Resouces for Users Committee -- Minutes
April 7, 2000 -- 10:00 AM
Alderman Library, University of Virginia
Gene Damon, Presiding
Present: Gene Damon, Jacque Dessino, Sharon Gasser, Pat Hausman, Susanna Pathak, Pamela Morgan, Kathy Perry, Jim Rettig (recorder), Jane Schillie, Jim Self, Michael Walker, Sylvia Rortvedt, John Walsh.
1. Announcements
S. Pathak announced that an article on VIVA coordinated collection management will be published in Library Philosophy and Practice, fall 2000.
2. Changes to agenda
None.
3. Approval of Minutes of Feb. 25, 2000 meeting
No changes --Minutes approved by consensus.
4. Budget -- K. Perry
Presented current budget status. Noted that we need to make a decision about FirstSearch block purchase. Britannica has an offer for individual institutions to subscribe to the version VIVA has canceled; details will be forthcoming. Science is up and available. John Jaffee is working on completion of private institutions’ expenditures. Balance is $34,608.45; this includes the Britannica refund.
FY2000-01 budget $1,181,200 new VIVA dollars; $125,00 of this is for the privates. FY2001-02, 1,527,700 additional new money and $125,00 of this is for the privates. Veto session is later this month.
The budget sheet Kathy presented was error-free and highlighted significant information in color!
5. Training Committee -- J. Schillie
Distributed a narrative report attesting to the success of the two training fairs conducted in March. Pat Hausman explained the numerical rating sheet; concluded that they are inflated across the board and therefore uninformative. Narrative report includes recommendations for future training fairs. A major recommendation is to hold one fair in a central site rather than two in different sites. Chocolate at Virginia Tech was very well received, as was chicken Caesar salad at Richmond. People really appreciated the post-fair posting of additional training information to the VIVA listserv. Perhaps user services contacts could make it a point to post such things from time to time. Jane Schillie would like to bring back the CIAO presenter for additional sessions; he was very capable; however the CIAO project has no travel budget. Jane’s report is available on the Web.
6. FirstSearch report -- J. Walsh
Have received a new quote from OCLC. We have had an unlimited ports arrangement for the past year; renewal proposal would revert to the limited number model. This is required because of the way in which new FirstSearch is implemented (scheduled for 7-1-00). But OCLC will continue this unlimited ports arrangement beyond that if it isn’t yet implemented. We do not yet know what our peak and average use of ports for the base package has been. When we had 33 ports (prior to the unlimited ports arrangement), turn-aways were rare. John suggests starting the year at 30 ports, hold funds in reserve for more ports if needed, and assess the situation in the fall after review of usage statistics. Also need resolution on how electronic collections online will affect port usage and needs. G. Damon asked about the ability to turn off the cross-database searching function; K. Perry said we have assurance of this.
John recommends starting the year at the current dollar amount. It would also be possible to buy ports month-by-month as needed. OCLC trying to separate usage statistics for base package from other usage; this is important to determining the needed number of ports. Usage is down (in part because of the reduction in databases available via FirstSearch); this raises additional questions about the number of ports needed.
Block search cost will go up on July 1. We will need a minimum of 500,000 next year.
John recommends: Renew FirstSearch at 27 ports and hold funds in reserve for additional ports in fall. (J. Schillie pointed out that this will mean librarians doing instruction sessions will need to be more vigilant about using the training password.)
Above proposal approved.
Additional block searches approval deferred to "other business" on the agenda.
7. Ideal review -- S. Pathak
We have been waiting for statistics; Sharon Gasser, Kathy Perry and others have obtained these. We now have cost-per-use data and information on heavy use sites. A conference call next week will focus on identifying the benefits of the subscription, the negatives of the Ideal experience, identify issues that have emerged in working with AP, and work out an action plan for the future. Will have more information next meeting.
8. InfoTrac renewal -- J. Dessino
Gale Group will keep the price the same for one more year. S. Gasser said one VIVA librarian has recommended canceling BIP in favor of Amazon and B&N on the Web. This idea may merit investigation, but not immediate action. Renewal will entitle VIVA to upgrades for the coming Business and Company Resource Center and the Health Wellness Resource Center. Will be more expensive the next year; this makes it a candidate for review, especially since General BusinessFile ASAP accounts for half the total cost of InfoTrac and because it has similarities to Dow Jones. General Reference Center Gold was free when the contract was originally signed; now is priced separately. Susanna Pathak raised questions about the quality of InfoTrac usage statistics. There is general disappointment and chronic frustration about their quality. General Reference Center Gold needs more awareness among as well as use and examination by VIVA reference librarians; it does include unique items not available elsewhere in InfoTrac. The GaleNet review and the fact that it and InfoTrac are now part of one company offers opportunities for different negotiating strategies in the coming year. We have not asked for Total Access as an enhancement; it would allow cross-database searching.
InfoTrac for one year was approved.
9. OVID Nursing Collection -- S. Gasser
Quotes report for both public and private institutions was distributed; it is based on number of sites and FTE. Cancellation of print subscriptions would have no effect on the quote. The 17 journals would be linked through Open Links. Decision on purchase deferred until end of meeting and review of other purchase proposals.
K. Perry has been invited to speak at OVID’s publishers’ round table in New York.
10. Gale database review -- J. Self
A VIVA subcommittee (Jim Self [UVa], Jacque Dessino [Tidewater CC], Karen Hartman [Mary Washington], Linda Richardson [Virginia Tech]) has been looking at the five GaleNet databases. Part of it has been a survey put up on the Web (thanks to help from UVa Management Information Services—Dave Griles and Joy Borkholder). Usage statistics have been collected. Strong correlation was found between the usage statistics and the survey respondents’ collective ratings.
Contemporary Authors—more than a third of public institutions still subscribe to print Contemporary Authors. The inability to isolate CA usage statistics is problematic; all biographical sketches are dated 2000 even though some are as much as twenty years old. Also concern that older treatments of an author, when superseded by a new one, drop from the online CA. Subcommittee recommends expressing concerns to Gale, but not renew until we have a response from someone with significant authority at the Gale Group.
Associations Unlimited—lots of cancellation of the print, lots of dependence on online.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index—most subscribers have cancelled print, important to larger institutions.
Publications and Broadcast Media—Most subscribers have cancelled print. If it continues to be free, we should renew; a high price, however, would require careful examination.
Research Centers Directory—This is going to cease publication; so it is a moot point whether or not to renew.
J. Self commented on the review process. Geographic and size of library mix of subcommittee was useful. Usage statistics, quantitative ratings by librarians, comments by librarians, cancellation data, and narrative and published reviews were all useful elements for the overall review.
Recommendation—Renew if total cost is no more than present cost and if concerns about CA are met. Subcommittee has not engaged in renewal negotiations.
Action—Subcommittee’s thorough report accepted. Renewal process will be examined in July.
11. Oxford Analytica -- J. Schillie
Faculty and librarian comments differ. Faculty have more positive comments. CIAO not as up-to-date as OA. Usage tips need HTML repair for legibility; they say they are "working on it." Areas covered by CIAO and OA are very similar. Community colleges doubt it would get much use. Recommends letting this opportunity pass for now, but encourage greater use and training for CIAO. Will merit consideration again in the future.
The above recommendation accepted and affirmed.
12. Blackwell Journals -- P. Morgan
They want a two-year guarantee that we will continue print subscriptions. This proved to be the kiss-of-death and the discussion concluded abruptly. Furthermore, we don’t have consortium price information and they seem not to understand how to deal effectively with a consortium.
13. Bowker products -- K. Perry
Price quotes for Ulrichs and Literary Marketplace distributed. Cost considered too great for the products.
14. Annual reviews -- P. Morgan
Price quote for public institutions distributed; private institutions would have same price. If VIVA buys and an institution wants to retain print subscriptions, they will qualify for a 10% discount if they order direct. No penalty for canceling the print. Archiving not yet resolved; but if we cancel, publisher will provide print copies for the years we have had online subscription. Backfiles are currently three to four years deep. (Not clear if this depth rolls or grows.) Unlimited access and IP recognition.
Moved and approved to subscribe (pending final approval of FY2000-01 budget by governor).
15. User Group Meeting, Fall 2000 -- K. Perry
Steering Committee has approved a meeting in October in Norfolk. Would the Training Committee like to use this opportunity? It appears that it would.
16. Survey for the "Project for the Cooperative Retention of Nursing and Allied Health Journals"
Questionnaire is designed to assess the success of the project. Susanna Pathak will discuss the matter with Steve Stratton further and ask for details on the plan for this project. Project needs to be coordinated with the Ovid nursing journals project. Will defer this until the Ovid nursing journals decision is made.
17. New Opportunities
Access Science from McGraw-Hill
OED online—Gene Damon and Kathy Perry will learn more about this at the International Consortia of Consortia conference in Orlando next week.
Web of Science
American Chemical Society journals
IEEE
Women Writers online
Periodical Contents Index full-text
LION
American Physical Society
OCLC ECO (Electronic Collections Online)
ERIC (the documents)
Ethnic Newswatch—Jacque Dessino distributed information packets.
A week before next meeting, send Gene Damon one-liners about products to be considered.
18. Decisions:
FirstSearch searches—Will recommend that the Steering Committee approve use of unexpended funds in the current budget to buy additional searches
Ovid nursing journals—Recommended that the Steering Committee approve purchase, pending approval of FY2000-01 budget, in July
19. Other business
HarpWeek—Not enough buyers to make a deal. Will discuss further at next meeting.
Next meeting
Friday, May 19 at VCCS -- 15th Floor James Monroe Bld.