New restricted loan/core text collection

The "old" restricted loan team felt for some time that they commited a large amount of time and effort into the maintenance of the collection but that it is relatively little used by students and lecturing staff despite being a very useful resource. (Lecturers that do make use of the collection and recommend it to their students find it very valuable and good use is made of their resources.)

With the help of the Med team we tried to find out why the collection wasn’t used as extensively as we hoped.

By questioning both students and staff on their opinions we realised that one of the reasons it was little used was that the very name restricted loan had a very negative connotation.

As all the material in the collection is by definition " recommended reading" we thought this most accurately described the collection and a simple name change would both identify and promote the collection.

I would like to encourage use of the collection in a lively creative way and would like to encourage lecturing staff to provide us with their reading lists through their information officers so that we can provide the students with a meaningful service.

As Jeremy is keen to have a core text collection I think this is a good time to look at the whole use of the collection and what it should contain.

I think even within the one collection we could identify different usage of materials. Perhaps core texts could be issued for 24 hours and the old restricted loan materials which have been recommended for particular topics should continue to be issued for a shorter time period. From previous experience I would favour something like 3 hours from the time of issue but also include a booking element to help organised students plan their study.

Changes like these would need system amendments - do we still have to rely on Talis for these or can there be a special LIS prioject to make these changes?

We also need to look at how this all links in with e-provision, e-books and ERL

Rather a lot to think about!

Welcome Back!!

Now we have overcome the trauma of the new regime and the latest project of wich we dare not speak - Lets get Blogging again!!!!

Here are some topics to get going on ....

A Rose By Any Other Email Address .....
What short and to the point, yet all embracing, name should we have for the Collection Management generic email. It will need to start with LIS and then the bit that really describes who we are.

So, 'LIScollectionmanagement@uclan.ac.uk'? - but that is too long.

Ideas anyone ... ????

Why on earth have we never done that?? ....
While we were 'rationalising' the journals to the two middle floors many of us had ideas of how we could have been doing, or should, in the future, be doing, things better. These ranged from ideas that arose simply because we had a bit of peace and quiet, to ones that would have made the job in hand a lot easier. Also some of us have had ideas about the journals for years and no where to pass them on to ...

For instance, after my fifth trip across the floor and up the stairs I really thought a hand held device with online access to search the catalogue and the wider net would have been really useful. Also, why don't we put more useful information on the box labels ....

Now we've had some tiime to mull things over since the move and there is a chance to get some changes in train - lets have them ideas down here ... ????

Metamorphosis ...
The Restricted Loan collection is moving around and changing its identity so much during these structural and geographical developments that we need to find a new name for it. The plan is to make the collection self-service for the students to collect their own texts. Reservations will also be available in the room on the same basis. There will be a Self Issue machine, a photocopier/scanner and study desks with computers. The doors will have security gates and will be in sight of the Enquiry Desk.

There is room in the room for more texts than the current Restricted Loan so it is likely that it will include a wider criteria of material. In addition we have the opportunity to make nmore use of the e-Book format and ERL which will, if anything, reduce the number of traditional restricted items that we will need to house there.

So, we need to consider both the basis on which texts are included/excluded, and the basis on which students get to use them. But mainly we need to think of a name for this room and the items it holds - both old RL and Reservations, and the access to, and use of them facilitated by the equipment there. So, what do you think ... ????

E-Books Update

Our team, together with Resource Services, have been evaluating current e-book provision in our library in light on making some changes.

A consultation document (in draft form) is available in our shared folder
Collection Management\eresources\ebooks\e-booksupdate0308.doc

Please post any comments about the document, or the proposals contained within it, on here.

Training Dates

Hello Chaps

We have managed to rearrange Bib Check training and the Special Collections familiarisation session.

The Special collections session is on Tuesday 1st April, 11-12 in 219. Be there!

Also on offer we have the Bib Check training with a choice of days:

11 - 12 on Monday 7th April and

11 - 12 on Tuesday 15th April

Let me know which one you want to attend asap. I will be able to get you off the desk rota (this training counts as compulsory) and we want to be able to affer the spare seats to others. If you cant do either also let me know as there will be more opportunities later.

ERL and the CLA

Under the CLA Trial Licence we are allowed to scan and offer for online use anything that has a UK publisher and that we own a copy of (with some exceptions). This means that we must not withdraw those copies. In order to be sure we continue to hold copies of scanned material we will be identifying one copy of the title on the catalogue by changing its item type to CLA and by putting a sticker in that copy.

We will put the sticker in the reference copy of anyone title. Where there is not a reference copy we will make a copy reference and where thjere is only one copy we will advise the purchase of a new copy to facilitate a reference copy for the sticker and item type.

This will affect any title where a chapter or article is scanned and made available by ERL. To date this has been very few items but as we move away from a print restricted loan collection it will involve more and more titles. For futre addition this consideration will be addressed at the time of requesting and ordering.

Meanwhile, LoisLane and The Allottment Plotter have identified those items that are affected by this legal requirement already and are changing item types and putting in stickers. For the most part these and health titles but you may come across one and wonder what it is.

This procedure is a requirement of the CLA TRial Licence and may not last forever .... Watch this space.

Special Collections Procedure

Thanks to Julie's flash of inspiration - I think we have this one nailed. Ive emailed the document but do please use the Blog to discuss. As always we have a fortnight to think and respond.

Ill post on here, with permaission, any emailed responses I get.

H

Exchange of experience

Juliet will be hosting an one hour session on Talis list on Tuesday 18 March from 11-12. It will cover What is Talis list? How to find talislist on the webpages, how to add a new list online, how to add books, journal and internet information, future developments of talislist and also an opportunity for all to input into whether talislist is a useful tool for us to use. Do come along if you are interested.

Carey will be hosting an one hour session on Restricted Loans and associated work on Wednesday 19 march from 11-12.

Cakes!

Hello Team!

I'll hopefully be bringing in Easter cakes for all on Tuesday 18 March
(as it's the only day we are all in!)

Cheryl

Market Line Trial

From 7-11 April 2008 I've arranged a trial of the database Marketline.

Apparently they are the direct competitor of GMID and as we're wanting to extend our provision in the area of international company/industry/country information, they may be a suitable provider.

I'm waiting for the URL and trial details to be sent, but as soon as they are I'll get them up on Library Online.

World Advertising Research Center (WARC)

Our subscription to WARC ends on 31st March 2008. After this date no access will be available and all links will be removed from library online.

Should anyone ask, the reason we've cancelled our subscription is because the annual subscription cost rose by over 100% - with no warning - and therefore it could not be accommodated by the departmental budget.

Alternatives that could be used include Business Source Premier, Emerald, Mintel or Nexis.

Library Room Booking System - A reminder

I was reminded whilst on the enquiry desk of the usefulness of the admin area for the library room booking system. (Students sometimes forget which room they've booked)

If you wish to access it, go to http://bookings.uclan.ac.uk/booking/admin/

You will need a username and password which can be found on our shared document.

Login Details

Recognising that we have so many generic usernames and passwords for the various services we use (e.g. ebsconet, enterbooks etc) I've created a document in which we can store this information.

It can be found in the 'Procedures' folder in our team shared area.

Please append and amend as appropriate.

Television and Radio Index for Learning and Teaching (TRILT)

Just a reminder (or for information) of the procedure for ordering recordings of television and radio programmes.

Programmes can be ordered, by ourselves or academic staff, using TRILT (http://www.trilt.ac.uk/) An Athens username and password are required to log-on to the site.

Once successfully logged in, find the programme you want, go to the 'full record' and click on 'request a copy'. Complete the form on the next screen and then 'submit request'.

TRILT then email Dot for authorisation.

Balance Sheet Barrier DVD

For information: This DVD is kept in the Special Collection. Students are able to watch the DVD (by appointment) in the Special Collections room only. It is very much a non-loanable item.

Academic staff can borrow it on a Special Loan and have priority over students who may want to view it.

I have ordered another 3 Video Arts DVDs and these too will be treated in the same way until a time that we have alternative arrangements in place for storing valuable materials.

hello

I'm just saying hello to the team on our new team blog

New Resources Trolleys

From now on the new resources trolleys will be located next to the Enquiry Desk on the first floor, rather than outside Room 220.

Also, it's no longer a requirement for IOs/SIOs to sign the tick sheet to say they've viewed the trolley.

Hopefully, this will give the new books higher visability amongst staff and students.

Leave - Week Commencing 25th February

Caroline is on leave from Wednesday 27th February returning to work on Tuesday 4th March.

Helen is also out of the university from 22nd February - 3rd March.

Should there be any problems during this time see Julie Hitchen.