Report on the Rethinking Resource Sharing Initiative

Tanner Wray, University of Maryland Libraries

NELINET Annual Resource Sharing

Spring Meeting, New London, NH

June 6, 2008

Introductions

• Library type

• Job function

Overview

• A Little Background on Why to Rethink• Goals of the Initiative• Key Projects

– Policies Committee– Manifesto– Innovation Awards– Interoperability Committee– GoGetter– Marketing Committee– User Needs Committee– Delivery Committee– Forum III – 2007– ALA STARS Rethinking Resource Sharing Preconference 2008

• Discussion

What is the Rethinking Resource Sharing Initiative?

an ad hoc group

that advocates

for a complete rethink

of the way libraries

conduct resource sharing

What’s different?

• Internet has changed user expectations

• Everyone manages information differently

• More people work outside the library context

Mission

Rethinking Resource Sharing

Inspiring Libraries

Empowering People

Strategies

• Focus on user needs

• Put services on websites

• Offer services outside the library

• Look for useful models outside the library

• Use fees when free service isn’t possible

• Measure user satisfaction

• Remain vendor neutral

Partner Organizations

Policies Committee

• Purpose

• Housed within ALA/RUSA/STARS

• Finalized the Manifesto for Rethinking Resource Sharing– What is it?– 7 principles

http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaourassoc/rusasections/stars/starssections/committeesa/rrscomm/rrscomm.html

http://rethinkingresourcesharing.org/manifesto.html

Manifesto

1. Fewer restrictions– Imposed only as necessary– Lowest possible barriers to fulfillment

presented

“Restrictions shall only be imposed as necessary by individual institutions with the goal that the lowest-possible-barriers-to-fulfillment are presented to the user.”

Manifesto

2. Users can choose from options– delivery format– method of delivery– fulfillment type

• loan, copy, digital copy, and purchase

“Library users shall be given appropriate options for delivery format, method of delivery, and fulfillment type, including loan, copy, digital copy, and purchase.”

Manifesto

3. Global access– Use both formal and informal networking

agreements – Goal is lowest barrier to fulfillment

“Global access to sharable resources shall be encouraged through formal and informal networking agreements with the goal towards lowest-barrier-to-fulfillment.”

Manifesto

4.Share resources from all types of cultural institutions– Libraries– Archives– Museums– Expertise of all types utilized

“Sharable resources shall include those held in cultural institutions of all sorts: libraries, archives, museums, and the expertise of those employed in such places.”

Manifesto

5. Reference service facilitates sharing– Use reference expertise to aid fulfillment– No findable object should be totally

unattainable

“Reference services are a vital component to resource sharing and delivery and shall be made readily accessible from any initial "can't supply this" response. No material that is findable should be totally unattainable.”

Manifesto

6. Offer service for a fee rather than refusing service– Strive to achieve services that are not more

expensive than commercial services

“Libraries should offer service at a fair price rather than refuse but should strive to achieve services that are not more expensive than commercial services, e.g. bookshops.”

Manifesto

7. Everyone a library user– Registration should be as easy as signing up

for commercial web services

“Library registration should be as easy as signing up for commercial web based services. Everyone can be a library user.”

Manifesto Endorsements• ALA/RUSA/STARS Executive Committee, Jan

2007 • ALA/RUSA/STARS Rethinking Resource

Sharing Policies Committee, Jan 2007 • Rethinking Resource Sharing Steering

Committee, Feb 2007 • IFLA Document Delivery and Resource Sharing

Standing Committee, May 2007 • MAILL (Maryland Interlibrary Loan), Oct 18,

2007

Policies – Next Steps

• Endorsement of the Manifesto by state library associations and state library agencies

“…. by affirming the Manifesto, {state} libraries agree to uphold the principles by doing these things…. 1. 2. 3. …. ”

MAILL (Maryland Interlibrary Loan*)

• October 18, 2007– Affirmed the Manifesto– Affirming means…

• 2008– Challenging members to move beyond

affirming and put solutions into practice

*http://www.maill.sailorsite.net/

Policies Committee

• Facilitators Guide– Posted online (RRS website)– Use to Inform a local discussion

http://rethinkingresourcesharing.org/docs/facil-guide.doc

Next Steps

• Collect examples for each of the 7 points in the Manifesto for Rethinking Resource Sharing

Other Policy Ideas (Some Radical!)

• Floating collections

• Purchase on demand & give to requester

• User purchases & donates to library

• Direct delivery to patrons from lending library

• 7-day/week deliveries

• No due dates, no overdues

• Automatic renewals unless requested

2008 RRS Innovation Awards

• Recognizing and honoring individual or institution for changes they made to improve users’ access to information through resource sharing in their library, consortium or state.

• $1,000 cash awards in 2008 sponsored by Alliance of Library Networks

RRS Innovation AwardsFactors

• Impact on users

• Scalability

• Sustainability

• Ability for other libraries/consortia to replicate the idea

• Initiative and risk taking

2008 RRS Innovation Award Winners

• North Carolina Libraries for Virtual Education (NC LIVE) program. Streams video files to member library users wherever they are on the web

• New York Reference and Research Resources Councils (NY3Rs). Nine multi-type library networks serving all libraries in New York State. IDS (Information Delivery Services) Project

http://rethinkingresourcesharing.org/innovation.html

Interoperability Committee

• GoGetter (GetIt) plug-in Project– Open-source– Offers options to get information

• Seeking additional committee members

Status of GoGetter

• Interoperability Committee– Completed the GoGetter prototype– Updated the functional specs– Worked with RRS Marketing Committee for

name/branding– Developed base-level documentation– Awaits OCLC to complete the open source

licensing

Marketing Committee

• Branding of the GetIt Prototype = GoGetter• Created RRS logo design• Designed stickers for distribution• Tracked

– Articles, including Interface v. 30, no. 1 http://www.ala.org/ala/ascla/asclapubs/interface/currentedition/currentedition.cfm

– Presentations, including http://www.rethinkingresourcesharing.org/

• Seeking additional committee members

User Needs Committee

• Gain insight into the needs of the common user inside and outside the library environment

• Need a chair for the committee

• Need committee member volunteers

Delivery Committee

• Physical and virtual delivery of materials is important

• Brainstorm of ideas– Give users multiple options for delivery– Use partnerships outside the library– Download articles to PDAs

Delivery Committee

• Pick up at lockers outside the library and non-library locations

• ILL floating collection

• State-wide or national courier service

• Need additional committee members

Finance Committee

• Will identify sources of funding for implementing Initiative activities

• New Committee

• Chair and Members Needed

Learning More About RRS

2007 RRS Forum IIIApril 19-20, 2007

• Michael Stephens, Dominican University and blogger for Tame the Web: Libraries and Technology, “Technology Trends 2007: Sharing Data, Sharing Experience”

• Linda Frueh, Washington, D.C. Regional Director, Internet Archive and Alexis Rossi, Project Leader Internet Archive “Rethinking Resource Sharing: The Internet Archive Perspective”

ALA 2008 Preconference

• Friday June 27, 2008 Anaheim CA

• “Throw off your policies and expose your resources: Rethinking resource sharing”

• ALA RUSA STARS Preconference

http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaourassoc/rusasections/stars/starsevents/starsevents.cfm

ALA 2008 PreconferencePresenters

• Stephen Abram, SirsiDynix

• Gina Persichini, Idaho State Library

• Jim Meyers, Orange County Public Library

• Perry Willett, University of Michigan

• Interactive sessions

ALA 2008 PreconferenceSponsors

• Emerald

• OCLC

• Rapid

• Relais

• SirsiDynix

IFLA Satellite Meeting

• August 5-7, 2008, Boston, MA

• “Rethinking Access to Information: Evolving perspectives on information content and delivery”

http://www.bcr.org/rethinkingaccess/

IFLA Satellite MeetingPresenters

• Steven Abrams, SirsiDynix

• Brenda Bailey-Hainer, BCR

• Patrick Danowski, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Germany

• Catherine Davidson and Mary Lehane, York University, Canada

• Lorcan Dempsey, OCLC

• Poul Erlandsen, National Library of Education, Denmark

• Rose Goodier, John Rylands University Library,  Manchester, UK

• Amy Greenberg, Scholars Portal, Canada

• Sharon Karasmanis, & Alison Bates, La Trobe University, Australia

• Robert Krall, University of Pennsylvania Libraries

• R. David Lankes, Information Institute of Syracuse, and Syracuse University

• Sarah McHugh, Montana State Library

• Barbara Preece, Boston Library Consortium

• Pentti Vattulainen, National Repository Library, Finland

• Gail Wanner, SirsiDynix

• Keith Webster, and Heather Todd, University of Queensland, Australia

• Lynn Wiley, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Bodil Wöhnert, Esbjerg Public Library, Denmark

Become Involved with RRS

• Join the RRS listserv

http://www.rethinkingresourcesharing.org/involve.html

• Change things in your library or consortium

• Attend the STARS ALA Preconference in June or IFLA meeting in August

• Volunteer to be on a committee

Next Steps

Start a Discussion:

Today at 1pm! – At Your Library!

Take Action - Start a Revolution

Resources/Links

Rethinking Resource Sharinghttp://www.RethinkingResourceSharing.org

Rethinking Policies Committee http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaourassoc/rusasections/

stars/starssections/committeesa/rrscomm/rrscomm.html

rethinking@bcr-lists.org Listservhttp://bcr-lists.org/mailman/listinfo/rethinking

Contact Information

Tanner Wray, MLS, AHIP

Director of Public Services

University of Maryland Libraries

McKeldin Library Room 4119

College Park, MD 20742 USA

301-405-9251

twray@umd.edu

Thank You!

Anne Beaubien

University of Michigan

Wendy Dobson

Enoch Pratt Free Library

Rethinking Resource SharingInspiring Librarians

Empowering People

http://www.rethinkingresourcesharing.org/