Presentation Title Goes Here …presentation subtitle.

Developing an Online Journal Collection: Prospects and Problems at

the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Library

By:Mila M. Ramos, Chief Librarian

and Natalia V. Delos Reyes, Librarian – Electronic Resources and Serials

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

Paper presented at the 13th CONSALEDSA Shangri-la Hotel, Mandaluyong City, Philippines

March 29, 2006

OVERVIEW• The IRRI Library & Documentation

Service• Nature of Electronic Journals• Selection & Acquisition• Access Points to Electronic Journals at

IRRI• Dilemmas and Challenges in Building an

E-Journal Collection • Facing the Challenge : Some Possible

Solutions• Conclusion

The IRRI Library & Documentation Service

• Established in 1961 • Mandate: To collect, organize, and link

scientists worldwide to technical rice literature

• World’s biggest repository of published and unpublished technical rice literature

• 200k volumes of monographs and reprints

• 3,000+ journal titles

The IRRI Library (cont.)

• Automated online catalog and rice database

• Fully wired & wireless network• 8 public access desktop computers• Walk-in clients - Mainly IRRI scientists,

plus students, faculty, researchers from other institutions in the Philippines

• Remote clients: Rice researchers, scientists, students from all over the world.

Nature of Electronic Journals

• Definition: E-journals are “serial publications available in digital format” (Harrassowitz, 2005)

• Format: CD-ROM, floppy disks (although very uncommon), external hard disks (e.g. LanTEEAL), or online via the World Wide Web

• text may be in ASCII, HTML or PDF • may or may not be peer-reviewed

Advantages of E-Journals• can be read on one’s desktop• many concurrent users • words in the text can be searched• carry multimedia clips and graphics in

color• comes out earlier than print editions• can be interactive; contacts with

authors and peers can be facilitated• links to full text articles can be created

on the online catalog

More Advantages

• Links to related publications can also be brought to the attention of users.

• Articles can be retrieved through links from abstracting or indexing databases.

• contents can easily be saved or downloaded in print or other formats, or forwarded to colleagues.

• They are space savers.• Filing is totally eliminated.• Usage statistics can be generated easily

Disadvantages of E-Journals• need special equipment (PC ) for

reading and a good internet connection for fast access.

• very expensive. • license agreements are complicated and

vary from publisher to publisher.• no guarantee that access to archival

copies will be there forever, which is assured when one acquires print copies.

More Disadvantages

• not portable

• hyperlinks are sometimes not working

• in case of power outages, access will not work

Selection and Acquisition

• Governing principle: Digital resources are there to supplement print materials and will not replace them.

• Selection Criteria: Relevance to rice research, number of potential users, cost

• Modes of Acquisition:1. Free full text journals on the WWW 2. Free with print subscription3. Print subscription plus paid

licenses for online version 4. Online subscription only

Access Points to Electronic Journals at IRRI

Library’s web site at http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org

Access points… (cont.)

1.The Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC)

Access points… (cont.)2. The E-Journals Link

Dilemmas and Challenges in Building an E-Journal Collection

• Costs and sustainability

• Vanishing E-links

• Institutional Readiness: IT Infrastructure and Computer Literacy of Staff

• Complex License Agreements

• Access to Archival Copies

• To Download or Just to Link

Average 2005 Journal Prices for Scientific Disciplines

Relevant to IRRI

Title Price(US$)

2001-2005 % of price changes

Agriculture 799 37

Biology 1494 37

Botany 1109 36

Chemistry 2868 34

Engineering 1683 38

Food science 1107 35

Technology 1460 38

Zoology 1053 28

Average 1,446.63 35.37

Facing the Challenge : Some Possible Solutions

• Look for possible funding sources and discounts

• Share costs with other units within the organization

• Search for free sources (e.g. DOAJ, PubMed Central, Highwire Press, HINARI, AGORA, etc.)

• Join a consortium or 2• Forge collaboration with advanced local

and foreign Librarians

Facing the Challenge : Some Possible Solutions (cont.)

• Enhance current awareness among clients

• Compile usage statistics

• Work hard to gain Management Support

• Purchase digital archival copies when available

Conclusion • Careful prioritization of titles for subscription will maximize

meager resources available • Open access publishing offers a ray of hope• Vital ingredients in Managing a Successful Online Journal

Collection:1. Enhanced skills and work attitude among information

providers to help them cope with the challenges posed by electronic journals

2. IT infrastructure must be in place3. Adequate finances is vital for sustainability4. Management support (a determinant of the Library’s budget)5. Quality of service and Image of librarians (must be at

such levels that will warrant management support)6. Archival access

End of our Presentation

Thank you and Good day!