Library Management Team
Notes from the October 22, 2003 Meeting

Attending: Ross Atkinson, Lee Cartmill, Karen Calhoun, Claire Germain, Tom Hickerson, Anne Kenney, Janet McCue, Jean Poland, Sarah Thomas, Ed Weissman

1) Collection Duplication
Ross reported on the extent of collection duplication across the Library.  Information gathered from Voyager by Lydia Pettis shows that in the last two years, we added multiple copies of 13,895 titles.  12,284 of these titles have 2 copies only.  Some of these titles, for example dissertations, are intentionally duplicated--we keep a circulating and an archival copy of each.  A significant category of duplication is government documents held in both Olin and the Law libraries.  While 1,700 titles received as gifts were added as second copies, addition of gifts as second copies does not appear to be a major problem.  60-70% of Uris Library and 50% of Africana Library acquisitions duplicate titles held elsewhere in the Library.  Most of the duplicate copies are not held in a single library, reflecting the fact that the duplication is due to the decentralized nature of the Cornell University Library. 
LMT agreed on several overriding principles with regard to duplication, the implications of which will be worked out at the conclusion of the LARIS and the campus planning reviews.  Ross will do a "sweep" of serials duplication following the round of cancellations this fall and he will ask that multiple copies of items in LC class B being transferred to the Annex be discarded after being reviewed by the appropriate selectors.

2) Cornell as a last resort for print
As we move from having both print and electronic access to journals and other materials to having electronic access only, a big problem is insuring access to content we subscribe to electronically only but that we subsequently cancel.  With print subscriptions, we still retain the printed volumes subsequent to cancellation.  With electronic only access, we are "at the mercy" of the publishers.  There are two approaches to deal with this situation: a) archive the electronic copies, and b) insure that there are paper copies available regionally.  Ross reported that NERL is now  ready to begin dividing up responsibility for retaining print copies of specific journals.  NERL will start by assigning responsibility among its members for Elsevier and American Chemical Society titles.

3) LARIS
Sarah reported that the meetings she held with faculty and students to discuss the LARIS process were "excellent."  Participants were forthright and demonstrated flexibility in reacting to the ideas presented.  Sarah hopes to enlist some of these meeting participants to take part in panel discussions and other forums when the LARIS recommendations are publicized for broader discussion among faculty and students.
LMT then discussed reinvestment strategies for the library: if we identify $2 million to re-invest in the library, how should we direct it?  Ideas included:

1) CUL-wide document delivery, both electronic and physical

2) Extending hours in some library units

3) Enhancing users' "personal control,"allowing them to find what they need on their own by making information easily accessible for independent use

4) Refurbishing space, including the Olin/Uris reconceptualization and renovation

5) Increased funding for digitization

6) More integrated framework for managing and accessing digital collections

7) Enhance online access and browsability of collections through

a) the additon of table of contents to selected OPAC records

b) the creation of "core"collections (online) using, for example, Choice to identify cores in various disciplines (see item 20)

8) Information literacy programs for undergraduates

9) Start-up funds for the MAS2010 initiative including the convening of an implementation team and professional marketing

10) Professional marketing for DCAPS

11) Grow the metadata service as planned

12) Resume the internal grants program

13) Provide system-wide Web support

14) Funding for retraining current staff and training new staff

15) Become the content manager for the university

16) Strengthen the Library's relationship with the faculty; enhance outreach to faculty

17) Support the e-publishing needs of the university

18) Enhance the user experience with the knowledge base (see items 3, 6 & 7)

19) Enhance the Library's ability to make its resources available where they are needed and used, beyond the Library's physical and virtual space

20) Greater focus on information quality: provide guidance on the relative quality of the information we provide through "normative"metadata and other means (see item 7)

4) Announcements
Sarah announced that she is participating in the Campus Store and CU Press external reviews that are now underway.

Edward Weissman