Ball - IATUL Positioning Librarians as Essential to the New Virtual Learning Environments Positioning Librarians as Essential to the New Virtual Learning Environments David Ball Bournemouth University

Ball - IATUL Summary Student use of electronic resources Student use of electronic resources Virtual learning environments (VLEs) Virtual learning environments (VLEs) Challenges for the library profession Challenges for the library profession New approaches to procurement New approaches to procurement Information architecture Information architecture

Ball - IATUL Student Use of E-Resources  Surveys show drivers as: –Convenience – desk top, speed, save/print –Young users inhabit electronic world  Health science library usage:  28,000 full text downloads; 1800 uses of print  Bournemouth University: –Downloads: 220k (02/03), 485k (03/04), 610k (04/05) –72% of nursing students access from home

Ball - IATUL Virtual Learning Environments “The components in which learners and tutors participate in ‘online’ interactions of various kinds, including online learning” “The components in which learners and tutors participate in ‘online’ interactions of various kinds, including online learning” –Controlled access to curriculum –Tracking student activity and achievement –Support of on-line learning –Communication between the learner, the tutor and others –Links to other administrative systems

Ball - IATUL Challenges for the Profession Studies show little integration of library resources into VLEsStudies show little integration of library resources into VLEs Develop procurement practiceDevelop procurement practice –E-books –Non-traditional learning resources Develop information architectureDevelop information architecture

Ball - IATUL E-Books Existing heavy use of e-journals by undergraduates Existing heavy use of e-journals by undergraduates Electronic medium the norm for students’ social and leisure pursuits Electronic medium the norm for students’ social and leisure pursuits VLEs become primary vehicle of instruction VLEs become primary vehicle of instruction Electronic medium primary Electronic medium primary Need for e-books Need for e-books

Ball - IATUL Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium (SUPC) Largest of the UK regional consortia Largest of the UK regional consortia 47 members – small to very large 47 members – small to very large All areas of university purchasing All areas of university purchasing Contracts worth over £100m p.a. (€147m) Contracts worth over £100m p.a. (€147m) Library contracts £31m p.a. (€46m) Library contracts £31m p.a. (€46m) Framework agreements not central purchasing Framework agreements not central purchasing

Ball - IATUL E-Books: Identifying the Need Developing market placeDeveloping market place Virtual Learning EnvironmentsVirtual Learning Environments Fluid business modelsFluid business models −Mimic hard-copy business models −Trend towards bundling/Big Deal Avoid what happened with e-journalsAvoid what happened with e-journals −Publishers determined business models −Price tied to historical hard-copy spend

Ball - IATUL Preparing the Specification 1 Aim to provide agreements that: Aim to provide agreements that: –Were innovative and flexible –Exploited the electronic medium fully –Focused on users’ needs not libraries’ –Encouraged the addition of library-defined content –Could be with general aggregators or specialists/ publishers Agreements available to all UK universities Agreements available to all UK universities

Ball - IATUL Preparing the Specification 2  Two distinct requirements: −Requirement A – a hosted e-book service from which institutions can purchase or subscribe to individual titles −Requirement B – a hosted e-book service of content that is specified by the institutions

Ball - IATUL Prices: Hard Copy vs. E One aggregator, offering outright purchase and only 1 simultaneous user, allowing for discounts and VAT:One aggregator, offering outright purchase and only 1 simultaneous user, allowing for discounts and VAT: −E-book: 155% of list price −Hard copy:85% of list price E-book is 82% more expensiveE-book is 82% more expensive Book budget buys 45% less e-books than hard-copy booksBook budget buys 45% less e-books than hard-copy books

Ball - IATUL Relative Pricing (Requirement A) Purchase of 1500 titles Purchase of 1500 titles −Least expensive 63% of most expensive Subscription over 3 years to 1500 titles Subscription over 3 years to 1500 titles −Least expensive 15% of most expensive Least expensive allows unlimited multi- user access Least expensive allows unlimited multi- user access Other models: one concurrent user (hard copy); up to ca.320 accesses to title each year Other models: one concurrent user (hard copy); up to ca.320 accesses to title each year

Ball - IATUL Bespoke Subject Collections (Requirement B) First subject – nursing; others to be determined First subject – nursing; others to be determined Core lists of 200 and 600 titles prepared by 4 universities and the Royal College of Nursing Core lists of 200 and 600 titles prepared by 4 universities and the Royal College of Nursing Only general aggregators interested Only general aggregators interested Maximum of 13% available from any one Maximum of 13% available from any one Aggregators have agreements with some of main publishers Aggregators have agreements with some of main publishers

Ball - IATUL E-Textbooks Obvious advantages for libraries: no multiple copies or SLCs, staff savings Obvious advantages for libraries: no multiple copies or SLCs, staff savings BUT 80% of publishers’ textbook revenue is from individuals - not available BUT 80% of publishers’ textbook revenue is from individuals - not available One aggregator has offered e-textbooks direct to students at 50% of list price One aggregator has offered e-textbooks direct to students at 50% of list price

Ball - IATUL Contract Award Requirement A: Ebrary and Proquest Safari Requirement A: Ebrary and Proquest Safari −Offer innovative models, value for money, flexibility and academic content of interest to members −Exploit electronic medium in terms of granularity and multi-user access Requirement B: Ebrary Requirement B: Ebrary −Flexibility and willingness to work openly −Textbooks model

Ball - IATUL First Six Months Impressed with both suppliers Impressed with both suppliers Gradual uptake, due to timing of budgets Gradual uptake, due to timing of budgets Student usage of collections much wider than anticipated; Ebrary functionality particularly liked Student usage of collections much wider than anticipated; Ebrary functionality particularly liked Good progress towards nursing core collection Good progress towards nursing core collection –Nearly all top publishers signed up –Business models for textbooks being developed

Ball - IATUL Non-Traditional Resources Lecturers’ content Lecturers’ content Course-pack readings Course-pack readings Open access course materials (e.g. MIT) Open access course materials (e.g. MIT) Publishers’ content designed for VLEs Publishers’ content designed for VLEs –Mediated by Blackboard –Open market

Ball - IATUL Rights Management Issues Who owns what rights – lecturers, university, publisher…? Who owns what rights – lecturers, university, publisher…? Number of courses, students, years, campuses? Number of courses, students, years, campuses? Can you repurpose? Export? Franchise? Sell? Can you repurpose? Export? Franchise? Sell? More complex than a book on a shelf, or an e-journal package More complex than a book on a shelf, or an e-journal package

Ball - IATUL Challenge 2: Information Architecture Currently rough equilibrium between print and electronic Currently rough equilibrium between print and electronic E-journal usage intensive among researchers, widespread among students E-journal usage intensive among researchers, widespread among students Use of print monographs still integral to teaching Use of print monographs still integral to teaching E-books, VLEs, digitisation, institutional repositories will tip in favour of electronic E-books, VLEs, digitisation, institutional repositories will tip in favour of electronic

Borrow Read/copy Read Save/print Hard-copy books ↓ Hard-copy only journals ↓↓ E-books ↑↑ E-journals/ databases ↑↑ In-house electronic materials ↑ External web-pages ↑↑ Talis list Talis OPAC NetLibrary Safari Website Ebsco A-Z VLE Ebrary Bibliographies. Indexes, Abstracts, Reading Lists, Search engines Current architecture Discov er Use

Enquir y Federated Search Engine Results Read/ Save/ Print Processes in shaded area invisible to users Bibliographies Indexes Abstracts Reading lists Search engines E-book platforms E-journal platforms VLE External web pages LMS catalogue Etc. Link Resolver

Ball - IATUL Conclusion Position libraries to support VLEs by: –Exploiting electronic medium –Influencing content to be provided –E-textbooks to move us closer to completely electronic provision –Managing rights to content –Creating an appropriate information architecture

Ball - IATUL Questions?