Ann Campion Riley, associate director for access, collections, and technical services at the University of Missouri, has been elected ACRL vice-president/president-elect. She will become president-elect following the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, and assume the presidency in July 2015 for a one-year term. A full biography of Riley will be available on the ACRL website next week.
What is Occam’s Reader?
1. Occam’s Reader is a technology that allows libraries to loan eBooks to one another. The eBooks are made available as temporary and time‐limited loans that are made accessible via the Occam’s Reader server, hosted at Texas Tech University. Libraries use the OCLC network and the ILLiad request management software in conjunction with Occam’s Reader. The library patron views the eBook using a web viewer that can be accessed using any device with internet capabilities. The viewer provides access to a simplified image of the eBook content.
2. There are three main components to Occam’s Reader:
· Discovery Tool for Borrowing Library’s Interlibrary Borrowing Staff ILLiad add‐on to identify and request a specific eBook title from the holding libraries
· Processing Tool for Lending Library ILLiad add‐on and Occam’s Reader proprietary software to transmit and convert the eBook content to the Occam’s Reader server plus integrated email availability and authentication notification to borrower
· Web Viewer for Library Patron Viewer to read the loaned eBook via a link to a secure server which requires authentication using a temporary URL and password
3. The end result is one specific book title being loaned to one specific patron for a time limited loan period via a secure system where access is granted for the specified item.
After the loan period is finished, the file is automatically deleted from the secure server. This follows the model of interlibrary lending, where the book is “returned” (no longer available to the borrower) at the end of the loan transaction.
Many of the Springer eBook URLs are downloadable as full eBook PDFs already (thanks to Springer), which saves the trouble of binding the chapter PDFs together in many cases.
The total number of eBook items in the dataset is 964,655. This total is live-counted on the discovery tool in case we ever add or subtract from the dataset at a later date. The 964,655 eBook items represent 113,854 distinct eBook titles, meaning that many titles are available at multiple institutions. Springer’s eBooks may be found here.
http://www.springer.com/shop. There is an advanced search option which you can use to limit to format, content, etc. We do not guarantee that all are available through Occam’s Reader, but many will be.
To put it in more exciting terms:
Occam’s Reader allows the discovery and lending of nearly 1,000,000 eBooks, representing over 100,000 distinct eBook titles shared between 33 GWLA member institutions.
As a member of the Greater Western Library Alliance, MU’s Ellis Library’s Interlibrary Borrowing Unit is happy to offer this service to our patrons for a one year trial period beginning April 2, 2014. We will check for electronic access first when a request is placed so that service will be faster because of no shipping time and no cost involved for the borrowing library. For additional information: http://www.gwla.org/Home/Announcements/OccamsReader.
INFORMATION ITEM: LMT would like to create a communication plan to specifically coincide with the Renew Mizzou project. As Enrollment Management will have signage and tools to inform visitor how to find their departments located in Ellis Library, MU Libraries will also create signs to help patrons find library departments, study spaces and points of interest. The plan:
· Will take advantage of higher traffic/profile.
· Will likely remain even after Renew Mizzou.
· Will be coordinated with Pat Jones, the ELSFAC sign committee and Shannon Cary.
Communications Officer Shannon Cary will attend the May 13 LMT meeting to further discuss.
INFORMATION ITEM: The Fiscal Year 2014/2015 general revenue allocation has been received. The 2% give-back appears to include acquisitions budget. The amount is calculated at $353,000. It is hoped that this is just an over-sight and that the give-back will exclude acquisitions. Inquiries are being made.
· The funding does include additional amounts to close the “Acquisitions Gap” over the next four years.
· A new gap will be created if the current give-back amount remains.
ACTION ITEM: LMT will create an Ellis Library North Entrance Task Force to rethink a number of processes/policies regarding the North Entrance. Also to be considered by this group are changes to the Food and Drink Policy. Tentative members and stakeholders were discussed. The charge and membership will be announced after they are finalized.
ACTION ITEM: Jeannette Pierce will contact Shannon Cary to discuss again the possibilities of a big screen message boards in Ellis Library. Previous proposals made by the Communications Committee were delayed by concerns about ongoing content management and the ability to keep information fresh and up-to-date. Jeannette and Shannon will explore having Librarians help with content.
INFORMATION ITEM: LMT is exploring the possibility of moving the microforms/microfilms on the fourth floor to a different location. Discussion ensued about where that might be and the various service changes and opportunities that would be created. Meanwhile, an engineering study will be requested to ensure all possible safety concerns are being considered in regard to the weight of the cabinets and where they are or will be stored.
Sheryl Cullina will be pulling together a workgroup to address the issue of flextime for staff (non-Librarians and Archivists). If you are interested in working on this team, please send an email to Sheryl by May 9. Stay tuned for further announcements!
The MU Libraries is currently accepting applications for the following position:
Library Specialist, Job ID 13046
For additional information on this position, how to apply, and application deadlines, please visit the MU Libraries webpage at http://library.missouri.edu/about/employment/employopp/.
Web tip of the week, April 21, 2014: British Pathé
http://www.youtube.com/user/britishpathe/featured
Thank you Rachel for sharing.
All 85,000 newsreels filmed by British Pathé are now searchable and viewable on YouTube. This equates to 3,500 hours of filmed history. Genuine 1912 footage of the Titanic included!
See the full article for more information
Web tip of the week, April 28 2014
Submitted by Jack Batterson
RipeTrack helps you to find when your favorite fruits and vegetables are at their peak of ripeness.
Submitted by Jack Batterson
Special Collections started a Tumblr presence at the end of March, and three weeks later it was featured as a trending blog by Tumblr staff. This means that thousands of people around the world were introduced to the collections and services at MU Libraries via the Special Collections blog. Follow them at muspeccoll.tumblr.com.
Notable meetings from the calendar of Jim Cogswell, Director of MU Libraries
Monday, May 5th through Thursday, May 8th – Jim Cogswell will attend the Spring Meeting of the Association of Research Libraries in Columbus, OH.