeke Re- versations and making them available for your perusal. You can go to our search Center. It is a grand space and very link http://www.carthage.edu/media/chilsen-kelley-conversation-2.html, inspiring. It goes up two-and-a-half stories and or scan our QR code and watch the full conversation. Once there, we has these huge windows overlooking the Pike encourage you to join in the conversation as well. — PC & TK River, and it is just so inspiring. When people want to work alone and need really quiet time and want to interact Paul Chilsen: Welcome to our next itera- enterprise, isn’t a facility tion of “Digital Conversations.” We’re here and suite of services that with materials or with to talk about some feedback that we’ve gotten can remain static. their thoughts or just sit there and look out from students here on the Carthage College Paul: Right. campus: “Our library needs to change.” at the Hanisch Garden Todd, could you give us a brief history about Todd: It’s got be or the river — that is where things are at right now with respect dynamic. It has to be where they go. When to the development of the library from your ever-changing. We it comes to quiet space perspective? can’t let up our foot and the inspirational off the gas in terms of space for the individ- Todd Kelley: The Hedberg Library finding out more about ual student, we are do- officially opened in January of ’02 and im- the needs, the wants, ing just about as well mediately won an award as library of the year and the expectations of as we could hope to for the state of Wisconsin. It is a fantabulous the incoming students. do. When it comes to facility and the best facility that I have worked They are the first people group space and group in. The students stream in here every day, and to recognize that there’s work — we just don’t the faculty and wider community use it as well. a discrepancy between have enough of that! We have classrooms in the library. We have what they expect and We have five group the media theater. We have art on the walls. what we provide. study spaces. They We have inspiring space as well as books, were designed for journals, technology, and lots of librarians. A Paul: So you got lot of people come in here, and they say, “Wow, this group together to anywhere from three this is just absolutely one of the best libraries explore that idea, and to up to six or seven we’ve ever seen.” So, you may ask — you told us a little bit about who was in the students. We’ve installed the latest technology group. Tell us about what you were hoping the and flat panel monitors. We’ve tricked out those Paul: “What’s wrong?” group would come up with, then about what spaces and the students love them, but there’s Todd: “What’s wrong?” And you know they actually came up with. just not nearly enough of them. They’re also in it’s not really so much what’s wrong as how Todd: Actually, your student quote at the an out-of-the-way place behind all the stacks in can we make sure that nothing goes wrong. beginning of our conversation is the kind of the back and downstairs, but even so, just about Paul: And how can we continue to improve thing I hoped would come out of the conver- every one has found them, and so they’re being and stay ahead just as when this library was sation. I didn’t think or expect that everyone used all the time. What we need in the library originally built. would just be patting us on the back because is more group space where students can get Todd: Right, Paul! It appears that each they don’t know that the library won an award together and interact with each other as well generation has its expectations and its needs. ten years ago after it opened. To the new stu- as with the technology, and five of those rooms Part of my job is to make sure we don’t slip into dents it is a brand new experience when they aren’t enough. We could easily use another five, complacency and keep patting ourselves on the walk in the door. They look around and think, and that is something that is starting to come back so long that we let the library slip and “Oh, how am I going to navigate this library out through these conversations. get too far out of tune with what the students and how can it help me get smarter, do my work Paul: Of course, there are other things expect, want, and need. One of the things that successfully, and graduate from Carthage?” connected to the title of this conversation. we did was to set up a diverse group of students, So, basically what we hoped for was for some There was an even more specific quote about faculty, and staff from across campus. Their people to take issue with the library, because technology, and obviously you want to respond charge was to explore what are we doing really the library has such a good rep on campus and to that or consider it. So can you talk about well and what could be improved — where historically here at Carthage that we’re afraid some of that feedback that you got from stu- might it be out of sync currently — and if we that everybody might just continue to congratu- dents through the Dean of Students Office and think ten years forward where might we need late themselves and not take a hard look at this. what you’re doing with it? to go in terms of how the library could change We actually like the fact that people were not Todd: Students may believe that we’re not and develop. I’m amazed that people think that thinking this was their ideal library. Specifical- technologically sophisticated enough if we once you create a library you... ly, we found that some of the expectations for don’t use what they’re used to using everyday Paul: ...You’re done. the library had to do a lot with how we support on their smart phones or what they may see in Todd: You’re done for twenty-five or groups of people working together some of their classrooms, so we’ve got a big thirty-five or even fifty years. You can set it Paul: So, what are some of those things focus going on with technology. But every and forget it. The library, being in the center of the library is doing well, based on the feedback time we focus on that we also risk alienating campus and being at the heart of the academic you’ve received? people on the faculty who are used to the continued on page 85 84 Against the Grain / November 2014
s a lover of the book and other physical University Libraries. A couple of years ago, researchers.” The article features, among other manifestations of scholarship, I’ve long I sat down with Mattie Abraham, one of the products, the Library of Congress’s free Web Abeen attracted to special collections CHARM project contacts, to talk about these application Viewshare. A former librarian at within the library. The summer after grad- materials. We discussed the development of the University of Mississippi digitized the uating from college, I was employed by my the national 4-H program, which began as an university’s John Elon Phay Collection and advisor as a research assistant as she collected initiative at Mississippi State University (I’d then used Viewshare to present a portrait of information for her work in progress, a book still like to publish a book on that topic!), and school segregation in Mississippi during the on characters named Antonio in Renaissance about WPA workers who conducted extensive 1940s and 1950s. drama. One day I found myself at a table in the field interviews and food and nutrition edu- I’m delighted to see this project at Mis- Davidson College library, donning white cot- cation programs as part of their efforts in the sissippi State move forward, as it represents ton gloves and preparing to handle an edition state to modernize local foodways. The raw a critical way that libraries can serve the of the Bishops’ Bible, at the time one of just a material for many a fascinating book on these scholarly community by making their prima- handful of copies in North America. and other topics was waiting in that archive, ry source materials and special collections I distinctly remember that book’s smell, ready for use and study. Both Abrams and even more accessible — and even more which seemed to collect vast, far-away worlds I wished aloud that the collection was better meaningfully presented — to researchers and and condense them into a heady odor. I can known outside the institution. patrons. In the same way, university presses picture the many small wormholes in the bind- The “Deeply Rooted” program is the an- are undertaking this same service mission by ing and pages, as well as the textual glosses at swer to that wish. According to Mississippi publishing materials electronically, whether as the side of the pages. These glosses were my State Libraries project coordinator Stephen part of library-rooted open access initiatives or primary reason for handling this volume, and Cunetto, the program “is a great model for as part of new eBook platforms or collections. they were to help me understand how readers other special collections. Getting content into The student who needs a particular source in such as Shakespeare (who was said to be fa- one central national database makes it much the middle of the night for a paper can now miliar with this particular edition) might have more discoverable than in individual silos.” most times access an eBook or other version, interpreted certain passages of scripture. The Cunetto notes that at the beginning of the and rather than having to find travel funds and experience made such an impression on me that “Deeply Rooted” initiative, the library dis- take time for a road trip to Starkville, Missis- in graduate school, I’d sometimes go over to cussed creating their own portal for the content, sippi, scholars will soon be able to peruse the special collections during lunch just to handle but they decided that the DPLA would already agricultural life and history collection from the some of the intricately illuminated devo- have an impressive technological comfort of a living room or coffee shop. (I will tionals, to examine the delicate gold infrastructure and built-in add that I am not one to discourage tourism. leaf and the vibrant blues and reach, both of which would The Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library reds of the illustrations. help ensure the ongoing is newly located at the university library, so it In my current work, success of the project. is indeed worth a trip.) I’ve remained interested Such programs will Talk to a university press administrator and in special collections, in have a direct impact you’ll find that partnerships and collaborations the beautiful gems they on scholarship. Mark are the focus of much of our thinking and ef- contain and the knowledge Hersey, a History pro- forts. We’re often asking, how can we develop and wonder that reside fessor at Mississippi content and models that will allow us to work in these reams of books, State University, says, with museums, historical societies, university documents, old reports, ephemera, and other “As libraries digitize their collections and departments, and other learning and cultural material objects. I have enjoyed meeting integrate them in places like the Digital centers to educate and to disseminate knowl- with special collections staff at our university Public Library of America, my research as edge? I’m sure libraries are asking themselves libraries to hear about the remarkable items a historian gets exponentially easier. Easier, these questions as well, and along these lines their institution holds, and often to brainstorm perhaps, is the wrong word: broader, faster, MSU’s Cunetto noted that the libraries there about how the holdings might be used as the more wide-ranging are probably at least accu- are in the process of becoming a DPLA service foundation for a book project. Librarians have rate.” Hersey continues, “Clearly, the promise hub. As a hub, they will partner directly with frequently told me how they wish more people of such digitization projects (not just at Missis- the DPLA to upload metadata records, “but knew about their particular collections, and sippi State University, but around the world, more importantly, we will also be the ‘on ramp’ also how they wish they had more hours in the really) is enormous — revolutionary, really, for other libraries, museums, and cultural heri- day to begin a research project involving the for historians. I tell my graduate students that tage entities in Mississippi to get their content materials under their care. they can do more research in a couple of hours into the DPLA,” Cunetto says. Therefore I was delighted to see notice of than historians could have done in a week a This is good news indeed, and I’m heart- the launch of an ASERL/DPLA collection of generation ago.” ened to know that such library initiatives and agricultural resources, ranging from diaries to Once the materials are digitized, they can partnerships will open up access to so many business ledgers and from field notes to photo- also be contextualized to enhance learning and remarkable documents, artifacts, and photo- graphs, that will be called the “Deeply Rooted” interpretation. The September 1, 2014 issue of graphs. As the DPLA grows in this way, it initiative. The foundation of the collection will Library Journal included a product spotlight on should further encourage new and creative come from the Consortium for the History of time line and mapping software that will allow scholarship, which is, of course, a university Agriculture and Rural Mississippi (CHARM), “libraries to present digital collections in new press editor’s dream. which is overseen by the Mississippi State ways, facilitating serendipitous exploration for
86 Against the Grain / November 2014
From the African Diaspora and To the Politics of Geographies Embryonic Stem of Identity Cell Research
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The Scholarly Publishing Scene — Materials Properties Data Column Editor: Myer Kutz (President, Myer Kutz Associates, Inc.)
I spent the early portion of my professional was replete with tables of materials proper- a responsibility not to lead young practitioners career working as a mechanical engineer. (I ties data. I don’t remember caring too much astray. For the materials chapters in my Me- hold mechanical engineering degrees from about whether there was any documentation chanical Engineers’ Handbook, for example, MIT and RPI.) Specifically, I was involved testifying to the validity of the numbers in the I made sure to enlist expert contributors who in thermal design. Among other pursuits, I tables. Whatever was in the tables was good would provide detailed references about the worked on temperature control of the inertial enough for me, and I had faith in the results origins of materials properties tables in their guidance system used in the Apollo program. of my calculations. It was the equivalent of chapters. As time when on, industry groups (If the components of such a system become using Wikipedia today, I suppose. In any case, such as the Aluminum Association and the too hot or too cold, it steers a vehicle off the projects I worked on didn’t suffer any ca- Copper Development Association became in- course.) Like most young men, I thought I tastrophes because I used materials properties volved with and even sponsored the compiling knew everything. So, for example, when I values that might not have been fully vetted. of data in chapters covering materials. Those needed values of materials properties, such as They were good enough for engineering work, are the chapters that tend to have the most the thermal conductivity of high-performance as a variation of the old joke would have it. exhaustive materials properties data, although metals to use in calculations to determine Besides, I knew that my calculations weren’t the I should say that a handbook cannot strive for operating temperatures of key components of last word. The groups I worked in ran tests to completeness in this area. There are just too the Apollo inertial guidance system, I believed determine how things would be under operating many variables affecting the precise value of that tables of materials properties published conditions. a material’s property — the ingredients in it, in something called Materials Selector I used tables from how it was manufactured and the conditions were sufficient for my purposes. Materials Selector under which the property was measured, to Materials Selector was (with permission, of name just a few. an annual publication of course) in my first In the Internet age, I’m not sure how Machine Design, an adver- book, Temperature much of this vetting process matters to young tising supported magazine Control, back in 1968. engineers, who have been thought to be a that arrived on my desk Years later, when I started principle market for engineering handbooks. free of charge, as I recall, putting together engineer- The Internet is filled with materials properties and Materials Selector ing handbooks, I keenly felt continued on page 89
Against the Grain / November 2014
he current business of acquisitions units involves not only the and establishing a collection policy of access rather than ownership daily responsibilities of ordering and paying for resources in real began to be seriously debated. time. It also involves the need for long-range planning. For the T 2030 Scenario Assumptions acquisitions unit of the future to succeed, the acquisitions unit of the present must be engaged and visionary. In other words, “A shining new In ODU’s 2030 scenario, libraries are less collection-focused and era is tiptoeing nearer…be prepared!”1 To that end, the Monographic and more access-centric. Other assumptions about collections in ODU’s Serials Acquisitions staffs at Old Dominion University are currently 2030 scenario are that: immersed in a dual role — functioning in a 2015 world while preparing • Researchers will be working for information-providing com- for a 2030 one! panies and will have access to all the collections they need Future Planning at ODU • Research collections will be needed much less than they are now University officials started developing a new comprehensive campus five-year plan in early 2014. Shortly thereafter, University Libraries be- • Higher rates of sharing will exist between institutions gan working on their own long-range future planning process consisting • Digital repositories will support the collections needs of an of seven phases. In phase four of our future planning process, library institution’s researchers staff used the ARL 2030 Scenarios2 as a reference point to project how • Institutions will build meaning from their niche/special col- an academic library might look and might function in 2030. Using the lections ARL 2030 Scenarios as prompts, library staff members were asked to • Research culture, formerly based in North America, will be identify key values and to imagine a “likely” library future. centralized in China, India, and the Middle East. Published in 2010, the ARL 2030 Scenarios describe research and In the anticipated 2030 scenario, acquisitions workers will be per- higher educational environments in which academic libraries should ceived as facilitators, promoters, and providers of services rather than be equipped to serve and to thrive. Scenario one focuses on research purchasers of materials. They will continue to order and to buy items entrepreneurs, scenario two focuses on reusing and recycling (doing for collections but on a much smaller scale. Moreover, they will be more with less as we currently know it), scenario three creates a future perceived as partners with researchers, faculty, and students in tune to where disciplines and their big data are in charge, and in scenario four the needs of their end users. To this end, the 2030 acquisitions worker the research enterprise has shifted in dominance from North America will acquire the tools that researchers, faculty, and students need for to the Middle East and Asia. Although phase four of our library wide their work. planning process has ended, the acquisitions staff continues to imagine Possible models and ways that 2030 acquisitions staff members may how to conduct the business of acquisitions if aspects of the ARL sce- acquire, deliver, and provide access include using: narios come to fruition. • New access models resembling Red Box and Netflix, Current Scenario Realities • Tiered access models that rely on voice recognition or finger- Located in Norfolk, VA, Old Dominion University (ODU) was prints instead of IP recognition or user names and passwords founded in 1930 and currently serves 20,000 undergraduate and 5,000 • Discipline-specific purchase models graduate students. ODU offers 70 bachelor’s degrees, 54 master’s • Fee-based models that cater to different types of students, degrees, 42 doctoral degrees, and 2 educational specialist degrees. researchers, and research projects More than 70 degree programs are available through Distance Learning. • Retail giants instead of traditional vendors ODU’s University Libraries’ collections total approximately 3.2 million items, including over 1 million monographic volumes, over It is expected that Acquisitions workers will continue as stewards 20,000 journals and other serial publications, over 2 million microform of their institution’s financial resources. At the same time, they will be units, and over 68,000 maps, computer data files, audiovisual, audio, operating in scenarios where buying power is compromised and efficien- film, and cartographic materials. cy in completing their tasks is at a premium. Much faster procurement processes with less bureaucracy and red tape will be necessary. Current acquisitions activities at ODU are fairly traditional. Staff use approval plans, place firm orders, accept gifts, create standing Acquisitions work environments in 2030 are assumed to be different. orders, set up subscriptions, negotiate licenses, engage in document The acquisitions librarian might be physically located in a research delivery and inter-library loan, and strive to establish effective vendor park with a team of international researchers from a spectrum of disci- relationships. Likewise, the tools to complete assignments are pretty plines. The acquisitions librarian might assist with research grants and standardized. Acquisitions personnel incorporate vendor knowledge proposal writing by projecting costs associated with providing access bases like GOBI, utilities such as OCLC, and subscription agents for to the resources and data they need for the duration of the project. The order placement and fulfillment. However, things are changing atODU . acquisitions librarian might create promotional materials about their In FY2013, the monographic acquisitions unit was “repurposed” to researchers and their research projects that are used in formal reports, address the anticipated increase of eBook purchases and the expected progress reports, social media, and trade publications. The acquisitions decline of print requests. In addition, an EBL PDA program was suc- librarian might travel with their research team when they go into the field. cessfully implemented in FY2013 and was fully funded in FY2014. The acquisitions librarian might be independently employed and work by Moreover, initiatives on establishing a digital repository, creating a contract for libraries, corporations, think tanks, or wealthy individuals. scholarly communication model, pursuing open access opportunities, continued on page 89 88 Against the Grain / November 2014
properties data. How reliable are such data? I tell publishers that if they want to provide The Scholarly Publishing Scene Let’s hear from MatWeb: “Most of the data in comprehensive data, then relying on outside from page 87 MatWeb has been supplied to us directly by handbook editors and chapter contributors companies in the supply chain — the manu- won’t achieve that end. To get there, a pub- information, some of it reliable, some not, of facturers, or, less commonly, distributors or lisher would have to employ a team of experts course. I’m not writing with the benefit of fabricators. Other data has been taken from to put together such databases. They would market research into the matter, but it wouldn’t standards organizations or from similar ma- have to compensate the experts, not an enticing surprise me if it were the case that practicing terials/known relationships by the MatWeb prospect these days, when publishers tend to engineers use whatever properties data they staff.” I found this statement when I looked rely more on outside contractors than in-house find on a site that looks legitimate and don’t at the properties of silver, MatWeb also listed employees. In addition, merely applying a pub- bother much with investigating the data’s prov- three books as data sources, all from the 1990s. lisher’s logo to data won’t guarantee that the enance. That said, there’s plenty of reliable But never mind that, I’d guess that the data are engineering public would blithely accept such data available and current computer-based good enough for many design purposes. data as the equivalent of ASM’s gold standard calculations using good data look and feel a Over the last several years, publishers have data. But handbook editors and contributors whole lot more reliable than the pencil and told me that they’re interested in materials and can provide accurate and useful information paper scratches that I and my masters had to chemical properties data. I tell them that my about how materials are mined and made, how make do with back in the day. Let’s check out handbook contributors sometimes provide their properties can be improved, how materials a couple of examples. such data, but by no means can I promise that I can be used and in what situations — and how To start with, there’s ASM International’s could provide a handbook with comprehensive they degrade in certain conditions. In other Website, which has a ton of information about data. I’ve seen my handbooks open on desks words, how materials properties change over materials and the processes used in manufac- where engineers were making calculations time as a result of how the materials are used. turing. (In days of yore, ASM used to deal or designing something. I try to make my But it does take a village to produce compre- only with metals, but for some time it has handbooks very useful for such purposes. But hensive materials properties data and it doesn’t provided information on plastics, composites I would expect my handbook users to have to come cheap, nor does it fit a typical publisher’s and ceramics, as well.) Whatever information consult additional sources for materials prop- current business model. ASM provides, it becomes the gold standard. erties data in some instances. I simply can’t Or engineers can go to MatWeb for materials include all of it.
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suddenly feel very uninformed about above, no one corrected me when I talked package, will there be any way to get additional my current area of research expertise — about their absence from eBook platforms. content as the packages change? If yes, could self-publishing. In the last eighteen months, this happen automatically within the limits set I Why Is The Recent Overdrive I put together a special section of Against by the library? How would the pricing struc- the Grain on self-publishing, participated in Announcement Positive News For ture work? In addition, is it possible to use a Charleston Conference pre-conference Self-Published Materials? the Smashwords Website as a selection tool? on the topic, and wrote a major paper on OverDrive is the driving force in the eBook Unfortunately, Mark Coker, CEO of Smash- the bibliographic control of self-published market, especially for public libraries who words, who reviewed this article for factual materials for the 2014 IFLA Conference in are the logical purchasers for self-published accuracy, says no. The Smashwords Web site Lyon, France. I follow multiple discussion materials and especially for self-published doesn’t identify which titles have been distrib- lists for both public and academic libraries. fiction. According to a relatively recent report uted to OverDrive and are therefore available During this time, I spent hours researching on the Forbes Website: “In terms of market for purchase by libraries. It appears that after the topic, mostly on the Internet. One of the share, OverDrive says that they serve over the initial purchase, libraries will need to buy areas that I researched was the availability of 90% of the 16,400 U.S. public libraries, with titles individually from OverDrive though the self-published materials on eBook platforms. a 99% renewal rate in that segment.” (http:// pricing will generally remain around $4.00 per I found nothing until I saw the announcement www.forbes.com/sites/avaseave/2013/11/18/ fiction title. in late May that Smashwords was partnering are-digital-libraries-a-winner-takes-all-mar- Beyond these technical issues, I’m more with OverDrive to offer packages of eBooks ket-OverDrive-hopes-so/) Public libraries concerned about the responses to a message to libraries. This development was to be the with any interest in self-published materials that I sent out on the PUBLIB discussion list. focus of this column and will still be in part. now have an option to acquire these materials I asked for comments about the Smashwords So What Happened? easily through a trusted and familiar source. announcement from the over 10,000 subscribers Today, in verifying my facts for my intend- The other advantage is that to this list. I received only three substantive ed column, I discovered that Smashwords Smashwords offers nine pre-select- responses beyond the emails asking me has had an agreement with the provider of a ed packages of their most popular to share the results. One consortium major eBook platform for over two years — materials at very attractive prices. had purchased two items, but the the Axis360 Digital Media Library Platform Smashwords is first and fore- librarian also said that “they are from Baker & Taylor. In a publicity release most a distributor so that they a little tricky to find because dated March 2, 2012, Smashwords announced track the aggregated sales OverDrive has them segregated that B&T would make “nearly 100,000 orig- results of titles across multi- into their own section.” Self- inal Smashwords eBooks available to Blio ple retail channels (iBooks, published materials apparently readers” and also “to public libraries that Barnes & Noble, Kobo, remain second-class citizens, subscribe to Baker & Taylor’s new Axis360 Scribd, Oyster, etc.) and though I doubt that readers digital media platform.” Smashwords also use this data to identify care about who the publisher publicized on August 8, 2012 that it was selling the most popular eBooks. is. They care about authors, eBooks directly to libraries and that two library The packages include these and many self-published organizations — Douglas County Libraries in titles and are available by authors are quite popular. Colorado and Califa, a library consortium in top titles, by series, or by Another consortium is looking California — had purchased large opening day author. The areas include fiction, romance, YA into getting Smashwords titles added to its collections of its most popular works. fiction, sci-fi, and non-fiction. The pricing is OverDrive offerings. The third response under $4.00 per title except for non-fiction at came from one of the pioneers in making And What Does This Mean? $7.35. For a public library that wishes to test self-published eBooks available, the Los I have some initial thoughts. The first is the waters, “Smashwords Hot 100 (recent Gatos Public Library in California, whose that self-published materials face more of an bestsellers)” is available for $370. At this price, experiences will be part of the future book uphill battle to become a legitimate part of even all but the smallest public library should on this topic from the University of Purdue library collections than I had believed. While be able to take the risk of discovering whether Press that I’m co-editing with Kelly Leonard. self-published titles account for between self-published materials will circulate if made The lack of comments surprised me because I 50-75% of the titles published in the United available in the library. The fact that these expected more enthusiasm for this inexpensive States (the percentages vary according to the eBooks are the best-sellers on Smashwords option to discover empirically whether self- source) and for fifteen of the best-selling titles guarantees some level of quality control. For published materials would circulate. in Publishers Weekly’s top 100 best-sellers libraries that wish to start with more compre- What Next? for last year, most libraries don’t appear to hensive collections, “Smashwords Top 250 My first hope is that more publicity — like have much interest in purchasing them for Author Collections” can make available 3,650 this article — will tempt additional public many reasons including the lack of reviews, titles for $13,900 ($3.81 per title). For the libraries to take the plunge. This column will minimal or no bibliographic information, and voracious romance readers, the “Smashwords most likely be indexed in Library Literature continued general non-availability through 200 Romance Series” provides 1,300 titles for Online and help make the Smashwords op- the traditional distribution network. Next, $4,700 ($3.62 per title). if I was unaware of this agreement with all tions better known. Furthermore, the librarian my scanning of the professional literature, Do Problems Still Remain? supporters of self-published materials might the Web, and discussion lists, libraries were Of course, I still see some issues. The first post more on the various discussion lists in- also unlikely to know about the availability of concern is Smashwords distribution plans. cluding PUBLIB with its large audience. I also self-published materials from Baker & Tay- How often will Smashwords change the pack- don’t know if Smashwords has an advertising lor. As proof, in all the activities chronicled ages of pre-selected eBooks? If a library buys a continued on page 91
90 Against the Grain / November 2014
Rumors from page 77 on the ATG NewsChannel — “Americans still spend just as much on print books as eBooks.” This article presents Bureau of Labor Statistics charts showing the breakdown of consumer ex- penditures on books and other reading materials by age of reference person. Fascinating. http://www.vox.com/xpress/2014/10/2/6889911/ bankruptcy, see http://www.infodocket.com/ rising; socioeconomic inequalities are growing; americans-still-spend-just-as-much-on-print- wp-content/uploads/2014/10/140925_LJ_EBS- and, in an age of eroding government support and books-as-e-books CO_SWETS.pdf. rising tuition, higher education is less affordable Hey!! Did y’all see that there is a new TV se- William G. Bowen’s talk on October 13, for many students and their families. …Technol- ries called The Librarians. Voice over: “human- at Rice University’s De Lange Conference is ogy is not a panacea, and Bowen appreciates how ity’s end begins at the library” is the mysterious presented in Ithaka’s S+R’s recent Issue Brief faculty roles and higher education governance lead in… TNT premier December 7th. We don’t introduced by the awesome Deanna B. Marcum. itself will need to evolve before technological watch much TV but this is something to keep an To quote Ms. Marcum: “William G. Bowen, innovation can lead to positive educational eye on definitely! president emeritus of both The Andrew W. outcomes. But this provocative paper asks us http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3663490/ Mellon Foundation and Princeton University, to consider new ways to reach our goals. I look LJ just published an interview with Sam argues that we are not doing well on several fronts: forward to hearing your thoughts on this topic and Brooks, Executive Vice President at EBSCO, the rate of higher education degree attainment has invite you to comment on our blog.” and Allen Powell, President of the EBSCO been near stagnant for the past 40 years; the time http://www.sr.ithaka.org/blog-individual/technol- Subscription Services division about the Swets it takes for undergraduates to earn their degrees is continued on page 99 Against the Grain / November 2014
Column Editor’s Note: Thank you to all of the Charleston Con- serve as a bridge between the library and basic scientists. Ketterman ference attendees who agreed to write short reports that highlight shared her institution’s two libraries’ experience in developing a shared sessions they attended at the 2013 conference. All attempts were made book collection policy for the multidisciplinary area of neuroscience. to provide a broad coverage of sessions, and notes are included in the Taylor addressed current issues with eBooks, the choices and challenges reports to reflect known changes in the session titles or presenters, of devices, formats, bundled as well as open content, budget constraints. highlighting those that were not printed in the conference’s final pro- The tour proceeded quickly, but time was left for a few questions after gram (though some may have been reflected in the online program). each brief presentation. Please visit the Conference Website, http://www.katina.info/confer- ence, for the online conference schedule from which there are links to Changing Operations of Academic Libraries — Presented by many presentations’ PowerPoint slides and handouts, plenary session Jim Dooley (University of California at Merced); Allen McKiel videos, and conference reports by the 2013 Charleston Conference (Western Oregon University); Robert Murdoch (Brigham blogger, Donald T. Hawkins. Visit the conference blog at: http:// Young University) www.katina.info/conference/charleston-conference-blog/. The 2013 Charleston Conference Proceedings will be published in partnership NOTE: Dinesh Siddaiah (Indian Institute of Technology Ropar) with Purdue University Press in 2014. was unable to attend this session. In this issue of ATG you will find the fifth installment of 2013 conference reports. The first four installments can be found inATG Reported by: Margaret M. Kain (University of Alabama at v.26#1, February 2014, v.26#2, April 2014, v.26#3, June 2014, and Birmingham, Mervyn H. Sterne Library)
The topic tour began after greetings from Wendy Bahnsen (lunch hosts were Rittenhouse Book Distributors). Kubilius provided the Collection Development in the Network World: Where Do annual re-cap of the past year’s various “family dramas” in the scholarly Libraries Add Value? — Presented by Sheila Corrall (University publishing world: births (new products), re-marriages (mergers), deaths of Pittsburgh) (ceased products and titles). Starting her short introduction, moderator Twiss-Brooks joked that “if it’s Friday, it must be data management Reported by: Benjamin Sinnamon (SILS Student, University day.” Library space is under pressure and budgets increasingly are under scrutiny, but collaborative opportunities abound, for example in of South Carolina)
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“value-added” could be a way to create this differentiation. Corrall Is There a Future for Collection Development Librarians? — raised four questions for debate on how to add value in the collection Presented by Tom Karel (Franklin & Marshall College) development process. A lively discussion followed, expanding on the ideas brought up in the presentation. Two themes seemed to rise. First, Reported by: Sarah Pettus (SLIS Student, University of South the critical need for communication and collaboration between librarians, Carolina)
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2013 In this session, Downey and Kairis discussed their findings from AFTERNOON CONCURRENT SESSIONS 1 an analysis comparing circulation of firm orders versus approval plan orders. Although the speakers noted possible inaccuracies in relating usage to value (for example, the inability to know if circulated material Copyright in the Digital Era: The HathiTrust and Georgia State is actually read), the lack of other ways to evaluate value of materials University Cases — Presented by Jack Bernard (Associate Gen- makes usage statistics the most useful tool available. Findings showed eral Counsel, University of Michigan) very little statistical difference in usage of firm orders and approval slip orders, with an average of 4.5 uses per book regardless of the acquisi- Reported by Posie Aagard (University of Texas at San Antonio tions model. Similarly, the subject coverage of firm orders and approval Libraries)
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of troubleshooting technology problems and the lack of control libraries And They Were There have over the content’s accessibility. She proposed that more transparency from page 94 would solve many of these problems, specifically suggesting that contact information and technical details should be included in metadata for open workflows and procedures as a result of this new move to Primo. Each access materials. Finally, Guédon gave attendees a professor’s perspec- library did extensive testing to fully understand how the new system tive on the issue, listing several types of information he would like to see works and how the system treats the various aspects of acquiring ma- in metadata in open access repositories, emphasizing the importance of terials of different types. Through their testing they also had to ensure licensing information and a reliability indicator. This panel provoked much that the system was fully functional and worked properly to meet their discussion about the problems posed by open access and the standards needs. Throughout the process each library also needed to decide what for open access metadata recently proposed by a NISO working group. data needed to be migrated and mapped from their current one to the new Primo system. Decisions also needed to be made about database cleanup. Depending on what areas needed to be cleaned up, each library Pitch Perfect: Selling to Libraries and Selling Libraries to had to decide if they were going to do the cleanup before migration or if it made more sense to do it as an ongoing project after the migration. Non-Users — Presented by Dave Celano (Springer); Melissa This presentation gave a great overview of the various issues involved in Oakes (ProQuest); Marianne Ryan (Northwestern University); a migration as well as pointed out that such a move, while a lot of work, Mark Sandler (Committee on Institutional Cooperation)) provided a new opportunity for the acquisitions librarians to re-evaluate their workflows and find new ways to streamline processes. Reported by: Emily Whitmire (SLIS Student, University of South Carolina)
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Reported by: Calida Barboza (Ithaca College) Hooper explained how the needs of readers of musical texts differ
Preparing Perpetual Access Holdings Data with Perl: Reported by: Tara Cassidy (Virginia’s Community Colleges) Context, Workflow and Scripts — Presented by Viral Amin
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Reported by: Ramune K. Kubilius (Northwestern University, Libraries and their Role in Open Access: Challenges and Op- Galter Health Sciences Library)
Against the Grain / November 2014
or today’s Web user, it’s a Google and Wikipedia — In previous studies on thing that feels good, is convenient, and gives a Wikipedia world. Businesses that un- how students conduct academic research, us the desired response, means that we will Fderstand how to create Web experiences the EBSCO team was able to identify three repeat that action, and since the combination that build on these familiar foundations are elements that users find very appealing about of Google and Wikipedia is the easiest path able to create products and features that users the Wikipedia experience. First, the “topic to information, it’s become a natural part of are excited to integrate into their personal overview” at the top of the page is concise, users’ lives. So natural, in fact, that users will digital worlds. and in layman’s language. Users find this often not mention Google when asked to name Users’ reliance on Google and Wikipedia welcoming and non-intimidating, and will their top five most-frequented sites as part of extends beyond forming their digital habits; briefly skim the overview to gain a broad a research study: “Google? I didn’t mention Google has become a lifestyle, and Wikipedia understanding of their topic, and then continue it because it’s a given. It’s the foundation of a familiar reflex. And both sites create expec- on to the second most important element on the my life!” tations that users carry forward with them to page: the table of contents (TOC) structure. Wikipedia has become a habitual step- new experiences and Websites they discover The “table of contents” gives users a sense ping-stone despite the misgivings teachers and throughout their lives. of the breakdown of the topic, including librarians have about the use of Wikipedia for related topics. At EBSCO, we have learned research. “It’s like a game — teachers tell us In Google I Trust that one of the most significant obstacles for not to use Wikipedia, and — wink, wink — When asked why they choose Google over students conducting research is narrowing we say we won’t, but we all know we will!” other resources, users explicitly identify the their topic, and the TOC is helpful in guiding said one college student, describing why she effective and trusted algorithm that Google students to related and potentially more resorts to the popular wiki site in support of has for returning the most relevant results on interesting or personally-relevant angles to her academic studies. “You can’t stop us [from the first page. Based onEBSCO’s research on a given topic. For example, if a student is using it]!” said a high school senior who uses search behavior, users are more likely to search searching Wikipedia on the topic of “same sex Wikipedia as the basis for most of his papers, again with new keywords than to navigate to marriage,” the TOC for this topic page includes and plans to continue doing so when he starts the second page of results on Google because, a section on same sex marriage in college this fall. “I get As, so why “if it’s not on the first page [of Google], it popular culture (games, comics, would I change?” probably doesn’t exist.” Users also appreciate television). This angle of the Google and Wikipedia the continued learning about their search terms same sex marriage topic may represent a successful pat- that they receive from the Google results page: inspire a student’s creativity tern of information-seek- “It’s not just results, it’s information, and more than the originally- ing that works seam- sometimes I can get an answer to my question assigned, more general lessly for today’s users. just from looking at the results, without having topic. Like any habit, this is to click any further,” said one participant. For The third element a comfortable behavior today’s user who is focused not only on ease that students respond that yields successful but convenience, Google represents a perfect positively to on the results each time it is match for non-premium content searches. Wikipedia site is the used. Understanding the “References section” at the bottom of the page. The Importance of User Experience aspects of Google and Wikipedia that users For many students, the References list becomes respond positively to allow EBSCO and other Google — Google is a top-of-mind resource a starting point for conducting their own pre- companies to create new products that will feel for searchers for reasons beyond its trusted mium content searches on their chosen topic. familiar to users; for example EBSCO’s Re- status. Users navigate the Google results page Forming a Habit search Starters, an authoritative content topic by skimming the page, looking for their search module on the top of the search results page, terms listed in bold in the title of the result item. In users’ minds, Google and Wikipedia was created to provide a topic overview that is This is particularly the case with younger users aren’t separate resources; they’re part of a citable and can help students better understand (college students), many of whom have told deeply-ingrained habit cycle that we as user their topic and improve their research. us in the course of our user research that they researchers have seen repeated over and over. learned skimming and scanning techniques as Today’s users like to start all of their research To facilitate research, one of the design part of their SAT prep study. “I skim the page — school and otherwise — on Google, where objectives is to replicate the familiar aspects of and read little bits here and there — selective- they have become accustomed to seeing Wiki- search that users have gained from Google and ly” said one college sophomore, “and because pedia as the first result. Searchers are often Wikipedia, while also enabling the discovery I can’t take the time to read everything, I just starting out with Google to orient themselves of premium content to provide a deeper, more look [for my search terms] and read those within a topic, and clicking on that first result immersive research experience. bits in more detail.” Google provides a large, is the easiest way to satisfy that need. easy-to-read title and a snippet where users can According to author Charles Duhigg (The expect to see their own search terms reflected, Power of Habit, Random House 2012), habits satisfying their expectations for a quick reading become habits because there is a reward that experience. makes an action worth repeating. Doing some-
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Working Better Together: Library, Publisher and Vendor Perspectives — Presented by Maria Collins (North Carolina State University); Nicole Pelsinsky (ProQuest); Mary Somerville (University of Colorado Denver); Aaron Wood (Alexander Street Press)
Reported by: Heather Donnellan (Elsevier, Science and Technology Books)
This panel took us through examples of collaboration between librar- ies, publishers, and vendors, and how these collaborations can produce new workflows for libraries and improve discoverability for researchers. Each presenter represented a different sector, providing examples of real partnerships and the benefits that resulted from each. (Collins is Head, Acquisitions and Discovery, North Carolina State University; Pel- sinsky is Manager, Global Implementation Services, Serials Solutions, ProQuest; Somerville is University Librarian, University of Colorado Denver; Wood is VP, Systems and Data Architecture, Alexander Street Press). Examples included expectations from both parties in order to make the most out of the partnership, like vendors providing library partners with training and reporting, and those libraries choosing services that complement, not compete with, in-house systems. Wins included tangible results like optimized metadata, and cultural changes like library staff thinking broader and smarter. It was easy to see that each presenter had a lot of information and examples on the topic. The examples and benefits given were very clear, and the way each presentation built on each other made it easy for the audience to follow.
That’s all the reports we have room for in this issue. Watch for the final reports from the 2013 Charleston Conference in the next issue of Against the Grain. Presentation material (PowerPoint slides, handouts) and taped session links from many of the 2013 sessions are available on- line. Visit the Conference Website at www.katina.info/conference. — KS
Rumors from page 91 ogy-educational-outcomes-cost?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=e- mail&utm_campaign=billbowen101414 Speaking of which, there will be an intriguing session with Joe Esposi- to, Roger Schonfeld, Deanna Marcum, and Susan Stearns on Thursday, November 6, called “The Spaces Between: A Research Agenda Between Librarians, Publishers, and Vendors.” Just heard that the versatile Scott Alan Smith, Library Director at Langlois Public Library who also has an article in this issue of ATG (p.102), will once again be donning his bookseller hat. Scott will soon begin working with the hard-chargingly wonderful Jay Askuvich and the continued on page 101 Curating Collective Collections — What Exactly Are We Retaining When We Retain That Book? Part One. Column Editor: Bob Kieft (College Librarian, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041)
’d like to take up in this installment of CCC in their retention programs, for some of the The second question they ask, and it follows a theme that circulates as an unresolved differences among copies make a difference to closely on the heels of the first, is “How can Iissue through shared print discussions average readers and scholars alike. Beyond the we know that the copy being retained by the of monographs. The theme involves a set question, then, of how many copies from zero partnership is in good enough condition to of questions raised by the physicality of the to N a partnership should retain, the partnership serve future readers?” That’s a harder one to books in the stacks and the consequences of has to decide how they will define a copy and assure today’s readers on because we know that that physicality for shared print agreements. which differences among them warrant reten- some of our books have brittle paper, loose text Since they are physical, books have a life tion of a particular copy. In effect, they have to blocks, damaged hinges, badly glued bindings, expectancy that depends on their “gene pool,” ask on behalf of their readers about the extent markings, and coffee stains. The slow fires that that is, the materials of which they are made, to which any given physical or digitized copy is swept the library world in the 1980s continue and on the environment in which they live as able to represent and be used as a given “book” to smolder, and readers continue to endanger well as their encounters in that environment in a shared print or digital library. books, especially as more and more of them with living creatures, creatures that are pre- The special collections community exists travel from library to library in resource-shar- dominantly, but not exclusively, human. As in part to preserve the many differences that ing bags, boxes, pouches, and envelopes that physical objects, the paper books are made printed books can have; they assume that books are hurled about by pressed courier services. of, the glue or sewing that holds their pages are worth continuing to use as cultural objects, A third question, one that has come to the together, and the casing that packages the and they wince at knowing that libraries in fore from such scholars as Stauffer, is whether pages affects their life expectancy as surely as their everyday practices of adding books to copies that offer evidence of reader interaction do the conditions in the stacks where they are the collection compromise, even destroy or at don’t require special attention in shared print housed and sit undisturbed, in many cases, for least imperil, some of that artifactual value by consortia where libraries divest of copies in decades. Whether books become the dietary marking them with stamps and labels, taking favor of those digitized or held elsewhere. All preference of vermin and whether they are dust jackets off, replacing covers with library three of these questions, especially the second treated well by the people who handle and read buckram, and, worst of all, lending them to and third, challenge the efficiency of the work- them — gnawed by the family dog? spilled or readers. To what extent, though, can or should flows undergirding shared print agreements rained on? run over by the car? left shared print agreements treat circulating collec- and the assumption, to some extent implicit to bake on a windowsill? crushed tion books as artifacts, respecting their phys- in those agreements, that a copy is a copy is a onto a copier? highlighted or un- ical integrity, establishing their suitability for copy. It’s easy enough to say that we want to derlined with ineradicable inks? archiving, and preserving them collaboratively respect and preserve differences among copies — add or subtract years of life. as distinct or distinctive objects? and we want the retained copies to be in a As physical objects, books also Shared print agreements raise a condition suitable for use, but when it comes carry cultural-historical evidence number of questions for readers on to establishing the condition of those tens or of the purposes for which people a campus. Among the first questions hundreds of thousands of retained copies we designed and made them, the tech- anyone, particularly faculty, asks pause at the sobering realizations, first, that nologies and arts used to create when their home library discusses some of the copies we have agreed to retain them, and the markets or audiences entering a shared print agreement are probably AWOL and, second, that it will for which they were produced and is “How do we know that we can cost us a lot of time and money to verify their in which they were distributed. rely on another library’s keeping existence and condition for our partners. Not least, individual copies of the book they say they will keep?” The Under these circumstances, it’s tempting to books bear, according to Professor Andrew Memorandum of Understanding that parties to take a “you pay your money and you take your Stauffer, University of Virginia, “traces” of a shared print agreement typically sign answers chances” approach. Yes, we librarians say, their purchasers’ and readers’ interactions with that question with specified retention and some of the copies a given library has agreed them (http://www.booktraces.org/). We object agreement review periods, exit requirements, to retain may not exist, some may be in bad to seeing in library books the shocking pinks guidelines for housing materials, etc. These enough shape they may not be worth keeping and yellows of undergraduate highlighting, terms, however, oriented as they are to a time- anyway, and some may have fascinating margi- for they make books unreadable. You can bet frame and to conditions that enable partner nalia. But, we go on to say, unverified retention your last First Folio, however, that if Einstein libraries to retain a measure of local control, commitments give us a start, and we can count had used yellow highlighter on a paragraph or exhibit a pragmatism that may not reassure on enough other groups’ or individual libraries’ written “horsepucky” in the margin of his copy those who regard the books now in the stacks retaining copies that a copy somewhere will be of Newton’s Principia you would not only sit as needing to exist in perpetuity. No library on the shelf or in the high-density bin in better up and pay attention but you would whisk the has made or can make such a promise, but the shape than ours. As for the marginalia, well …, book away to the safety of Special Collections potential for managing down a local collection yes, interesting, but since we don’t have time faster than the speed of light. But even readers in favor of a collective collection challenges to verify that the book is even on the shelf we less grand than Einstein leave marginalia, in- the familiar view of the library as the one place don’t have time to examine all retained books scriptions, bookplates, doodles, insertions, and in all of society that will maintain the village or potential withdrawals for traces of reader so on in their books, and these traces can serve memory through its books. We know that li- interaction and then judge whether those trac- the attentive scholar as clues to the lives, cul- braries employ varying protocols with respect es are important enough to warrant retention tures, and institutions in which a book was used. to damaged books, and, even though a shared of the book and record metadata about those As physical objects, then, books that are print agreement may explain procedures for traces so that scholars can benefit. the “same” may manifest a number of varia- checking regional or national holdings counts The copy-variation conundrum presents tions. Since academic libraries exist, among in making a replace/withdraw determination, itself, then, as a series of choices. A shared other reasons, to preserve the cultural record, readers may well wonder whether that retained print partnership must, in the first place, define shared print agreements for general, circulat- copy will indeed be there in 30 years (that the similarities that make two books copies ing collections of monographs must consider maybe we should not care too much it will not of each other; in the second, it must decide the conundrum of the value of copy variation be a story for another day). continued on page 101 100 Against the Grain / November 2014
Rumors from page 99 doubly awesome Cindy Human and the Midwest Library Service crew! Looking forward to seeing all of you in Charleston very soon. Was talking to the dapper Adam Chesler the other day. His lovely wife Marla who frequently comes to Charleston with him is at a wedding in Ohio. Meanwhile, Adam is on cat-sitting duty! BTW, did y’all see the picture of Narda and Peter Tafuri in front of John Riley’s rare book- shop, Gabriel’s Books. What a smiling couple! http://www.against-the-grain.com/wp-content/ uploads/2014/09/Narda-2014-007.jpg Next time you are in the vi- Quite a few of you have signed Every good idea that happens in Charles- cinity, a tip. Just out in the Post up for the Charleston Seminar: ton happens from a group or one of y’all! This and Courier, the Charleston daily Being Earnest with our Collections year besides the Seminar above, we have the paper this morning! One of my which will be from 12:15-3:00 PM UNC-Chapel Hill Data Curation Workshop. favorite popular crime fiction on Saturday, November 8. This Also, Erin Gallagher and Ashley Leonard authors — the awesome Elmore will be a luncheon and is taking the will be experimenting with polling Charleston Leonard’s material is coming to place of the Rump Session. Michael Conference attendees about various issues the University of South Caroli- Arthur who has put this together and in An End of Conference Poll-a-palooza na and is on display through this Anthony Watkinson will be mod- that will be held on Saturday from 11:45 to month. There are handwritten erating. We will be exploring new 12:15 right before the Seminar luncheon. notebooks, screenplays from ways of thinking about libraries and Results will be reported via Twitter et al! Leonard’s 40 novels and 60-year users and the distribution of informa- http://2014charlestonconference.sched.org/ career. Isn’t it wonderful that tion. We plan to share results through event/b95af991118f2bc3d7709122ee19f64a#. libraries preserve these types of the various Charleston Conference VD8AjUuTxFw materials? Worth a visit! publications. Stay tuned.
Against the Grain / November 2014
arlier this year I contributed two columns library district — with one library functioning musing about the future of this small, as the main district library, and the other as a Erural public library located on the south branch. Port Orford is the obvious candidate Oregon coast. (See ATG v.25#6, p.8 and ATG to serve as the main library — it has a larger v.26#1, p.76.) As director, I have been wres- building (and collection), it houses the servers tling with the question of how this inadequately that host our ILS, and it has more staff. property tax funded district can survive, and To accomplish such a merger, voters in thrive, moving forward. I have described the Langlois must be persuaded that to do so is challenging political climate within which we in their best interest, and does not diminish operate, and some of the obstacles to be over- the local character of their library. Port come in crafting a more sustainable structure Orford voters must also be convinced that for this library, as well as the this change represents greater return other libraries in the county. on investment and better service In my last column I out- levels. There are tax millage lined the current arrangement implications for both current of the Curry County libraries districts. Whether this proves — each is a separate, inde- to be an uphill battle or not, the pendent district. Each district process will in the very least performs a myriad of redun- be somewhat daunting. dant administrative and oper- Larger metropolitan public ational tasks which would be libraries and academic librar- far better addressed were we ies face these issues as well, a consolidated system. Each district elects its albeit framed in different ways. The methods own board of directors, to whom the library whereby they address these questions vary, executives report. Most of us share a common but many of the fundamental considerations integrated library system, but that is the extent are quite similar. of formal, organized cooperation among the county’s libraries. Beyond forming a single county district, the next steps might consist of a series of incre- Curry County is not unique in Oregon. mental, evolutionary projects. One opportunity Some counties have similar structures; some Curry might pursue concerns automation. The have county-wide systems with a main library current ILS used by most county libraries is and branch libraries, others have municipal outdated. Coos County, our neighbor to the libraries, or various hybrid organizations. This north, has just migrated from Millennium to mix can be found in other states; many library Koho. A loose confederation of a Coos-Curry systems throughout the country are struggling network would afford patrons enhanced, and to redefine their organizational structures, pro- simplified, library service. grams, and place in their communities. To my mind a consolidated county system Eventually a statewide public library net- for Curry is but a step towards a larger, more work, utilizing a common automated system, enduring solution. Achieving that initial goal could be a possibility (the academic libraries will be a process. We must demonstrate the throughout Oregon, Washington, and a bit of value of consolidation to our voters. That Idaho already have such a structure in the Orbis process will begin here. Cascade Alliance, not unlike OhioLINK). Curry is the southwesternmost county in the But the process should not — cannot — end state, and most communities are located along there. All of the aforementioned issues are Highway 101 (the Pacific Coast highway). The still, in the lingua franca of the moment, inside two largest libraries are the Chetco Commu- the box. The larger questions of advocacy, nity Public Library in Brookings (almost on marketing, redefinition, re-shaping of libraries the California border) and the Curry Public hover outside this elusive boundary, inviting Library located in Gold Beach, the county us to imagine that as-yet-unseen landscape of seat. There is a very small library in the town what might be. All that goes before merely of Agness, thirty-five miles east of 101 (Agness positions us to be ready to take those next makes Langlois look downright cosmopolitan), steps — be they bold, tentative, reckless, or and there are school libraries in several com- courageous — which will deliver models that munities. There are no academic or special shape and define our future. libraries in the county. By the time this column appears I expect The first step in what will very likely be a the initial stage of our process to be underway. long and bracing political process will be the I will report on what may prove to be an unex- dissolution of the Langlois and Port Orford pected development in my next column. districts, and the creation of a new, North Curry
102 Against the Grain / November 2014
his column may not sound like it has 2) their welcoming attitude to members Your resource for current subscription rates anything to do with libraries, but hang of the opposite sex (i.e., women need Tin there. I’ll make the tie-in, not to ev- not apply http://bit.ly/OnwW3m; eryone’s satisfaction of course, but at least I’ll http://bit.ly/1ieCDeO) or make the tie-in. 3) their restraint about what the Web can By the time you read this column this story display, show or otherwise unleash may have lost all it relevance, but it has made a (just start typing into Google….). bit of a dust up lately and so I think it deserves Anything goes is, I believe, the view, and some further treatment. About two weeks ago, information-wants-to-be-free is the mantra. the cyberverse was all a twitter about naked Given all this, it should come as no surprise selfies, mainly of celebrities, that had been that this happened and that some members of hacked right out of the cloud. Imagine that. the rich and famous were made, for a moment What goes online isn’t exactly private. Doh! or two, still very, very rich and only slightly Celebrities flew into high dungeon about chagrined. A good rule of thumb about the this, and a few tech places wrote about the Web is that you put nothing on it you wouldn’t scumbags that hacked the cloud to get them want your mother to see. If you do, brace (http://bit.ly/1pMh4m4) (http://bit.ly/1qucugi) yourself as you may find that your mom is a bit (http://eonli.ne/1qJAL1Z). Some were aghast. annoyed, not to mention embarrassed (http:// How could this happen?! Some argued that bit.ly/1qeiWcH). The Allen Press Buyer’s Guide the pictures were not of them. Most of the So what does this have to do with libraries? comments were along the lines that we all Only to show the stark contrast between one to Scientific, Medical, and Scholarly have an inalienable right to make naked pho- medium, the Internet that has no appreciation Journals is an online subscription tos of ourselves on our phones and store them for your privacy, and the other that has protect- catalogue of international online, only to be let out when we deem them ed it from the first day you checked out your relevant. And furthermore, how dare they? first book. It’s odd, isn’t it, that we hear all sort scientific, medical, and Taking something that isn’t theirs, yada, yada. of “stuff” about privacy and First Amendment scholarly journals representing Lena Dunham, she of Girls fame and one rights only to watch the Internet make roadkill who cannot seem to stay clothed under any of both on the information superhighway? societies and publishers. circumstance for long, blamed it on everyone Furthermore, no one really seems to care, not, The Buyer’s Guide contains: but those who had taken nude selfies. at least, the way they would had another entity Ah, the Internet. been so cavalier about both. Apparently we Current will put up with anything when it comes to First, raise your hand if you think that what subscription prices goes online is only a little less private than what the Web. It treats us shabbily, embarrasses us, encourages us to embarrass ourselves, and you might post on the Times Square marquee. Back issue information Seriously, can anyone today believe that even then laughs when we come back for more. Or, something deleted from the Internet is really maybe that’s just laughing all the way to bank. Indexing and abstracting Meanwhile, it continues to contend insidiously gone? Unless you are the IRS, you can’t really information delete anything off the that it has or will soon replace libraries. Web. E-mail addresses and, if Secondly, naked No one wants to put the genie back available, journal and society pictures on your website addresses phones? Really, in the bottle (though people. Isn’t that many of us want to what mirrors are put clothes back on for? I know that many of those selfies!). narcissism is rampant Still, is it too much to and that the Web has made all of us self-lov- ask that our choice not be between having a ing-loathing creatures. But honestly, why convenient service and giving up our privacy? exactly do we need to be making pictures of Probably not. ourselves and of, well, you know? I think But the story of the selfie is emblematic. they’re called “privates” for a reason. Just On the one hand, social media encourages you saying. to look within, navel-gazing (omphaloskepsis Thirdly, yes, there are scumbags out there, for the academic in you) ad infinitum. On the and many of them work in Silicon Valley or other hand, libraries services force you to view Cupertino or some other tech-related field. As the larger world outside you. Remember, the visit http://buyersguide. a group, tech folks aren’t exactly known for Web is not exactly looking out for your best in- allenpress.com terests because it believes you have no privacy 1) their upright and positive views of anyway, so get over it. Should, however, you To advertise: 800/627-0326 women (look at the gaming images want privacy, well then, get thee … of women, though women are nearly 50% of all gamers; http://huff. …to a library. to/1hyjVQi), I Hear the Train A Comin’ — Of Ecosystems and Stakeholders
Column Editor: Greg Tananbaum (ScholarNext Consulting)
have a confession to make. Since the last will let interested parties know when research The ability to generate vast and disparate data Charleston Conference, I have used the release events occur in a timely, structured, and streams accelerated so quickly that the growth Iword “ecosystem” in 252 separate email comprehensive manner. was not systematically managed. In the rush to threads. And counting. By the time you read From the SHARE perspective, there are any share information, we did not spend a great deal this, it may well be over 300. For better or number of stakeholders who, collectively, pop- of time thinking about how others (machines worse, though, “ecosystem” is the Garfunkel ulate the “ecosystem” that I have mentioned in and humans) might best consume that infor- to the Simon that is “stakeholders.” 502 distinct 502 emails since last Charleston Conference. mation. We are now developing broad-based email threads for the latter term since the last This roster includes individual researchers, coalitions and development projects to address time I stepped through the doors of the Francis sponsored research offices, repository manag- this cacophony. Marion Hotel. Why has my past year focused so ers, scholarly communication librarians, gov- This leads to the third interest — Stake- intensely on these two words? On a micro level, ernment agencies, research funders, publishers, holders are interested in a rational ecosystem. it has largely to do with my involvement in standards organizations, advocacy groups, the Mountains of raw information — metadata SHARE (I am the product lead for the project). international community, and even the general about datasets, article version history, lists of On a macro level, SHARE is part of a larger public. Each has an interest in knowing who papers an author has written, and the like — series of developments that, taken collectively, generated what research when, and where to don’t do much good if they can’t be normalized are pushing us toward a greater understanding find it. Each also has responsibility in ensur- and systematized. Some of the more recent of what it means to be a stakeholder in the ing the conveyance of this information in an community initiatives attempt to consolidate scholarly communication ecosystem. efficient manner. I’ll return to this notion of aspects of other initiatives to extend their By way of background, SHARE (the interests and responsibilities shortly. utility. So, for example, we see SHARE and SHared Access Research Ecosystem) is a SHARE is but one of the burgeoning com- CHORUS both seeking to incorporate DOIs, higher education and research community munity initiatives aiming to improve the flow ORCID, and FundRef data into the streams initiative to ensure the preservation of, access of information within the scholarly commu- of information they pass between and among to, and reuse of research outputs. SHARE nication ecosystem. As a representative but systems. There is little need to develop new is developing solutions that capitalize on the by no means comprehensive list, witness the mechanisms that would largely duplicate compelling interest shared by researchers, following developments: these emerging protocols. Further, incorpo- libraries, universities, funding agencies, and • Identifier registries (DOI, ORCID, rating them into the SHARE and CHORUS other key stakeholders to maximize research CrossRef, FundRef, DataCite, ISNI) workflows may have an accelerating effect on impact, today and in the future. SHARE their adoption by other stakeholders within • Data-centric coalitions (Research aims to make the inventory of research assets the ecosystem. Data Alliance, NDS) more discoverable and more accessible, and The final strand, as I indicated above, is not • Publisher-driven projects (CHORUS, to enable the research community to build an interest but a responsibility. Stakeholders FundRef, CrossRef’s Text and Data upon these assets in creative and productive must work diligently to create this rationality. Mining service) ways. The Association of Research Libraries No one will do it for them. Take a closer look (ARL), the Association of American Univer- • International efforts (COAR, at the initiatives I laundry-listed above. Virtu- sities (AAU), and the Association of Public OpenAIRE, CASRAI) ally all of them bring together a diverse set of and Land-grant Universities (APLU) have While this is quite a diverse array of un- players in their attempts to bring order to this partnered to develop SHARE with significant dertakings, there are four common strands chaos. Scholars, librarians, technical experts, input from the three associations’ member that connect them — three interests and one the public sector, the private sector, publishers institutions, along with generous financial responsibility. First interest — As a commu- of all stripes, private and governmental funding support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation nity, we are interested in sharing information, bodies, campus administration, data scientists, and the Institute of Museum and Library as both producers and consumers of scholarly and even the odd consultant (thanks for the Services (IMLS). content. This interest has led us toward techni- invitation) are rolling up their sleeves to come SHARE’s first project is the SHARE cal developments that make it easier than ever up with systems that improve upon the sharing Notification Service. It aims to notify in- to share information. Back offices systems of information. Each of these stakeholders has terested stakeholders for publishers, repositories, and other schol- a unique perspective on what can be done to when “research release arly communication outputs have increasingly make the flow of information more efficient. It events” occur, including sophisticated mechanisms for tracking and is in their collaboration that impactful projects the publication of arti- disseminating metadata and scholarly objects. will emerge, and in the careful alignment of cles and the posting of Text files and Excel spreadsheets have long these projects that the ecosystem itself will datasets. The SHARE given way to OAI and APIs. This means that discover rationality. Notification Service will information can be shared in increasingly I will have the pleasure of delving into distribute these notifica- sophisticated ways, on a one-off basis and at these interests and responsibilities as part of tions, in the form of a scale, with ever-falling financial and technical a Charleston Conference session entitled, concise set of metada- access barriers. “Let’s Talk: Bringing Many Threads Together ta (fields might include This ability to share information has led to Weave the Scholarly Information Ecosys- ORCID, grant number, to the second interest — We are interested in tem.” Joined by CHORUS Development DOI(s), and agency IDs) reducing Towers of Babel. The rapid prolifer- Director Howard Ratner and AAU Executive to stakeholders such as ation of technical systems has not been joined Vice President John Vaughn, among others, I funding agencies, sponsored by corresponding standards and interfaces. IRs look forward to a frank dialog with stakehold- research offices, institutional don’t speak to CRIS’s. CRIS’s don’t speak to ers (last time!) as we work toward an ecosystem repositories, and disciplinary sponsored research office grant compliance (also the last one) that can handle a volcanic repositories. In short, the tools. SRO grant compliance tools don’t speak flow of disparate information from manifold SHARE Notification Service to funding agency grant monitoring systems. sources in an efficient and rational manner.
104 Against the Grain / November 2014
ince it was launched in 2003, the • A place for COUNTER (and mission of COUNTER has been to SUSHI) to solicit feedback on future Sdevelop standards for the recording and plans and ideas reporting of the usage of online publications. • A collection point for suggestions During that time an important feature of our for new COUNTER usage reports development process has been listening to the and metrics communities we serve and ensuring that their • Troubleshooting hints, where plat- needs are taken into account in new Releases forms and reports with known prob- of the COUNTER Codes of Practice. In lems are identified and solutions to 2014 we shall be taking this process further these problems proposed by sponsoring a new community Website — Usus — which will be editorially independent • A list of vendors/reports with prob- of COUNTER. lems that are affecting the accuracy or usefulness of the COUNTER For the last 12 years the officialCOUNTER reports. Website (www.projectCounter.org), which is beautifully hosted by IOP (The Institute of Supervisory Board Physics), has provided a valuable platform for The Usus Supervisory Board will ensure the publication of the COUNTER Codes of that the Website is editorially independent and Practice, the official Register of COUNTER will serve the needs of the community. Chaired Compliant Vendors, and the list of COUNTER by Anne Osterman, Deputy Director of VIVA Members; it has also been a very useful (the Virtual Library of Virginia), the members channel for feedback on the development of the Supervisory Board are: of the COUNTER Codes of Practice. The Anne Osterman, VIVA, USA (Chair) COUNTER Website will continue to fulfil these important functions. Simon Bevan, Cranfield University, UK The role of COUNTER continues to ex- Melissa Blaney, ACS Publications, USA pand, with the publication of new Codes of Anna Creech, Univ. of Richmond, USA Practice for Articles and for the Usage Factor, Lorraine Estelle, JISC, UK and the world of online metrics grows in Oliver Pesch, EBSCO, USA complexity, notably with an expanding range Kari Schmidt, Montgomery College, USA of altmetrics. For this reason we have decided that it is important to provide a new forum for Mark Tullos, ProQuest, USA scholars, librarians, and publishers to share Visit the Usus Website information and discuss developments in the wider field of usage metrics. This is the role Please visit the Usus Website at: www. of the new Usus Website. The name Usus, the usus.org.uk Latin for usage, encapsulates our aspiration that Call for Submissions this Website will provide a lingua franca for Contributions are invited for Usus, in those interested in usage worldwide. particular for the News and Opinion section While COUNTER sponsors Usus, it will be of the Website. an independent, community controlled Website To encourage submissions COUNTER with its own supervisory board. has offered to provide a travel award worth Usus Features $1,500 to a librarian that contributes the best Usus will have the following features: opinion piece for the News & Opinions section of the Usus site. The award can be used to • A forum for community discussion travel to the Charleston Conference, UKSG on issues relating to Conference, or Electron- the COUNTER us- ic Resources & Librar- age reports, as well ies Conference. Please as wider usage is- send your submissions sues. Usus will link of 1,000 words or less to to the existing JISC-
13-268 PharmacyLibrary Ad.indd 1 5/15/13 4:43 PM Pelikan’s Antidisambiguation — “I didn’t sign that. Wait, did I?” Column Editor: Michael P. Pelikan (Penn State)
ne often hears that the capacity to learn So the inherent state of the glass (eventually Leaving aside the jurisdictional factors is a defining human characteristic, silicon) and steel machine was vastly simple that purport to dictate the rules governing the Odistinguishing us from other earthly compared to the human brain (what the early behavior of systems on a network that crosses cohabitants. The Wikipedia article on Learning computer proto-nerds and MIT referred to as organizational, state, and national frontiers, we explains that the process of learning entails the “meat machine”). run straight into a stubborn fact of policy and three stages that must be active: encoding, And yet, as the technology underwent evo- technology: it is the technical configuration of storage, and retrieval. lution, the volatility of machine memory was a system that governs that system’s behavior, This assertion stands up to reason. seen as a technical challenge to overcome, rath- regardless of how that system exists in or spans Restated, Encoding is the process, en- er than as a technical limitation to be accepted. jurisdictional lines. If that behavior happens hanced by deliberation or undercut by habit, And just to be completely explicit, this wasn’t to align with governing and applicable policy, whereby information, facts, statements even machine “memory” per se, but rather, then all is well, I guess. But the fact remains representing something that can be captured simply machine-based data storage, aligned that statute, regulation, or published policy do in speech or other forms of communication, largely with the second stage of the human not govern system behavior, any more than can be represented in a form suitable for the learning process outlined above, preceded by posted speed limits govern the speed of your relevant medium of transmission, reception, encoding, and completed by retrieval. Over vehicle (or more accurately, of the vehicle driv- and storage. time, it came to be widely accepted that the en by the idiot behind you during rush hour). Storage entails the reception, the “taking default behavior of these machines ought to be This brings us to Privacy, Google, and possession of” some gathered or received to “remember,” rather than to “forget.” the EU (for it’s in the news of late). We have unit of encoded “content,” and its presum- When each machine was simply an entity in spent decades building systems designed not ably accurate re-representation (a kind of a room or on a desk this idea meant one thing: to “forget.” At the system level, that translates re-encoding) as retrievable information, most it became quite another with the introduction to default policies (expressed in configuration likely conforming to some systematic means of of networking. There were periods of evo- and system behaviors) to cache, to store in temp characterization that assists in the organization lution here too. Sometimes the network was files, to mirror storage, to enhance information and retrieval of the millions of such things we envisioned as a grouping of more-or-less equal recovery in the event of system or network mis- try to stay on top of. partners, that is, more-or-less fully capable haps, etc. We’ve intentionally made it difficult machines that could exchange data with their for data to disappear. This has been designed-in Retrieval, then, proves, verifies, validates as a technological or public Good Thing. the first two stages of the process. Retrieval peers on the network. Other times networks involves a read-back of the re-encoded con- developed around specialized capabilities ap- We need to draw a distinction, of course, be- tent. The learning process as a whole can be pearing on the network as resources to which tween that information that might be regarded tested, therefore, by requesting such read-backs otherwise more-or-less capable machines by the “reasonable person” (a legal construc- (representing content that has gone through the might connect when those specialized capa- tion) to be public information, and that which, entire process) and comparing the retrieved bilities were required. This specialization led say, a business can keep as part of its internal results to the original content that was to be to dedicated printer servers, file servers, mail records. Even so, a “reasonable person” might learned. servers, etc. I’m selectively leaving a lot of the well agree that a company has the right to keep history of networking aside here. records of what individual customers who visit Such testing is important because, while we their Websites look at, seem interested in, dwell as humans are indeed “learning beings,” we are The means of controlling machine behavior upon, return to, and so forth. also, by nature, “forgetting beings.” Forgetting evolved as well. ENIAC’s behavior was de- is as important to learning as remembering. fined almost entirely by the state of the many This would seem as straightforward as We need to be able to unlearn anything that patch cords that were employed to prepare the the permissibility of a salesperson noticing has made it through the learning process that machine for a particular task. Individual desk- a potential customer’s interest in something is incorrect, non-useful, or counterproductive, top machines each had configuration settings at on display and offered for sale, say, a pair of regardless of the stage at which the errors were the system level, and in turn, each application shoes. Management would want that sales- introduced. It’s a little trickier than that, of exposed particular behaviors, some configu- person to notice such things, not to mention if course. We have to be able to remember that rable, some expressed in code (and thereby not that same customer comes back several times people once thought the world was flat, for accessible to the common user). and displays an interest in shoes, hosiery, suit example, even as we disabuse ourselves of the If a number of such machines are joined in coats, or shirts with French cuffs. idea as a currently-held “fact.” a network, the behavior which is in-common Things get a little more interesting when It is probably well to review the fact that (that is, shared among the network users) the store realizes that it can open up a sideline computers did not come into this world “re- represents the sum of the individual config- business by offering to sell to other stores its membering” anything. The early computer urations, permissions, etc. If a system on the observations relating to customers visiting its programmers of legend programmed ENIAC network is designed to serve out files, and if own store. I’d guess that a customer’s right by connecting patch cords between sections that machine is set up not to require any form of to anonymity goes a little way here — no one of the complex machine. The configuration of authentication or authorization to access those would expect to have to hand over their name the patch cords defined the data paths through files, then barring other factors, those files will and contact information just to gain admission the system, literally “hard wiring” the way the be accessible to anyone on the network. to the store. machine was configured to work for each prob- The administration of permissions, au- And yet, millions of customers are willing lem it was set up to handle. When you pulled thorization, and identities in these networked to exchange identity and contact information the patch cords the configuration disappeared. environments has proven to be a demanding, and more, enticed by the prospect of a free Some considerable time was to pass before even preoccupying, business: a profoundly cup of coffee, coupons matched to one’s own anyone added non-volatile storage (or for complicated conjunction of issues and tech- spending patterns, or some small but measure- that matter, even appreciable volatile storage, nical challenges that meet up with regulatory, able savings on purchases. This is the model beyond those accumulators, etc., needed for statutory, and policy influences to create a that “loyalty cards” are built upon. calculations to function). perfect storm. continued on page 107
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It’s a reasonable guess that business owners have run the numbers to determine the sweet spot balancing between the costs of offering these savings on the one hand, and increased profits from increased return visits on the other. I’d guess businesses don’t persist in the practice if they lose money on it. And truly, the customer has signed away the right to be surprised, appalled, or ashamed by these practices — what, you didn’t read the Terms of Use? If a company has secured your blanket per- mission, they needn’t ask you any further for permission to gather, store, retrieve, rent, sell, or otherwise put-to-business-use anything about you at all they’ve gathered under the Terms of Service. You’re free not to give that permission, just as you’re free not to use Web search, online book or merchandise vendors, or the services of telecommunications companies. So what are people complaining about? We’re perfectly free to don burlap sacks and live in the woods, too. But since I’m in a guessing mood, I’d guess that most folks reckon they’ve come to realistic terms with what life in the twenty-first century is all about, even though maybe, just maybe, they’ll make a note to “Review the blankety-blank Terms of Service this year, and for Real this time!” to their list of New Year’s Resolutions. That way it’ll be certain to happen, right?
ONIX and More: EDItEUR’s Standards in the Library Supply Chain by Tim Devenport (Lead Consultant, Serials & Subscriptions Standards, EDItEUR, United House, North Road, London N7 9DP, UK)
A Bit of Background work. Probably the most widely known of its we endeavor to “Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll outputs is the descriptive metadata standard develop robust, begin!” So ran the introductory lines to a ONIX for Books, now accompanied by several efficient, and children’s story time program, broadcast for more formats (or should we say, ONIX for unambiguous many years by the British Broadcasting Other Things?!) designed to support a variety ways of communicating information exchanges Corporation (BBC) and imprinted indelibly of metadata exchanges. or transactions between business partners. on the memories of a certain generation of Beyond these descriptive exchanges, EDItEUR’s members are also directly listeners. The story of ONIX and EDItEUR EDItEUR is also actively involved in standards involved in shaping business directions and is perhaps a little more prosaic than some of supporting transactions like ordering, claiming, providing governance. Representatives of the gems broadcast by the BBC, but we hope etc. These include continuing support for some its charter members constitute the EDItEUR still of interest to ATG’s readers. EDIFACT messaging, more recent work on Board, whilst ONIX national and interna- EDItX formats, and lots of involvement in the tional groups (for books) and the ICEDIS The international standards organization standards developed for the serials community Committee (for serials) are responsible EDItEUR, with its unusual, French-sounding by ICEDIS. for commissioning new standards and for name, was born during the 1990s out of a Eu- signing off new or modified formats as fit ropean Commission (EC) sponsored research Stakeholders, Membership for purpose. project into electronic data interchange (EDI) and Governance standards in the publishing and particularly EDItEUR is a nonprofit, based in London, Descriptive and Transactional books industry. Over the intervening years UK and funded by a mixture of membership Standards EDItEUR has grown and evolved into an or- revenues and project fees. Its member orga- The distinction between “descriptive” ganization with multinational membership and nizations — now numbering nearly 110 and and “transactional” formats is mirrored in the representation from all parts of the supply chain. based in at least 23 countries around the world naming of EDItEUR standards that have been As we’ll see later, EDItEUR’s interests — are absolutely central to its mission. All of developed since 2000. The ONIX standards are cover three main, and complementary, areas: its activities are ultimately focused on listening all descriptive metadata formats (the classic standards and best practice, identifiers and their to and responding to requirements articulat- “information about information”). supporting metadata, and project/consultancy ed by the members. Based on those needs, continued on page 108
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Against the Grain / November 2014
hile I think libraries should spend Go” kits which “contain twelve cop- • Alejandro Marquez, a reference most of their time on the basics, I ies of the featured book, one copy of librarian at the Fort Lewis Col- Wwas initially very taken by the Sep- a movie on DVD (if available), and lege Library, identified some tember 2, 2014 Library Journal article about a resource guide with summaries, other unusual items lent by li- the public library in Mechanicsburg, PA, that reviews, discussion questions, etc.” braries: (see http://www.colorad- was providing a seed-sharing program for its (see http://www.aadl.org/catalog/ olibraries.org/2013/12/19/unusu- patrons. This was attractive to me because I browse/unusual) al-stuff-to-borrow/) always wonder what to do with my half-full • Some time ago LibraryThing con- • bicycles at Cornell University seed packets that are leftover after I finish ducted a survey asking librarians to Library planting my garden. Unfortunately, they share information about the unusual • fishing poles at theHoneoye didn’t seem intent on solving that particular things their libraries lent. Responses Public Library problem. included: • sports equipment at Adventist But as I read on, I found that if I got in- • ball point pens University Library volved with a library seed-sharing program • book carts • video games for Xbox and I might be labeled a terrorist! The local De- • bones: cat, rabbit, and human Nintendo machines at the St. partment of Agriculture, it turns out, at least Louis Public Library temporarily closed the library’s efforts down, • cake decorating equipment • Cortney Carver, in a “bemore- presumably for fear that home gardeners might • cameras withless” Web article entitled “Pub- later harvest some of their own seeds, share • construction tools lic Libraries and Unconventional them with other library patrons, and run the risk • extension cords Borrowing,” provides a useful link of infecting the nation’s crops with all sorts of • fire truck (it wasn’t clear if to a list of tool libraries in the U.S. diseases and genetic irregularities. One local it actually circulated it. If so, I and abroad and a discussion of why official labeled the library’s efforts as “agri- hope the lines were short.) and how public libraries are chang- cultural terrorism” (see http://lj.libraryjournal. • gardening tools ing. Carver also provides a link com/2014/08/legislation/state-tweak-to-seed- • hammocks to a great interview with the West library-rules-ignites-debate/). • highlighters Seattle Public tool librarian about So, I guess I won’t run out looking for a • home energy monitors his work (see http://bemorewith- seed library, although, I understand there are • Kindles with books already less.com/borrowstuff/ and http:// many in operation across the U.S. There are, loaded www.shareable.net/blog/west-seat- of course, libraries that successfully circulate • laptop computers and periph- tle-tool-library-interview-with-mi- much more than books, journals, and AV ma- erals cah-summers). terials. By surfing the Web, I found some good • Cornell’s law library lends out more examples of what some libraries are doing: • museum and art gallery passes • notecard packets than 20 items other than books (see • Ann Arbor District Library. Even http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/ in Hong Kong they had a toy library • pedometers • pots and pans library/WhatWeHave/Non-Book- and they circulated art reproductions, Items.cfm). It is clearly a Mac shop • rock collections but I was very impressed with the since it includes, within the long list range of other things this library has • shovels for ground breaking of unusual items it circulates, iPad, to circulate: home tools, park passes, ceremonies iPhone, and MacBook chargers, and musical instruments, telescopes, mi- • scissors for ribbon cutting some wireless keyboards. croscopes, and “Kids Book Clubs To ceremonies • Yale Law School Library, not to be outdone, has a similar list of things to lend, but also includes Slanket ADVERTISERS’ INDEX fleece blankets; Happy Lights (full 41 aaas 43 bloomsbury 2 Ingram Content Group spectrum lights designed to battle the blues); and Monty the Dog, a legal 19 aCSESS 79 bloomsbury Publishing 112 midwest Library Service therapy dog (see http://library.law. 13, 33 aCS Publications 69 the Book House Inc. 75 modern Language Association yale.edu/news/cool-stuff-you-can- 81 action! Library Media Service 31 Cambridge University Press 25 osa – The Optical Society check-out-library). 56, 57 adam Matthew Digital 27 Casalini Libri 37 peerJ I could go on and on describing what other 61 alexander Street Press 63 the Charleston Advisor 87 project MUSE libraries are doing in the way of circulating 55 alibris 8 the Charleston Report 17 proQuest unusual items, but you can do a Google search 103 allen Press, Inc. 47 CHOICE Magazine 53, 99 proQuest on your own computer for “libraries unusual 91 ambassador Education Solutions 11 Cold Spring Harbor Lab Press 95 rittenhouse stuff to borrow” to find those things. You 101 american Geophysical Union 21 data-Planet 59 rsna would probably also enjoy reading a Fast Company article by Lauren Williamson 105 american Pharmacists Association 107 eastern Book Company 33 serials Solutions entitled “Taking a Long-overdue Sledgeham- 23 american Psychiatric Publishing 71 emery-Pratt 15 sIAM mer to the Public Library (see http://www. 9 annual Reviews 29 endocrine Society 39 spIE Digital Library fastcompany.com/3035406/innovation-agents/ 45 asme 7 gale, part of Cengage Learning 111 wolper Information Services taking-a-long-overdue-sledgehammer-to-the- 5 atg 35, 51 IGI Global 49 world Scientific Publishing Co. public-library). 109 basch Subscriptions, Inc. 83 INFORMS 3 ybp Library Services While my 93-year-old mother, a dedicated For Advertising Information Contact: Toni Nix, Ads Manager, public library patron, would be delighted if
110 Against the Grain / November 2014
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