Collections Committee -- Minutes
February 25, 1999 -- 10:00 AM
Alderman Library, University of Virginia
Gene Damon, Presiding
Present: Doris Archer, Jim Deffenbaugh, Sharon S. Gasser, Karen Hartman, Paul Metz, Christopher Millson-Martula, Frank Moran, Pam Morgan, Susanna Pathak, Kathy Perry, Jim Self, Ruth Stanton, John Tombarge, Janice Wade, John Walsh
1. Announcements
Steering Committee approved an additional member category for VIVA: Associate Member. The first institution in this category will be the Library of Virginia. It is expected that institutions in this category will participate in new acquisitions much as the Independent Colleges do now. Initial talks with a few selected vendors (Britannica and Gale) will begin soon to negotiate prices.
2. VIVA's structure
Question regarding changes to VIVA's structure was asked, and discussion ensued. It is expected that changes in VIVA's structure that will affect the activities of the Collections Committee and its projects will be addressed by the Steering Committee in their up coming meetings. Members of the committee and its subgroups are encouraged to maintain their current level of activity and their contacts with vendors.
3. Discussion of VIVA's Collections budget
Dow Jones:
We have held a line in the budget for purchasing more passwords with Dow Jones, but they have not been able to provide us with statistics of turnaways, or the number of concurrent sessions. We have anecdotal evidence of problems getting connections to Dow Jones on occasions; however, this does not appear to be serious at this time. The committee determined that we should press Dow Jones for better statistics at this time rather than purchasing more passwords. There was some discussion of the possibility that the time-out period is set too low, and that this was a more serious problem than problems in getting a session.
FirstSearch
It was decided that VIVA does not require more ports at this point in time, but to have an adequate supply of block searches for the remainder of the fiscal year, the committee voted to spend the amount in the FirstSearch Reserve on 115,000 block searches.
4. Sociological Abstracts on FirstSearch
Sociological Abstracts was added to our CSA. As standard practice is to block access to databases on FirstSearch when we acquire the same or better database through another vendor, the committee voted to request that all participants block access to SocioFile by April 1. It was noted that several schools may have problems if access to this file were blocked prior to the end of the semester.
5. Business & Management Practices (BaMP)
Business & Management Practices (BaMP) has become available on FirstSearch. This is a full-text database and VIVA does not offer access to full-text resources on FirstSearch; however, the Business CCM is evaluating whether access to the bibliographic portion of this database would be worthwhile for VIVA participants.
6. VIVA Members using OCLC's ECO
A few VIVA members are participating in OCLC's ECO product, and Web of Science is offering access to full-text through ECO. The committee discussed the implications this had for VIVA's OCLC ports. The committee determined that this matter should be investigated. The Gene Damon will request that the Technical Issues Committee look into the potential problems that may arise if VIVA ports are used to make these connections.
7. Cost Savings & Value Added Survey
Kathy Perry will be presenting the Cost Savings & Value Added Survey 1996/97 to the next Consortium of Consortiums meeting, and she requested feedback from the committee about the survey and recommendations for future surveys. The committee decided to drop the section reporting the indirect savings as there seemed to be too many questions about the accuracy of this data. It was pointed out that we need quantifiable data, but that we need help to determine reliable methods to gather this data. There were two suggestions on ways to improve the collection of data: to use systems information students to help design a method of collecting data from VIVA members, and that VIVA hire a consulting firm. The committee determine to wait to see if any advice is forthcoming at the Consortium of Consortiums meeting and then the committee will revisit this issue in our next meeting.
8. A&I RFP Committee
A&I RFP Committee has been formed. The members are: Ruth Stanton, Dave Beagle, Jim Campbell, Iris Moubray, Kathy Perry, and Sharon Gasser. Sharon Gasser has agreed to be Chair of this committee. The RFP committee will work primarily by e-mail. The tentative schedule for this process is:
February-March Draft RFP and distribute it to Collections Committee and Technical Issues Committee for feedback.
April 1-15 Release RFP
May 5-17 Responses due to JMU Purchasing
May 18-June 4 RFP Committee reviews the bids
June 7-July 23 Trial access to databases
June 14-18 Vendor presentations to VIVA
July 26-30 Final review of proposals and award contract
August JMU Purchasing finalized details of contract
September Databases available to VIVA
Databases included in this RFP: CINAHL, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, MLA, and ERIC The RFP will include the option to license additional databases. Committee members cited three possible add-ons: ABI/Inform, INSPEC, and Compendex.
9. Grove Dictionary of Art
Feedback was reviewed of the trial of the Grove Dictionary of Art. Although there is considerable interest in this product, there is also a considerable concern regarding the number of and the stability of access to images available in this product. At this point, the committee views the product only as a supplement to the print version, and we will reconsider the product in the Fall of 1999 to see what progress Grove has made in the development of this product.
10. H.W. Wilson Biographies
Discussion of H.W. Wilson Biographies was tabled until the next meeting when more information would be available.
11. HarpWeek
HarpWeek, a database of full-image articles from Harper's Weekly in the Civil War period, is becoming available on the Web and is adding greater coverage. This database was suggested as a possible VIVA purchase. Paul Metz will get more details about consortial pricing and the determine the possibility of a VIVA trial.
12. CRL
Jim Self is investigating consortial pricing for membership in the CRL. The committee discussed the appropriateness of CRL membership to VIVA's mission. Jim will continue with his investigation.
13. Status of Recent Purchases
The vendors for Historical Abstracts, America History and Life, and Statistical Universe are all attempting to make their products available the first of March.
14. Columbia International Affairs Online
Columbia International Affairs Online was suggested as a possible VIVA purchase. Chris Millson-Martula agreed to investigate this product.
15. netLibrary.com
netLibrary.com, a company offering full-text of books on-line, was suggested as a possible VIVA purchase. They have signed contracts with most of the major university presses (e.g., MIT, Harvard, Princeton) and a few commercial publishers. They are offering individual titles online at 30% off publisher's list price, along with a 15% annual maintenance fee. Only one simultaneous use would be allowed for any individual title purchased (same as in a library when a book is checked out), and the library may determine the length of the checkout period. Users may only print the page that is displayed, and the amount that may be excerpted (cut and pasted) is controlled by the publisher of the book.
The committee discussed the difficulties of VIVA making title by title purchasing decisions of electronic books, and decided that this would best be handled by a smaller group as a special project.
16. Renewals
STAT-USA is up for renewal April 23. The committee recommended renewal at or below the current subscription price.
Periodical Contents Index is up for renewal March 31. The vendor has failed to provide promised use statistics, and has been warned that statistics must be supplied before contract can be renewed.
17. Full-text Journals
The committee discussed the possibility of selecting a core list of journals as has been done by the University of California system. The wide range in institutional missions in Virginia presents was viewed greater challenge than exists for the University of California system. It was recommended that we allow more time for individual libraries to gain experience with ECO and other products before taking this on for VIVA as a whole.
The committee decided to continue to investigate publisher packages of full-text journals.
Paul Metz and Susanna Pathak will investigate ACS.
Jim Self will investigate Highwire.
Karen Hartman has already investigated Blackwell Science. They are basing their pricing on a collection of 155 titles, but only have 24 titles available at this time. They also limit libraries' ability to cancel titles. The committee decided not to pursue this product at this time.
John Walsh will investigate IEEE.
A decision on renewing VIVA's Academic Press contract must be made by August. The cost of this contract is underwritten by a subset of VIVA institutions, and VIVA cannot pick this cost up. The current cost structure is that institutions pay 65% of the cost and VIVA pays 35%. Kathy Perry will attempt to get alternative pricing structures from Academic Press. It was noted that use statistics are up.
18. Other Business
Paul Metz has worked with the Faculty Senate of Virginia to write a op-ed piece about VIVA. This will be released to coincide with National Library Week (April 11-17, 1999).
19. The next meeting will be March 26.