Central Library / Collection Development Advisory Committee Meeting
MHLS, February 20, 2003
Attended: Josh Cohen, Tom Finnigan, Pat Kaufman, Tom Lawrence, Sue Hermans, Sally Alderdice, Greg Callahan, Ellen Guerci, Patti Haar, Matthew Bollerman, Jim Cosgrove, Merribeth Advocate
Absent: Andy Dancer

Committee Chair 2003: Greg Callahan

System Wide Databases:

• System wide periodical needs were reviewed. Overlap of print and electronic subscriptions needs to be looked at, including what patrons prefer to read in print. This is a collection development issue. Print subscription adjustments need to be made both at the central library {see Action 1} and as a local decision in member libraries {see Action 2}.
• Cost of renewing Proquest will be prohibitive, over $78,000/year. Upgrading the NOVEL funded EBSCO MasterFILE Select to MasterFILE Premier would be $43,200/year.
• No clear indicators of what patrons need / use electronically. Online database usage statistics show overall but not specific use.
• Some member libraries perceive the New York Times as a popular online newspaper. New York Times will be lost with the ending of NOVEL access to Dialog @ CARL March 31, 2003, but S. Hermans confirmed after this meeting that EBSCO provides indexing and abstracting of the New York Times. Central Library has it on microfiche.
• Member libraries need to budget realistically for online database offerings. Need a serious analysis with prices broken down, including the rationale behind the options. May not have set enough aside for the new cost. Perhaps delayed billing could be provided. There is a risk to the individual price members pay if some libraries drop out.
• Committee suggested members compare 3 options {see Action 3}:
  1. Continue Proquest.
  2. Let Proquest expire and add Premier to NOVEL funded EBSCO.
  3. Let Proquest expire (live 6 months without an upgrade to the NOVEL funded EBSCO, let budget issues evolve, look at Central Lib subscription focus {see Action 1}, potentially shift more database costs to Central Library funding).
• Committee not interested in Groliers offer, based on their experience with this and other products

OPAC Bookjackets and Reviews

• Committee viewed and discussed Syndetic Solutions, which links to OPAC and provides enrichment offerings <http://www.syndetics.com>, including cover images and reviews. Felt the additions were mostly cosmetic, not content rich and may slow down loading speed of OPAC. Committee recommended alternative use of budgeted funds.
• Discussed NoveList <http://www.epnet.com/public/novelist.asp> $26,200/year, $14,400/year with purchase of MasterFILE Premier. Capable of linking to OPAC with persistent links and Z39.50. NoveList enhancement is primarily for fiction.
• Current Action Memo #03-05 asks members for their interest in Title Source II <http://ts2c.informata.com/TS2/>. This is a selector tool, and does not provide additions to OPAC.

Coordinated Reference Collection Services

• Committee was asked to discuss scope of work for the Central Reference Library Services Coordinator (Sue Hermans), focusing on feasibility of on-site visits for review and recommendations regarding children's reference collections and staff training in use of their collections
• Is there a growing system-wide need for evaluating both adult reference collections and children's reference collections? The need could be met by several angles:
1. Is this a logical service for a Central Reference Library Services Coordinator. J. Cohen said the position looks at reference in general. Anyone coming in to a MHLS library with a reference question should be able to get current core resources to answer their question and staff should be able to assist with those resources.
2. T. Lawrence suggested that the MHLS Youth Services Coordinator (Margaret Keefe) to provide the children's reference collection services, linking reference with Homework Help project focus, noting the strength in someone who can pay attention to this as their function.
3. Empower libraries to do this for themselves. Provide training, ex: Best of Children's Reference workshop.
• T. Lawrence said his overriding concern is increase expectation that Central Library will always be there with children's reference support and he is concerned from a management perspective about future funding allocation.
• J. Cohen said children's reference support is currently a gray area. Members should call the Central Reference Library Services Coordinator for reference collection assessments, and the MHLS Youth Services Coordinator for any other collection development issues.
• Committee suggested evaluation of Central Reference Library Services Coordinator for possible expansion / reorganization of duties {see Action 4 }.

Actions

1. Members look at list of Central Library print periodicals and recommend areas of reduction of print subscriptions.
2. Committee recommends members looking at print subscriptions for own reductions.
3. Cohen, Advocate and Lawrence will prepare a listing that compares options (Proquest, EBSCO MasterFile Premier, NOVEL EBSCO) in next DA packet. Scenarios. History of what was paid, what was the cost, who paid what.
4. Committee will evaluate Central Library Reference Services Coordinator job for possible expansion / reorganization of duties.

Report to Director's Association
Different database options
Not recommending purchase of Syndetics
Children's reference support