Technology Plan 8
Running head: TECHNOLOGY PLAN
Technology Plan for the University of San Diego Libraries
Ohnmar Aung, Jason Curtis,
Jay Shimamoto, and Michael Whitley
San Jose State University
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………..4
Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………..6
Introduction to the University of San Diego Libraries ………………………………..7
The Libraries’ Collections 7
Part 1: Current Technologies …………………………………………………………..8
Hardware Platform 8
Server 8
Clients 8
Back Up System 8
Software on Database & Application servers 9
Wireless Access and Networking 9
Maintenance and Upgrades 9
Systems for Library Operation 10
The Millennium System 10
askSally Digital Reference 10
Interlibrary Loan 11
Web Pages 12
Blogs and Wikis 12
Inventory Control 12
Reserves 13
E-Reserves 13
Remote Patron Functions 13
Summary 15
Vision for the future – Library 2.0 ……………………………………………………16
User Needs 16
Students and Faculty 16
Librarians and Staff 18
Collection needs and Budget needs 18
Infrastructure Needs 21
Vision for the Future 23
IM Reference 23
Blogs and Wikis 24
Social Networking 24
RSS Feeds & Tagging 25
Mashups 27
Summary 27
Process Changes 30
Increasing sharing resources with other institutions 30
OPAC 31
Electronic Invoicing 31
Blogs and Wikis 31
Streaming Media and Mash ups 32
Social Networking: LibraryThing 32
RSS Feeds andTagging 33
Implementation Processes and Time Line 34
Financial Impacts and Changes 35
Summary ………………………………………………………………………………..35
Addenda …………………………………………………………………………………38
Figure 1: Two Tier Network Architecture 38
Figure 2: Implementation Processes and Time Line 38
References ………………………………………………………………………………40
Executive Summary
The 2.0 library is one that uses new and emerging technologies - such as blogs, wikis, and RSS feeds - to meet the needs of users. This technology plan recommends creating just such a library at the University of San Diego (USD). Currently, USD’s libraries (Copley Library, the main library, and the Legal Research Center, the law library,) serve the information needs of approximately 5,000 students, faculty and staff.
The libraries’ collections consist of books, serials, microforms, audiovisual materials, e-books and government documents and subscription databases in Arts, Humanities, Business, Education, Law, Nursing, Sciences and Social Sciences. The libraries use Innovative Interfaces’ Millennium system to perform circulation, acquisitions, cataloging, serials, inventory control, and web OPAC functions. They both offer interlibrary loan services and participate in The Circuit (a local consortium of university and county public libraries) in order to provide information much quicker to expand their resources.
Services between the two libraries are not currently uniform. Copley Library patrons can chat with reference librarians through the askSally Digital Reference system, which is not offered at the Legal Research Center (LRC). Also, classroom reserves can be found under Copley library’s OPAC with the Docutek system but not at the LRC. The LRC maintains a blog, while Copley Library does not. In addition the two libraries function as two separate entities, although they share the same system and parent institution.
Copley Library serves the faculty and students of the undergraduate colleges, the graduate colleges (except the law school, which is served by the Legal Research Center ), the University’s administration and staff, alumni and the community. Users of the libraries are increasingly familiar with communicating in an electronic world. Although the majority of their users begin their information quest with online resources, print resources still play a vital role for some users and for archival purposes. As the libraries consider their options for the future, it is important that they do so with the needs of users in mind and in providing them with information in the format which best suits their needs.
As previously stated, the goal of this technology plan is to provide an action plan for the USD libraries to be worthy of the title “Library 2.0” in five years. To accomplish this ambitious plan, the libraries will need to expand their technological offerings to include blogs, wikis, mashups, social networking, and RSS feeds. The libraries must also consider the practical aspects of technology replacement: replacing computers as they wear out, upgrading operating systems to meet the latest technology standards, and, of course, training staff to use the new technologies. In addition, it will, of course, be necessary to consider the budgetary restrictions which will naturally limit the technological changes the library can implement.
However, with proper planning and implementation, the USD libraries can have it all. This plan proposes an outline of how these innovations can be implemented to provide the users with the information they need in a format that they desire. By working together, the University’s libraries can increase their resource offerings and better serve all of their users and the surrounding community. In fact, Library 2.0 compliance will allow them to extend their presence beyond the campus and surrounding community and into the world.
Abstract
The authors propose a technology plan for the University of San Diego Libraries. They examine the current technology systems in place, including hardware, software, and processes, and also what can be done to enhance services and processes in order to create a Library 2.0 environment - an environment that makes extensive use of web tools, such as RSS Feeds, wikis, and social networking, to provide information that is format agnostic. The plan examines each element of the Library 2.0 environment and how it relates to libraries. The authors propose an order of operations to accomplish the upgrades without overwhelming the systems, the staff or the budget. They also examine the benefits and constraints of the proposed plan. They summarize their findings and recommend adopting the changes to create a library 2.0 environment.
Introduction to the University of San Diego Libraries
The University of San Diego (USD) is a medium-sized university — currently educating about 7,000 students — affiliated with the Catholic Church. The University’s two libraries, the Copley Library and the Legal Research Center (LRC), together house more than 550,000 volumes. Students, faculty and staff are able to access the library’s catalog and the library’s subscription databases off campus using their identification number. The library is a medium-sized library and operating the libraries’ technology systems is a medium-cost practice.
The Libraries’ Collections
As universities serve the homogeneous needs of their diverse population, USD’s collection has focused on assisting the academic and research demands of the faculty and students in the following areas: Arts/Humanities, Business, Education, Law, Nursing, Sciences and Social Sciences. Providing expansive, evolving collections that will serve the needs and interests of the users is necessary to maintain the highest literary quality. This is why USD maintains its collection in different formats: Books, journals, movies, maps, music scores and recordings, computer files, dissertations and government documents.
Historical records show that the library spent its money for materials in broad subject areas and in different formats effectively. For example, USD allocated its collection budget by spending on social sciences, humanities and sciences as well as on books and periodicals. Currently, in the library collection, the total number of books including government documents are 538,034, serials are 6,367, Microforms are 869,801, audiovisual materials are 18,907 and the number of e-books are 30,000 (U.S. News & World Report, L.P., 2007).
Part 1: Current Technologies
Hardware Platform
For the existing network setup, both the Copley Library and the Legal Research Center use a 2-tier architecture (see Addenda Figure 1) consisting of the client machines, from the internet or intranet, and the database/application server.
Server
The server contains both the library application software and the DBMS (database management system). The server holds a MILLENNIUM Sun V240 CPU
1 Ghz UltraSPARC® IIIi processor. It has 2 gigabytes of main memory and it uses four 36 gigabyte SCSI drives to hold the data; these drives are extremely fast as they rotate 10,000 rpm. The large amount of main memory, and the fast SCSI drives, enables data from the library to be accessed quickly. The four hard drives are used in a RAID configuration, so that if one of the drives fails, the other three drives can together retrieve the data on the failed fourth drive, this increases the fault tolerance of the system.
Clients
The client computers are mostly similar. Most client machines are single processor Intel Pentium 2.8 gigahertz H.P. computers, with 256 to 1 megabyte of main memory and 60 to 120 gigabytes of disk memory.
Back Up System
The library uses a Quantum external tape drive for data backup. The campus-wide backup system is scheduled every morning. A full backup of programs and data, containing about 15 GB, is done every week. In addition, a manual tape backup is done whenever needed.
Software on Database & Application servers
The database servers use the Oracle DBMS (database management system) to store, retrieve and manage all data. The Oracle DBMS is a popular and stable DBMS that is well suited to handle large to medium sized volumes of data. The application server uses the Sun Solaris V9 operating system. This operating system enables SSH (Secure Socket Host), telnet and web browsing. Most client machines in the intranet use Java 1.5.0 PC client when accessing the server.
Wireless Access and Networking
Currently, USD offers wireless access to its networks at both libraries. Recent upgrades have extended the strength and the range of the network so that it is accessible throughout and around the libraries. In addition, USD is engaged in a plan to extend the wireless network so that a connection can be established anywhere on the campus.
Maintenance and Upgrades
Regarding maintenance and upgrading the system, the library systems manager is responsible for maintaining the system and the system is upgraded once a year. . Innovative Interfaces, the company responsible for the Millennium system, continually upgrades Millennium and it is a costly challenge for the university to keep pace with the latest innovations and redesigns Innovative Interfaces introduces for its Millennium system. But, for daily operations, Millennium—even in a slightly out-dated mode—works well for the University of San Diego.
Systems for Library Operation
The Millennium System
The University of San Diego libraries use the Millennium automated library system to perform the crucial functions of the library. Millennium is a fourth-generation library automation system; including modules of circulation, acquisitions, serial control, cataloging, and Web OPAC. It organizes the library’s collection, digital collection and third party’s databases. It also supports the server and network to easily maintain the client’s software on the users’ workstations. [I am not clear on what this means or why you have added it. This needs a better explanation]
askSally Digital Reference
askSally Digital Reference is the main way the University of San Diego is working toward a Library 2.0 model. askSally is a year-long pilot program that uses Docutek’s VRLplus software, which allows Reference Librarians to chat live with patrons and to send (or push) web pages and online databases to them. It is compatible with both PC and Macintosh systems and allows the reference librarians to help fill out online forms. The system also collects detailed statistics on system usage, such as logins, questions asked, and session duration and allows librarians to send, save, and manage transcripts of conversations with patrons in order to build an expert system from online conversations.
Circulation
Millennium’s circulation component fully supports all circulation functions, while providing single-click access to all patron-related functions, such as check out, discharging, renewals, billing, and holds. It provides for user data management such as user registration and updating patron information. Item data manipulation, such as marking an item missing or lost, and a flexible hold system to add, modify or delete a hold, are integral parts of the system. It also has a claims return, lost card, and modify due date options. Millennium also offers patrons the ability to update and to view their patron records, to renew their own checked-out materials, and to place holds and bookings.
Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is an important part of the USD library experience. Interlibrary Loan provides a university access to much more information that much quicker. University of San Diego participates in an interlibrary loan program with other college libraries in San Diego. “The Circuit is a service designed to allow library users from participating libraries to quickly borrow books from other Circuit libraries. . . .Current Circuit participating libraries are California State University, San Marcos; San Diego County Libraries; San Diego State University; and University of California, San Diego” (San Diego Library Consortium, n.d.).
The Circuit interacts with the Millennium systems through INN-Reach Direct Consortial Borrowing System. INN-Reach Direct Consortial Borrowing System is the only available solution that directly links the local systems of multiple libraries for the purpose of building a real-time union catalog, accepting and resolving user-initiated requests, and managing the requests and circulation transaction between participating libraries. It empowers patrons, allowing them to readily find and receive needed material and search across collections-without staff intervention. The INN-Reach Circulations software provides all the functionality necessary for the complete lending transaction, including the creation of temporary patron and item records on the corresponding local systems, paging, and checkout/check-in to the patron.
INN-Reach costs $3-$8 per transaction and delivers the material from the owning library to patron in one to three days, as compared to a traditional ILL transaction costing $25-$30 and taking two to three weeks. With costs contained and service barriers removed, INN-Reach allows each library’s level of service to their patrons to soar dramatically. There is a full integration with INN-Reach, Interlibrary Loan, and the Web OPAC.
Web Pages
Both libraries currently have their own web pages with information particularly suited to their patrons. Although they both follow the university’s branding guidelines, they each have a distinct and separate feel to them. Both pages have links to various resources and to the OPAC, which is to where the university’s web site navigates from the “Libraries” link on its home page. These resource links are prominent and easy to navigate.
Blogs and Wikis
Blogs and Wikis take advantage of the current collaborative nature of patrons. A blog is short for web log where someone maintains a site and makes journal entries that appear in reverse order. Only the Legal Research Center maintains a blog. Neither library currently has any type of wiki.