Lund University Libraries Head Office

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From Print to(wards) Electronic - the Delicate
Balance between Centralization and
Decentralization
Lund University LibrariesHead Office
XXV. Bibliothekstagung der Max-Planck-Institute,
Dresden, May, 2002 Lars Björnshauge, Director of
Libraries, Lund University, Sweden
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Outline of presentation

• Past experiences Print/electronic/hybrid
  library services
• Current activities
• Electronic information resources
  advantages/problems
• Managing electronic library services in a
  decentralized organisation
• Some recommendations

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Background

• 1983 Masters degree public administration,
  Roskilde Univ., Denmark
• 1986-1992 Professor Royal Danish School of
  Librarianship, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1992-2000 Management positions, Technical
  Knowledge Center of Denmark, Technical University
  of Denmark
• 2001- Director of Libraries, Lund University,
  Sweden

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Technical University of Denmark

• Monofaculty institution science engineering
• 7000 students
• 1000 researchers/teachers
• 1 main library (centrally funded) and 20 minor
  departemental libraries (funded by departments)

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Developing electronic library services
Technical University of Denmark

• 1996 first electronic license agreement
• 1998 first consortia agreements
• 1999
• merging departemental and central library
  subscriptions,
• massive cancellations of print,
• dramatic increase in content,
• reduced handling costs,
• massive education training of staff,
• staff reductions 15,
• development of integrated user interfaces

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Lund University

• Founded 1668
• Largest in Scandinavia
• 30.000 students
• 3.200 doctoral students
• 4.000 researchers teachers

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Lund University

• 7 faculties (technology, science, law, performing
  arts, humanities theology, medicine, economy
  social sciences, )
• 10 independent research centers
• Campus in Lund, Malmö Helsingborg

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Lund University

• Very decentralized organization
• Decision making
• Funding virtually all funding direct allocated
  to faculties, departments and research centers
• Decision making and funding for infrastructural
  resources is highly political!

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Lund University Libraries organizational
structure

• Untill year 2000
• 2 main university libraries
• 60 libraries (faculty, departemental etc.)
• No coordination of subscriptions

• From 2001
• Downsizing the main libraries
• Development of faculty and departemental
  libraries
• Coordination Library Head Office

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Problems and challenges

• Old organization
• Lack of sensitivity as to key demands
• Lack of development
• Dispute as to funding
• No coordination of subscriptions/licenses

• New organization
• Coordinated development of faculty libraries
• Development of the electronic library
• Decentralization and Centralization

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Lund University Library Structure After
Reorganisation
Library Board
Library Council
Library Head Office Licensing Electronic
Library IT maint. dev. OPAC Support for
restructuring
Medical Faculty
Performing Arts Faculty
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Faculty of Law
Science Faculty
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Electronic resources
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University Library Legal deposit Old collections
Engineering Faculty
LRC
Social Sciences Faculty
Humanities Theology Faculty
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The Primary challenge

• Is not to build the electronic library
• But
• To integrate electronic resources and print
  collections the hybrid library
• Not
• Print or electronic
• But
• Print and electronic

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Electronic journals - advantages

• 24/7 access
• Remote access
• Interlinking
• Usage statistics
• When electronic only Reduced handling costs

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Electronic journals - problems

• Different content
• Quality images, charts etc.
• Control of delivery
• Problems with access
• New work flows
• Usage statistics

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Electronic journals additional
problems/advantages

• Pricing models
• based on value of print holdings
• Uncontrollabels
• Deep Discount Pricing
• Consortia Licensing more content
• Back Files

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More problems/advantages

• Bundled subscriptions activation of electronic
  access
• Archiving
• Presentation
• How to make the most of the advantages and
  minimize the problems??

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Constructing the electronic library

• The components
• Content
• Interfaces
• Staff
• Education training
• Management

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The Content

• Databases (A i services
• Electronic journals
• Print collections (OPAC)
• Open archives, local databases etc.
• Document delivery services

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Interfaces (integration)

• Linking content together into integrated library
  services
• Tools
• Metasearch applications
• Open URL
• Z-gateways
• MyLibrary ELIN_at_Lund

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Management

• Getting the grip on subscriptions and licenses
• Negotiating with publishers/vendors
• Preparing for decision making
• Follow up/evaluating
• Costs/Savings
• Usage statistics

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Building the electronic library the case of
Lund University Libraries

• When we started
• No overview on subscriptions
• No overview on spending/costs
• No integration of print collections (OPAC),
  databases/electronic journals
• Manual maintained lists of databases and
  electronic journals

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The first steps

• Organizing - Setting up the team
• Getting the overview
• Calculating costs
• Select -Negotiate/renew/cancel
• Communicating the need for centralization of
  e-media decision making
• Preparing for centralization
• Developing interfaces

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Organizing

• Getting the commitment from the funding body
• Setting up the committee of librarians
• Setting up the committee of end user
  representatives (faculty staff, doctoral students)

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Getting the overview

• Databases
• Existing subscriptions
• Which, Who pays, How much
• Investigating the demand for new subscriptions
• Calculating costs
• Evaluating

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Getting the overview

• Journals
• Designing the subscription database
• Gather subscription information
• Calculate costs
• Depp Discount Pricing
• Uncontrollabels

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Why centralize subscriptions?

• More content available
• More consistent access
• Better position vis-a-vis agents/publishers
• Better pricing - DDP
• Better value for money
• Reduced administration

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Preparing for centralization of subscriptions

• Highlight the current problems
• Highlight the future benefits
• Get the support from the libraries
• Get commitment from the management

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The benefits

• Reduced handling storing costs
• More content
• Easier access
• Better pricing even on print!
• ILL decreasing!?
• Problem benefits savings are often hard to
  cash in or invisible
• How to cash in savings in work load in small
  libraries?
• Faster easier access for end users?

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Electronic information

• Decentralization available on the desktop, 24/7
  access, remote access
• Centralization negotiating, administration,
  financial management, usage statistics, technical
  development and operation
• Cooperation selection, education training

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Integration of print and electronic services

• Developing and implementing interfaces
• Reduce the number of sites to consult
• Searching different sources in one go
• Not direct the users to the publishers sites

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Lund experiences so far!

• Difficult to get the overview
• Difficult to manage cash-flow
• Decentralization does not work properly
• Large increase in content very positive
• Education, training and marketing very important
• Interfaces very important usage boost
  dramatically when adequate

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Recommendations

• Set up a central e-media management unit
• Funding
• Central or
• taxing content provision, services, technical
  development operations etc.
• Tasks
• Appoint/train/allocate staff
• Get the overview
• Discuss the findings and make recommendations

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Recommendations

• Appoint an e-media committee
• Establish priorities (which databases, which
  journal agreements)
• Renegotiate with subscriptionsagents and
  publishers (e-media unit)
• Review the plan for integration of library
  services (interfaces etc.)

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Division of responsibilities

• The libraries
• Selection of print subscriptions, claims,
  education training,
• E-media committee
• Decisions as to databases, electronic license
  agreements, distribution of costs, priorities as
  to technical development (interfaces etc.)
• The E-media management unit
• Negotiating (agent/publishers), evaluation
  (statistics), financial management, technical
  dev. operat., help-desk,