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To implement these new roles for the library will require a major overhaul
in how they do business. Library staff will need state--of--the--art
networked computers and software on their desktop. However, librarians
should not become specialists in computer systems/hardware/software. These
infrastructure activities should stay with those with expertise in academic
computing (ACS). This means that different departments at UMBC need to
work much more closely together. For example, ACS and the Library should
have administrative ties that force them to work together closely.
- The relevant library staff should have up--to--date
network information retrieval software on their desktop computers.
- The library staff, in consultation with academic departments,
should identify high--cost, less--used journals to cancel. The funding
saved from these cancellations should be put toward the cost of articles
purchased by the article from commercial vendors. Some provision should be
made for student access to articles from canceled.
- We should explore the possibility of giving the library responsibility
for the logical structure of networked based information systems at
UMBC. To be specific, the library should manage the ``home page'' of
UMBC's World Wide Web server, which we believe is the best delivery vehicle
for open electronic information, including information developed within
UMBC by ACS, Instructional Technology, Administrative Computing,
Accounting, Office of Sponsored Research, etc. This is not to say that the
library will decide what information is provided, just how it is
organized. Some organization should have the formal responsibility for
giving UMBC a coherent ``presence'' on the network. If the library is
not the proper organization, another one should be identified.
- The library should encourage, and organize departmental
efforts to store articles, class notes, reviews, etc. generated by UMBC
faculty members. We should encourage secondary schools to use this
collection as a window into UMBC. For example, a search of this collection
would identify experts at UMBC in fields of interest to secondary schools
teachers and students, and allow them to communicate electronically by
publishing an email address for each author.
- The library should take the lead in getting faculty generated
information on--line at UMBC. This might include journal article
preprints, etc. Many universities now do this on a departmental basis. It
might make sense for UMBC to do this in a more organized fashion,
especially so it can be used as a resource for local schools. A large
scale effort like this might involve providing high speed digital scanning
services to faculty.
It should be noted that many (not all) of the above recommendations can be
implemented with very little additional equipment. What is needed is of
cooperation between departments, the library, and ACS. This cooperation
will probably require someone dedicated to the task facilitating the
coherent organization of UMBC information, which we now lack.
Next: High--end Facilities
Up: The Library
Previous: Non--Traditional Roles for
Dr. Larrabee Strow
Thu Mar 30 17:21:15 EST 1995