Library News - University of Tasmania Library

Library news:

From the University Librarian

Over the last ten years there has been a significant growth in the availability of resources in published in electronic form. The library has moved from receiving approximately 8000 paper titles in 1996 to a mix of reduced paper receipts and approx 18,000 electronic titles from various sources.

The move to electronic resources provides opportunities for researchers to make their work available in new ways. On 4th May we held a successful seminar with representatives from the Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories, based at ANU, and the ARROW project, based at Monash, describing the requirements for establishing a digital repository. If you would like to check out some interesting repositories that have already been established, click on the following links.
http://www.iath.virginia.edu/
http://www.nycarchitecture.columbia.edu/index.html
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccbh/mxp/

As its first step into developing a digital repository for UTAS, the Library is working with Professor Arthur Sale to move the eprint facility presently housed in the School of Computing to be a central service. Management of the facility will be provided by the Library, with ITR providing technical support. There is value in developing this resource in the context of the RQF. It has been shown that articles made available on open access repositories such as this have significantly higher citation rates than those only available in print. The Library is working with the Office of Research Services to explore opportunities for encouraging the deposit of electronic copies of publications, and to measure impact factors for the RQF.

The next step will be to look towards working with researchers to facilitate the development of digital repositories in their areas of specialty. There are two potential projects within the Faculty of Arts that are emerging at the moment, and these will proceed subject to resources being available.

Other universities, in Australia and internationally, are ahead of us in the development of digital repositories. The Library looks to build on their experience and to work with researchers here to provide the best model for UTAS.

Linda Luther
University Librarian

Digital Repositories

An Institutional Digital Repository for the University of Tasmania

An institutional digital repository is a collection that captures, preserves and makes accessible the intellectual and scholarly output of a particular institution such as a university or research organisation. These repositories are not stand alone silos of information but are part of a far larger global system of distributed, linked repositories. These repositories provide the foundation for a new disaggregated model of scholarly publishing that potentially eliminates the inefficiencies and expense of traditional scholarly publishing. By design, networks of open access repositories lower access barriers and offer the widest possible dissemination of a scholar's work.

Over the last two years the University’s School of Computing has piloted an institutional repository (available at http://eprints.comp.utas.edu.au:81) using EPrints.

The School of Computing, ITR, the Library and Research Services have been collaborating on the project to take this prototype and turn it into a permanent institutional repository integrated into the University’s systems and processes administered by the Library. The University has developed a policy regarding what is expected to be placed in the repository and also guidelines for quality assurance. In brief, the types of material will include:

Papers to showcase the University’s research output across a range of disciplines both before and after peer review
article pre-prints & working papers
published articles (post-prints)
books and book chapters
online journals
conference papers (draft or final )
conference proceedings or posters
data sets
theses

Setting up an institutional repository at the University of Tasmania will be a long-term investment that helps change the current scholarly communication model and weaken publisher monopolies on academic generated content. Librarians are aware of the need to reform the traditional system of scholarly communication and the benefits of having research freely available in the web oriented world. However, to make the repository work we will need the University community as a whole to accept this paradigm shift. To this end it has been decided to employ a Digital Archives Librarian whose responsibilities will be not only to administer the repository but to ‘market’ it to the schools and assist academic staff to take advantage of these new opportunities for scholarly communication.

It is clear that the institutional repository is a very powerful idea that can serve as an engine of change for the University. This is an area where the University needs to invest, but where we also need to implement thoughtfully and carefully, with broad consultation and collaboration across our campuses and with a full understanding that if we succeed we will help in permanently changing the landscape of scholarly communication.

Links for further information on Institutional Repositories and Digital Archives:

Open Archives Initiative http://www.openarchives.org/
EPrints Software http://www.eprints.org/
Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories http://www.apsr.edu.au/
Australian Research Repositories Online to the World http://www.arrow.edu.au/
SHERPA: Securing a Hybrid Environment for Research Preservation and Access http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/

For more information on the project contact Derek Rowlands, ext 2228

APSR and UTAS Workshop on Digital Repositories (May 4, 2006)

On Thursday May 4 th, UTAS and the Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories (APSR) co-hosted a workshop on Establishing a Digital Repository Service. There was a great deal of interest in the workshop, with 75 delegates attending from various UTAS faculties, schools and divisions, as well as from organisations outside the University.
The workshop was based around three sessions. Session 1, "Establishing a Digital Repository Service", run by APSR, addressed generic issues of planning and managing a digital repository service and provided an opportunity for a walk-through of an actual repository software system. Session 2 , “Repositories and the Research Community” was aimed at researchers and academics that provide content for a digital repository service. Professor Sale from UTAS talked about the repository future for the University, and Geoff Payne talked about the federally funded ARROW (Australian Research Repositories Online to the World) initiative, giving a step by step presentation on the reasons why an institution should have an institutional repository, and how to go about establishing one. Session 3 was an optional hands-on technical tutorial for technical staff.

Proceedings and presentations from the workshop are available from the Library homepage, 'What's New' section, or by following the link:
http://www.utas.edu.au/copyright/apsr.html
Check out the School of Computing’s ePrint Repository (UtasER), currently managed by Professor Arthur Sale. This Open Access Repository (OAR) prototype has been operating since 2004 and is hosted on the School of Computing server at:
http://eprints.comp.utas.edu.au:81/

Martine Guesdon

DIY Requesting
Library borrowers are responding enthusiastically to 'Request it, book it, renew it and view it' by using the new DIY services in great numbers. Library staff were delighted to find that inter-campus requests in April (4,766) increased 240% over April last year. The promotion of new DIY services also generated greater awareness of existing services available from the Library catalogue. In April nearly 10,800 items were renewed on using My Account—an increase of 72% over April 2005. The numbers demonstrate that making DIY services—available anywhere at anytime— suit the ways students and staff want to use Library services.

When the Library announced the DIY services with a customised bulk email to borrowers, the spontaneous feedback from recipients included comments, such as 'Thanks…can't wait to try it out,' 'Fantastic,' 'Thank you! I have been wishing for this service and my wish has come true!' Equally enthusiastic are Flexible Library Services borrowers, who previously had to submit a form for each item to be delivered to their personal address or the Cradle Coast Campus. The words of one borrower, says it well: ‘it's great! Not only myself but many other students at Cradle Coast have commented to me about how easy it is and handy too. Thanks'.
And thanks to Library staff who are looking at new ways to enable new services to happen for our users!

Tricia Vierra
Acting Circulation Librarian
Tricia.Vierra@utas.edu.au

Learning Hubs – Interior Design Award

The Royal Australian Institute of Architects 2006 Tasmanian Architecture awards were recently presented and we are pleased to report that the Learning Hubs within the Library at Launceston and Hobart were winners of the Interior Architecture Award. The architects were Crawford Shurman, in collaboration with Futago.
Quote from the jury "Libraries are evolving from static centres of knowledge storage to dynamic places of learning".
For more information on the awards:
http://www.architecture.com.au/i-cms?page=7909

News from Sections

Art Library

The Art School Learning Hub.
The Carington Smith Library began extensive redevelopment late 2005. Now it has opened the new Learning Hub - a group of study spaces specifically tailored to the needs of Fine Art students at the Tasmanian School of Art.
The Learning Hub is located inside the Carington Smith Library, Level 1 Centre for the Arts, and includes the following facilities: 2 bookable group rooms each with a dvd/vhs player, computer and plasma screen, wireless and wired access for laptops, colour printing, a self serve eftpos machine for printing and photocopy accounts and a casual discussion area with a plasma screen and vhs/dvd player.
The Learning Hub space also features an installation artwork by Brigita Ozolins.

So come in and start taking advantage of this excellent development. We are more than happy to answer your questions and assist you in using the study resources provided.

Staffing
The Art Library is happy to welcome Jules Witek to the Art Library who will be with us while Beth Chalmers takes some well earned long service leave. Jules comes to us with extensive experience from the Morris Miller Library and will be an invaluable aid to us in developing support mechanisms for the new Learning Hub.

Jules Witek

Phone: 03 6226 4376
E-mail: Art.Reference@utas.edu.au

Collection Management Unit (CMU)

CMU reorganisation 2006

UTAS Library is reorganising its Collection Management Unit (CMU) from 1 st July 2006. The main challenge facing CMU is the rapid and relentless change to library material formats. Only a few years ago we had several hundred ejournals; we now have 40,000+ ejournals in our catalogue. We are spending a third of our materials budget on electronic resources, which require access to be negotiated and organised, in addition to cataloguing for the collection. Organisation of physical resources will continue to be important, but ensuring that CMU can meet the challenges from newer formats is imperative.

We will have two CMU Team leader positions, and reporting to them will be four groups (or “pods”) of four staff. Each pod will do the ordering for specific UTAS faculties, and the Team Coordinator will work with the faculty liaison librarian on selection matters. The faculty breakup has been determined by the volume of ordering for each area and will be:
Pod 1: Science
Pod 2: Arts
Pod 3: Law and Business
Pod 4: Health Sciences and Education

The Collection Management Unit will concentrate on the management of the collection, and these changes will provide greater efficiencies. Collection development activities have in the main become the responsibility of the liaison librarians with coordination provided by the Collection Management Librarian. Academic staff should continue to contact their liaison librarian for any queries relating to library matters.
For further information please contact:
Graeme Rayner Graeme.Rayner@utas.edu.au or
Di Worth Di.Worth@utas.edu.au

Document Delivery

As mentioned in the last Library news we are purchasing a new system called VDX (Virtual Document eXchange). Objectives and benefits have been outlined and a Project Steering Committee has been charged with overseeing the management and achievement of the objectives. An Implementation Execution Plan has been devised. The key participants in plan are thethe vendor (OCLC PICA), the Library, and Information Technology Resources (ITR).
The implementation will be a phased development. Phase One will include ITR setting up a server. OCLC PICA will set up the system on the server. Training for Library staff will follow on from this. During the testing phase we shall also include our clients who will use VDX, that is, UTAS staff and students.
We are excited about the potential of this new functionally rich document delivery system and we shall keep you posted on the phased implementation.

Hobart Phone: 03 6226 2230
E-mail docdel.hbt@lib.utas.edu.au
Launceston Phone: 03 6324 3571
E-mail docdel.ltn@lib.utas.edu.au

Launceston Library

Raymond Ferrall Learning Hub

The new Learning Hub in the Raymond Ferrall Centre is proving very popular with students, although it has not yet been officially opened. There are still some finishing touches to be done, but the flexible teaching space and the extra computers are all being well used. There has been no official announcement yet so the grapevine amongst the student population is working well.

Learning Hub in the Raymond Ferrall Centre

Phone: 03 6324 3276
E-mail: Ltn.Reference@utas.edu.au

Morris Miller Library

Librarians in the Arts Building
Morris Miller librarians are trialling a new initiative. An Arts Liaison Librarian will regularly be available in the Sandy Bay Campus Arts building for consultation. The idea is to make your Liaison Librarians more visible, more easily accessible for consultation, and also to get to know you (and your needs) better.

One of the Arts liaison librarians will be available for two hours each Friday in Room 539 of the Sandy Bay Campus Arts building and will try to alternate between mornings and afternoons if possible in different weeks. An email will be sent out alerting Arts staff and postgraduates to the time each week. Note: Because of room availability, we can only be there in semester teaching weeks.

What are we there for?
You can drop in and ask about any Library related issue such as:
-Database access or searching issues
-Endnote problems
-Information literacy in your units
-Book or other materials orders
-Library Reserve
-Archiving research articles

Why not book a time? Contact Roger Carter on extension 2226 or by email Roger.Carter@utas.edu.au

Phone: 03 6226 2225
E-mail: MML.Reference@utas.edu.au

Science Library

The Science Library is pleased to welcome Donna French as a Library Assistant. Many of you may know Donna already, as she has worked weekends with us for several years and she has been part of our team on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the past 18 months, approximately. We congratulate Donna on achieving a permanent appointment
with us.

Donna French

Phone 03 6226 2441
E-mail: Science.Reference@utas.edu.au

New Electronic Services

AMS Journals Archive

The American Meteorological Society has allowed free access to their journal archives. This means that the following journals (complete with any graphics) are now available through the Library Catalogue and the e-Journals page.
The journals are:
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 1970-2000
Earth interactions 1997-2000
Journal of applied meteorology 1962-1982
Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 1984-2000
Journal of Climate 1988-2000
Journal of climate and applied meteorology 1983-1987
Journal of Hydrometeorology 2000-2000
Journal of Physical Oceanography 1971-2000
Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 1944-2000
Monthly Weather Review 1974-2000
Weather and Forecasting 1986-2000

Access is through the Library’s e-Journals page: http://www.utas.edu.au/library/info/ej/index.html

AustLII

AustLII has just added four more databases to its large range of materials.
Now available are the:
Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law 1993-
Australian Privacy Case Summaries 2004-
Commonwealth Numbered Regulations Explanatory Statements 2005-
Victorian Legal Profession Tribunal 2004 – 2005

Access is via AustLII on the Library’s database page: http://www.utas.edu.au/library/info/dbase/dbases1.html

Nature

Nature , the weekly, interdisciplinary journal of science, is available in electronic format. Coverage is from 1997 to present (ie. the latest issue) through the publisher, Nature Journals Online. Access Nature through the Library’s e-Journals page: http://www.utas.edu.au/library/info/ej/index.html

Scopus Author Identifier

The Scopus Author Identifier is designed to help solve problems associated with author searching by automatically matching variations of an author’s name and distinguishing between authors with the same name.

Benefits of the Scopus Author Identifier are:

Accuracy: Users can now be confident in the accuracy of their results even if they don’t know exactly how the author’s name is formatted. It is now easy to identify the correct author, matched with other variants of the same name.

Speed: Users can be sure they’ve located the correct author without having to check each individual full-text article.

Convenience: Users can quickly access a one-page overview of all of an author’s publications, citations and co-authors.

Please note that in the first release Scopus have been careful to avoid incorrectly assigning documents to authors. Documents with insufficient data to make an accurate match may be separately listed in your search results. Documents will continue to be matched as more data becomes available. In addition a feedback link has been provided on the Author Details page that can be used to alert Scopus of any amendments.

http://www.utas.edu.au/library/info/dbase/dbases4.html#s

SFX FindIt button

If you’ve been using CrossSearch you will be familiar with the SFX FindIt button. This “FindIt” button has now been added to the following databases:

CSA
Historical Abstracts
Proquest
EBSCO

When you look at a list of search results in any of these databases the FindIt button will now appear taking you to a menu of options including links to full text where available.

Database Trials

Cinahl INDEX

The Library currently has Cinahl Index on Proquest and Proquest Nursing Journals making it a full text product. EBSCO have generously given us access to Cinahl Index on their platform with unlimited user numbers until the end of the year. This product includes pre-Cinahl, the index of recent articles that have not yet made it into the full index product.

http://www.utas.edu.au/library/info/dbase/dbases2.html#c

SPORTDiscus

EBSCO have recently developed a full text version of SPORTDiscus and the Library has secured a 60 day trial of it. SPORTDiscus full-text contains everything in the original index plus the full text for more than 230 of the most used journals. Additionally, the package includes SPORTDiscus Select, which provides cover to cover full text for a further 169 journals that are indexed selectively in SPORTDiscus.
Trial access to this database is available on the Database Trials web page and it is also listed in the dropdown box or Change databases tab of our EBSCO interface until 8th July 2006.

http://www.utas.edu.au/library/info/dbase/trials.html

Web Citation Index

UTas is currently participating in the beta trial of the Web Citation Index, a new product from ISI. The Web Citation Index will integrate scholarly Web documents from selected repositories with ISI Web of Knowledge to provide researchers access to a unique resource that bridges the traditional world of scholarly publication, and the evolving world of research being published on the internet.
Several key institutions partnered with Thomson Scientific for the development of Web Citation Index. Those institutions were Australian National University, Monash University, California Institute of Technology, Cornell University, NASA Langley, Max Planck Society and University of Rochester.
During this beta phase, ISI are actively building the content, and enhancing the quality. Consequently, data is in flux and results may be inconsistent.
Access to this beta trial is available on and off campus by IP authentication until 20 October 2006.

http://www.utas.edu.au/library/info/dbase/trials.html

Teaching and Help

Items for Reserve and eReserve

When submitting lists of materials to go on Reserve or eReserve for semester 2 units, please use the new online form available on the library's Web pages at:

http://www.utas.edu.au/library/forstaff/reserve_request.html

Staff are asked to submit their online Reserve requests, not hardcopies of their course outlines, as early as possible before the beginning of the semester. For more information please contact your liaison librarian or see:
http://www.utas.edu.au/library/cat/staffres.html

Examination Papers

You can find most exam papers electronically or in print, however some lecturers do not allow their papers, or specific papers, to be published. Exams with multiple choice sections are not usually published. Print copies of all available exam papers are available in the relevant libraries (that is, the Law Library has the law papers etc.).

Examination papers in electronic form are available from the Library’s Catalogue.

For more information on accessing past exam papers please follow the link: http://www.utas.edu.au/library/info/exams.html

For any enquiries/comments please contact:
Sarah.Crosswell@utas.edu.au

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