Collections Committee
Agenda for Meeting January 22, 2008

Agenda Items carried forward from cancelled November 27, 2007

1. Springer renewal spreadsheet
2. Science Direct renewal spreadsheet
3. Update on Sage e-journal proposal by UT
4. Collection guidelines for Primo Development (from Strategy & Planning)
5. Digital Media Archive

Additional Agenda Items

1. Migration of database list to Metalib /Primo
2. WorldCat Collection Analysis product
3. North American Storage Trust/CCCT pilot project
4. Ingram Digital Group discussions
5. Psych-Info vendor review
6. Blackwells/YBP/Coutts vendor review?
7. Book fund report template in Workflows
8. Aluka
9. Other items

Collections Offers/issues

1. Making of the Modern World
2. CareerSearch
3. Atlanta Constitution
4. Bepress journals

"""Minutes of the Meeting"""

Present: Roberta Winjum, Lee Ann Lannom, Eileen Crawford, Mary Prince, David Carpenter (for Mary Beth Blalock), Holling Smith-Borne, Kathy Smith, Hilary Rudsenske, Bill Hook, Sue Davis, Bryan Kurowski

Regrets: Carlin Sappenfield, Mary Ellen Wilson, Deborah Broadwater

Bill Hook reminded the Collections Committee members that both the Science Direct and Springer renewal spreadsheets were under review. Later in the week, Bill Hook, Roberta Winjum, Mary Ellen Wilson, and Chris Waldrop will follow up with a meeting. Meanwhile Bryan Kurowski reported that he had found a billing error in the Springer spreadsheet that likely caused us to be overcharged.

The Sage e-journal proposal that was countered by UT came back from Sage with a reduced additional cost offer. However, since UK and VU have no additional money to spend and were unwilling to abandon all print subscriptions, they chose not to buy into this offer. UT has accepted the package. This means that VU will continue to receive access to Sage journals to which we have chosen to subscribe, will not have access to those for which we do not have a subscription.

A lengthy discussion about which digital collections to add to the Primo database included covering the activities of the newly formed Digital Media Archives Project Team and how our library is organizing its digital efforts. Holling Smith-Borne, as chair of DMAPT, said that the Project Team has revised its original charge, but has not completed a final draft of a more limited focus. Questions that arose around the meeting table included "How do we define digital library?" "What is worth archiving?" "How do we save it?" "How should our library organize?" As the discussion wound down, two actions were taken, 1) that Roberta Winjum, Kathy Smith, and Bill Hook volunteered to form a subcommittee to assist the DMAPT with developing a policy related to digital media, and 2) the Collections Committee agreed to support harvesting the "low-hanging fruit" digital collections first for access in Primo. Two examples mentioned included the Global Music Archive and Art in the Christian Tradition database. As other collections become ready (some are currently being upgraded, others have technical problems at the moment), they should be added, too. The Dublin Core pipeline developed for the TV News Archive should also work for other collections.

Bill Hook distributed key subjects and format type lists from the database list which will be used to migrate to Metalib/Primo. He asked the Collections Committee to review the lists by February's meeting to make sure no key subject or format is overlooked. He also mentioned that the Collections Committee members or staff designated in each library, will likely be involved in maintaining this database list.

A second lively discussion ensued about the possible involvement with a joint Ingram/Microsoft digitizing project. While discussions began first with ASERL, the close proximity of Ingram and Vanderbilt could make pilot project between the two easier to do. So far Vanderbilt has only committed to continuing discussions, but one approach could be that pre-1923 VU content would be digitized (hopefully) for free with the files going into Ingram's books on demand and/or the MyiLibrary (http://www.myilibrary.com/company/library.htm) e-book collection. There are 2 models for digitizing, 1) destroy the book to scan its pages, and 2) preserve the print copy during the scanning process. The scanning itself would take place at Ingram.

Another product Ingram Digital is developing (called the Library eBook Usage Acquisition system) will be the subject of further discussions as well. This model would be that a library would have access to the whole collection (or a profiled sub-set) and would have to "buy" the e-book when it gets a second hit. There was also discussion about becoming involved in testing the Ingram MyiLibrary e-book reader because e-book reader software is pivotal to patrons actually using e-books.

OCLC is developing a pilot program (CCCT) comparing 20 book storage facilities holdings and circulation data. The resulting product would allow libraries to compare holdings across multiple storage facilities and would be marketed as a collection management and/or de-selection tool. VU is sending data to OCLC for the pilot.

The library has a new individual subscription to the WorldCat Collection Analysis product since it features a more flexible comparison model—a library can select its own peer group for better analysis. Also included (once we transmit the relevant data to them) will be statistics about circulation use patterns.

Bill reminded the Collections Committee about a spring review of the Psych Info vendor.

Bill asked the Collections Committee if it would want to tackle reviewing the main approval plan vendors—Blackwell, YBP, and Coutts. There was some interest in doing so since it's been a few years and not all libraries are currently using the same preferred vendor. Bill pointed out that UT and UK both use YBP as their main vendor. Roberta mentioned that current OS procedures intensively use Blackwell's Collection Manager and PromptCat services and a switch to another vendor would also imply significant investment of acquisitions staff time. David Carpenter suggested that this project might be a good one for Jared Ingersoll after he arrives and becomes familiar with our collection. Jared has recent experience with this issue since Columbia just recently switched to YBP. The group agreed.

Bill reminded the Collections Committee about the book fund report template in WorkFlows. It was suggested that instructions on its use be posted on the committee wiki and Bill agreed to do so.

Holling reported on Aluka, a web resource on scholarly resources about Africa. http://www.aluka.org/ The company had expressed interest in the Global Music Archive, but sells its resource contents. Since our license agreement stipulates free distribution, we can't participate.

The meeting adjourned at 3:05. Minutes prepared by Sue Davis