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From The Libraries
Current library initiatives reflect two of the directions of the MIT Libraries' Strategic Plan. One is "to excel at providing rapid, easy and precise access to high quality information for education and research at MIT." In this area the Libraries are in the midst of a number of operational projects. A second strategic direction for the Libraries is "to be a leader among academic research institutions in the use of applied library technology." Moving this forward are several research projects.
Operational Initiatives
On the operational level, the Libraries' Website is being redesigned, both in its presentation of information and in its look and feel. The staff first obtained input from the MIT community through surveys and observed usability tests. Using the results of the tests, a more user-friendly terminology and different ways of organizing the information were developed to present the site's content. Following this, library staff worked with a design firm on the graphic presentation. During spring 2001 the public will be invited to preview the new site, which is planned to go live during the summer.
Another major project is the implementation of a new library management system, Ex Libris Aleph 500, to replace GEAC Advance. This new Web-based system will provide significant enhancements for the online public catalog, Barton, and for all of the library's functions, such as the circulation of library holdings and the ordering, receipt, payment, and cataloging of new materials. Data conversion and staff training are underway, and the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) is being developed to meet MIT's needs. As with the new Web design, MIT students are participating in usability tests. It is anticipated that the new system will be available in July 2001.
The MIT Libraries are beta testing software for a digital reference system. The project is called Ask Us! – Live and it offers real-time online assistance to those not physically in the library. In this way, expert research assistance will be made available remotely to members of the MIT community.
The system will allow for one-on-one conversations online between librarians and those using library resources with a combination of chat and co-browsing (the ability to send and share Web pages over the Internet). Users and librarians can jointly search databases, navigate through Web pages, and fill out forms together. Those interested in participating in the test phase of this project are invited to access the service through http://libraries.mit.edu/ask.
Finally, in the operations area, it should be noted that the MIT Libraries continue to bring to the campus a wide array of resources in electronic format. At last count, available through the Libraries' Website are 223 electronic databases and 3090 electronic journals. Some databases of particular interest are Derwent Innovations Index, providing access to world patent literature, and The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, containing over 29,000 articles and linking to images and digital sound. Another notable digital resource is Books 24x7, offering the ability to search, browse, and view the full contents of hundreds of books related to both the technical and business aspects of the computer industry.
Research Initiatives
Beyond the operational initiatives of the Libraries, are research projects. The first of these was reported last year in the April/May 2000 issue of The MIT Faculty Newsletter in an article by Margret Lippert Branschofsky, "From the Libraries - The DSpace Project." Branschofsky described the joint project of the MIT Libraries and Hewlett Packard to build an archive for the approximately 10,000 digitally formatted documents produced annually by MIT faculty, researchers, centers, and labs. Documents include technical reports, articles, and other electronic content deemed valuable. Formats will include text, images, audio, video, and datasets. When in production, the archive will allow for submission, retrieval, searching, access control, rights management, and publishing capabilities.
During the summer of 2000, the Mellon Foundation awarded a grant to the MIT Libraries to develop a business model to find ways to sustain DSpace beyond its time as a research project. This work will address the economics of maintaining an academic digital depository over time; the knowledge gained will serve to inform the digital initiatives at other universities as well.
The DSpace Advisory Board has been formed and held its first meeting in December. Members are: Anne Beamish, Erik Brynjolfsson, James Buzard, Eric Celeste, Catherine Friedman, Jerome Friedman, John Lienhard, Gareth McKinley, William Mitchell, Jerry Saltzer, Richard Schmalensee, Robert Stalnaker, Bruce Tidor, and Ann Wolpert.
Currently an online survey is underway to determine preferences for submission features on the part of content contributors. Faculty members are encouraged to participate by entering the DSpace Website, http://web.mit.edu/dspace/ and clicking on SURVEY.
In a related research area, the Libraries received a planning grant of $145,000 from the Mellon Foundation for the development of an archive of dynamic electronic journals. These are scholarly Websites that provide a broad range of rapidly changing content.
An example of this new form of publishing is the MIT Press Cognet, started in September 2000, to create an online community for researchers in cognitive and brain sciences. Other publishers, such as Columbia University Press and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), are also developing dynamic electronic journals. The MIT Libraries will work with publisher partners to investigate strategies and technologies to create a model for a workable repository for this new type of scholarly publishing.
It is anticipated that the operational initiatives described here will provide improved service at MIT and that the research projects will benefit both MIT and the larger scholarly community.
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