Breaking the Barriers – RIBA – 18th May 2009

Recently I was asked to attend a day conference at the Royal Institute for British Architects in London looking at how Open source software is influencing the library and information community.

It was well worth the trip so I’ve posted my summaries of each of the talks here.  Slides and further information may also be found on the open libraries website.

Charles Leadbeater (Keynote) – Generally thinks that the web is a good thing andthat future media oriented businesses will be organised around collaborative experiences with their customers, open source providing a means to achieve
this. Open source is a new form of social organisation and provides a richer form of capitalism. Larger businesses that focus only on content delivery will struggle.
We should be looking at the way young people, for example the ’26 year old research scientist’ to inform us about how people will use technology in the future.
It came across that he felt libraries should be using technology to engage collaboratively with their customers to garner success.

Ken Chad – Was interrupted by a fire alarm but was otherwise generally enthusing about how Open source technology in libraries was no longer a theory but a demonstrable reality.

Mike Taylor – Index data – Probably the most vehement open source promoter of the day, explained how businesses could be relied upon to build a robust business model around giving away software but not giving away time spent supporting it. Although by admission not a rich man he was perfectly correct and probably the most engaging speaker of the day.

Bob Molyneux – Equinox software – Using figures from the take up of Evergreen Integrated Library System demonstrated that complete open source ILS systems do exist and can work. Evergreen ILS seems largely to be used by Public libraries in North America however and it became apparent that there was no obvious translation of that success to Academic libraries in the UK.

Paul Polain – BibLibre – A very interesting speaker demonstrating Koha ILS software and touching on how his company had formed a business model around supporting it. This was the beginning of a theme for the day – using open source products does not necessarily mean that they have to be supported in house. Support can be contracted in from specialist companies elsewhere.

Nick Dimant – PTFS Europe – Carried on the previous theme with explanation of how PTFS had grown in Europe supporting Evergreen and Koha. Seemed keen to press a reminder that by choosing open solutions a customer was not tied in to any particular vendor of a product and was free to choose the best provider of support.

Mark Hughes and Paul Johnson – South West Wales Higher Education Partnership – Provided evidence of a successful implementation of VuFind producing an integrated resource discovery suite of three universities. Reminded us all of well known problems with Open source projects including a lack of documentation.

Alan Poulter – Strathclyde University – Spoke less about Open source itself but rather how Koha was being used as a teaching tool on Strathclyde’s Digital Libraries MSc Course. In fact he caused the most active discussion of the day around the apparent lack of overlapping knowledge between IT and library professionals. Concerns were raised that new librarians did not have the IT skills required to support them in the changing library environment and that where IT skills were being taught, they were largely theoretical practices and out of date.

Tamar Sadek – Ex Libris – Went to great pains to play down the bad guy image of proprietary providers. Explained how Ex Libris aimed to provide “Complete” library software solutions that were robust due to their vendor support and expand upon them using donated code and a kind of developer network that Ex Libris are supporting. It seemed impressive from what I saw. No attempt to argue
against Open source or in favour of proprietary solutions. Stated, thankfully, that they have improved their own documentation process.

Richard Wallis – Talis – Took the Ex Libris approach explaining how proprietary and Open source could coexist. Demonstrated the Juice project and how it can enhance library OPAC systems such as Talis giving a web 2.0 feel to an OPAC by mashing up content from Amazon and Google etc.
Presented the Jangle project as an attempt to expose library content via a consistent interface over the myriad of protocols available today. Something the repository project might benefit from in the future.

Electronic Resources Delivery (NK) 14/05/2009

1. Relocation from Blue 1.4 to Red B.13: Despite a shortage of electrical and network points and the need to abandon some furniture to store, we have now relocated to Red B.13, the ‘Recording Studio’. The limited space available made it necessary to sort and, where possible, dispose of files and other material which had accumulated in Blue 1.4 over the years. Hopefully we will be able to move back at the end of the year.

2. Staffing: Olivia has now returned to work and will be working on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for the first six months.

3. The UK Access Management Federation: Problems with Shibboleth authentication for the following services which were reported in the last update have now been resolved:

Proquest

•  ABI Inform Dissertations and Theses
• ProQuest Asian Business and Reference
• The Guardian (1821 – 2003) and The Observer (1791 – 2003)

StatRef

We are testing Shibboleth authentication with Brill and Academic Library.

4. Enquiries: Electronic resources enquiries dealt with since last report (28th March to 12th May): 379

5. Changes to resources: Electronic resources lists, links and descriptions continue to be amended to reflect current subscriptions.

Music databases: The following databases are now available only through EBSCO:

• RILM Abstracts of Music Literature
• RIPM: Retrospective Index to Music Periodicals
• RISM Series A/II: Music Manuscripts after 1600
• Index to Printed Music

PIRA: We now subscribe to PIRA through CSA rather than Dialog.

Report from Head of IS 14/05/2009

1. Library restructure: Andy Land starts on 6^th July, he will be coming in to visit in early June so LB will introduce as many of you as possible, on the 4^th June am. Interviews for the software developer are taking place this week. That leaves the grade 4 posts and LB is talking to the displaced staff who have expressed interest in these roles.

2. HERA: Negotiations continuing.

3. Learning Commons: The Steering group is looking at options for the building.

4. Talis Prism 3: SC to report

5. Talis/ Finance integration: That is progressing, we have had an initial meeting with Talis and have now got a project plan and solutions document. Mary McGovern is the Project Manager for the library aspect of the project.

6. JISC bids: We are submitting a bid with NacTEM for a project looking at the use of text mining tools with repositories.

7. GF refurbishment:

• Staff in admin B have now relocated, thank you for everyone’s cooperation for moving at such short notice.
• IT Services desk will be relocating to Blue 3, also with a presence in UP.
• Cluster will remain open as the escalator will be sealed off.

8. IT Services:
The IT Knowledgebase solution, KnowIT launches 18^th May, LB is on the project board for this. The interface will be released to staff and students in September. Initially this will just cover IT but will be extended to student services etc. We will be adding our content on our systems to replace what we currently have the Intranet etc. Andy is coordinating this for us.

9. Arcadia:
Jacky Hardcastle is interested in taking up this opportunity so I am working with her to produce a proposal in the area of personalised services.

10. Architectural Review

This had gone to L T and some amendments made. I have contacted a few consultants and some other Libraries. We have a commercial consultant very interested and some offers of help from other Universities and also MIMAS. A steering group will be set up shortly.

11. Digital Preservation Group and Digitisation Strategy Group

In the Library Strategy we will have strategies in the areas of Digitisation and digital preservation. Phil will be chairing a Digital Preservation group and I will be chairing a Digitisation Strategy group. The digitisation strategy had to be complete by the end of the year.

12. Escholar Launch

We had a very successful day, big thanks to Phil for his leadership of the project and also to the team who worked really hard to have a demonstration version of eScholar available.

13. Enquiries review

Katy is leading a review of all enquiries activity. This will consist of a steering group plus a number of subgroups, including relationship and location of physical desks (including IT desk), implementing a help desk solution and online enquiries.

14. Sickness and Leave reporting: Leave and sickness will be managed by line managers.  In the case of sickness, managers will notify Liz Ashton of any sickness for the central records.  Line managers need to also inform LB of any leave which is booked by their staff.

15. PDR: When everyone is trained we will be starting these in June so line managers should be thinking about scheduling these meetings in and preparing the paperwork.

Digitisation Update 14/05/2009

Luna Collections
Update on numbers:
Rylands Collection 6716 of which 5118 are available in the public collection
Genizah Collection 12409
Medieval Collection 2725
Rylands Papyri 299

Additional material funded and due for adding soon: Shahnama (Persian epic poetry with illustrations), Dante (early printed books), Darby bible

JISC e-Content bid
Carol Burrows is preparing a bid (with additional input from me and Caroline Checkley-Scott) for funding to explore possible models for a North West Centre of Competence for Heritage Digitisation, located within JRUL (mostly at Deansgate).

Pamphlets have been returned from digitisation by BOPCRIS. Content due to be on JSTOR by the end of June.  Individual pamphlets will eventually be linked from Copac and Talis.  Free access to UK educational institutions.

Other Digitisation
I’ve been in discussion with Phil Butler to explore use of the repository for JRUL digital collections. Potentially at present JRUL Bulletin, IMP Conference Proceedings held by EDL and Deansgate Hymn Indexes. We are exploring methodology and tools required for this to work in practice..

IT Support Update

IT Support Update

 

1.       Ground floor Refurbishment

The project is very active at the moment.  As you will know there have now been some office moves.  An estates project manager has been appointed to coordinate all the work involved in the moves.  The Tyson room will be complete on 28^th May.  Red 3.1 will become a meeting room to replace the provision in User Education – work is expected to be complete by 5^th June. Serials will be moving to Joule library floor D and the work starts this weekend to do the electrical work, estates will let me know when the data points have been completed but again the deadline for completed job is 5^th June. A lot of time has been spent identifying locations for service kit – OPACs, Walk In Users ….

 

2.       Desktop 08

The student image has been successfully load tested and will be deployed across all clusters within the University ready for the start of academic year.  The problem with Endnote is being investigated by Humanities who package the application.  Alison has checked the final list for student applications and fed back to the project team about this after checking with the relevant staff.

 

3.       Network Upgrade News

As part of the campus upgrade we have been asked to specify where we would like enhancements to the wireless network.  The EPB will determine which requirements are selected as the project has a small budget and lots of competing priorities.

 

The Deansgate upgrade is moving slowly with requirements having been specified and checking whether specialist planning permission was required – fortunately it doesn’t so that saves time and money.  The work is scheduled to be complete before the end of July – we are still waiting quotes to approve this project.

 

4.       Rollout programme for PCs

This has now been identified and it will be run as a project with Val taking the lead on building the images.

 

5.       Other work

As part of identifying the processes involved in requests for new kit I applied some techniques learnt on my PRINCE course and developed a PBS (Product Breakdown Structure) and Product Flow Diagram.  The Product Flow diagram will be published on the intranet by the end of the month with a document identifying how requests can be made.

 

Redesign of office

There will be a new area in the office with a space for deploying images on PCs, testing and other technical work.  Cupboards with stock will be relocated to the store room.

 

Value for Money

We will be using a new supplier to purchase remanufactured toner cartridges as this fits in with being more environmentally friendly and also helps providing value for money. A stock check will be undertaken every month and stock will be ordered on a monthly basis which will help monitor the budget and also with developing a forecast model of requirements.