Experiences in a University- Community College-Private College Consortium Or…I am not young enough to know everything. Oscar Wilde Or…Ignorance is the

Experiences in a University-Community College-Private

College ConsortiumOr…“I am not young

enough to know everything.”

Oscar Wilde

Or…“Ignorance is the mother of admiration.”

George Chapman

Where anything is possible if you don't know what

you are talking about.

Topics for Comment – using OhioLINK as the stalking horse

• Structure/Governance• Library types served• Services offered and that can be

offered• Financial implications• Impact of changing technology• Different models• Philosophical underpinnings for

the futureBefore I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement.” Ronald Reagan`

Models/Ranges of Consortia

HighlyDecentralized

HighlyCentralized

No common agenda

Large benefits

No external fundsNo central sponsorNo central staffSmall discountsLow involvementSmall benefits

Common agendaExternal funds

Central sponsorCentral staff

Large discountsHigh involvement

International Coalition of Library Consortia [ICOLC]

IndependentMultitype/Multistate

AmigosLYRASISMinitex

International

AustraliaChinaGermanyGreat BritainIsraelNetherlands South Africa

TighterFederations

BLCNERL PALCIASERLColorado Alliance

Loose Federations

GWLAeiFLIncluding Ad hoc buying clubs

State-based

GalileoOhioLINKVIVANAALCARLINC LIVECDLOrbis-CascadeMobiusVale

Marriage of Money and Politics

So, Are there Different Models?In Degrees only - for State based

programs• Relationship/structure to Libraries• Relationship /structure to state/campus

administrators• Policy versus Operational oversight by

state/campus administrators• Central vs Local technology architecture• Central vs Local funding: Operations vs

Content• Breadth of Program Initiatives• Technology vs Academic/Library mission

orientation• Tactical vs Strategic posture towards

global information and intellectual property issues

• The politics of cooperation

MEMBERS• State

Library• 49 private

liberal arts colleges

• 23 public two-year colleges

• 1 standalone medical school (7 total med)

• 2 private universities

• 13 public universities

• Includes 9 law

• 500,000 FTE +130 primary delivery sites• 60 Innovative ILS

Libraries Connect Ohio – Towards the Ohio Web

Library

CommonInformation

NeedsK-12

HigherEducation

StateGovernment

PublicLibraries

OhioLINK Mission• Economically sustainable,

increased student and faculty access to and use of library provided information to support and improve instruction and research…as a consortium

• In “USO” terms…provide world-class information access to support a globally competitive state education system…at efficient and affordable cost

Group Service Approaches• Do things for everyone- as a

system. Services/Technology at the group level is more about raising the bar for everyone – and enabling the system not just the institution

• The technology to make available services should not be (unnecessarily) duplicated

• Historic local service idiosyncrasies should be reduced

• Technology that works at the group level must leap over a higher bar

Leveraged, Common Services and Technology

With New Projects/Directions• Single Vendor Integrated Local Library

Systems and Central Cat - Patron-Initiated Borrowing– Project to redefine service needs and

architecture – more efficient, handle diversity, expansion, compatibility

• Common Core Reference Database Set +100– Vendor sites – Common interface for locally loaded databases– Federated Searching – multiple resources on one

search • Project to create new Discovery Layer -

Unified Index/Web 2.0 (Cent Cat, Ref DBs, EJC, EBC, EDC, DRC, local e-content, open web)


with New Projects/Directions• Electronic Journal Center – access and

archive– Migrate to new platform and expand licenses –

current and deep archives, handle diverse formats, pre-prints, mobile devices

• Electronic Book Center – access and archive– Build and expand licenses – migrate to new

platform- build in access via mobile devices• Electronic Thesis/Dissertation Center

– Home Grown - Built to Grad schools specs with common submittal and approval mechanism

– Migrate and integrate with other services


with New Projects/Directions• Digital Resource Commons – access and

archive – from working papers to peer-reviewed; images to animations; institutional and commercial– Expand storage– Build and expand institutional portals and

collections– Expand video/audio group licenses

• Multi-Service features– “Find It” capability - Resolver– Remote User Authentication – to Shibboleth– Chat Reference with Publics and K-12; plus local

IM options


with New Projects/Directions• Regional Library Depositories – high

density archive and access– From Regional to Coordinated Statewide

Operations – Two-Year Coordinator position as of Nov 08

– De-duplication and preservation at Statewide level – first focus on Journals

– Space planning with statewide shared space and service efficiencies in mind

– Space planning in coordination with electronic archives

– Can we utilize beyond public university clientele??

OhioLINK Central Funding – 2 yr budgets

Capital funds• FYs 89-92 $9.2

million• FYs 93-94 $10.8









million• FYs 11-12 ????

Operating Funds• FYs 90-91 $ .4

million• FYs 92-93 $ 1.7










million• FYs 12-13 ????

$0

$2

$4

$6

$8

$10

$12

$14

F89-90

F1991 F 1992

F1993 F1994 F1995 F1996 F1997 F1998 F1999 F2000 F2001 F2002 F2003 F2004 F2005 F2006 F2007 F2008 F2009 F2010

Mill

ion

s

Use of OhioLINK CombinedOperating and Capital Expenditures

Content and Content Delivery

Local Library Technical & CatalogInfrastructure

Staff and Admin

Central Site Technical Infrastructure

Annual Operating and Capital Appropriationplus membership fee

Where does the money to license electronic content come from?

Sum of Share Year-NSource of Funds F08-C08 F09-C09 F10-C10

Lib $25,802,899 $26,918,892 $27,265,196OLINK $7,882,017 $8,147,625 $6,587,322

Grand Total $33,684,916 $35,066,518 $33,852,519

Cost Effective Purchasing Power

• Costs controlled below market averages

• Costs controlled with expanded 2x-10x rather than diminished content2005 vs PY 2006 vs PY 2007 vs PY 2008 vs PY 2009 vs PY 2010 vs PY

Databases 2.5% 3.0% 1.5% 2.3% 1.5% 0%EJC 2.3% 1.7% 2.9% 2.6% 4.6% 0%

Some Economic Lessons• Besides any other criteria used –all activities must meet

this measure - dramatically improve the efficiency of library operations and outputs so that much more information access can be afforded and is made available

• Taxing libraries to build the new services/infrastructure is a limiting approach

• Not treating information efficiency and access as a necessary utility restricts effective long-term planning

• Use central funds to create the efficient, commonly needed service/infrastructure

• Use central funds as a catalyst to make change happen as a system

• Never utter the words – “cost savings”• OK- cost efficiency, cost effectiveness, cost

avoidance

OhioLINK Governance and Advisory Organization

Executive Director and staffTechnical AdvisoryCouncil

Library Advisory Council15 U, 3 IC, 3 CC, 2 M, 1 L, 1 SLO

Coop Information Resources Mgmt

User Services

Inter-Campus Services

Database Mgmt and Standards

Lead Implementers

Independent Colleges Library Directors

Community CollegesLibrary Directors

Med Lib Directors

Law Lib Directors

Chancellor of theOhio Board of Regents

Digital Resources Mgmt

Academic Programs Vice-Chancellor

Governing Board –13 provosts

8 public U’s

1 private U

1 private C

3 two-year CC’s

OhioLINK Governance and Advisory Organization Advisory Board

Provosts. CIOs

Executive Director and staffTechnical AdvisoryCouncil

Library Advisory Council15 U, 3 IC, 3 CC, 2 M, 1 L, 1 SLO

Coop Information Resources Mgmt

User Services

Inter-Campus Services

Database Mgmt and Standards

Lead Implementers

Independent Colleges Library Directors

Community CollegesLibrary Directors

Med Lib Directors

Law Lib Directors

Chancellor of theOhio Board of Regents

Digital Resources Mgmt

Vice-Chancellor for Ed Tech

Proposed Joint Board of OhioLINK and Ohio Learning Network

• BOARD COMPOSITION• Public University Provost 5• Public Community College CAO 5• Private College Provost 2• Library Director 2• Distance Leaning Dean 1• Adult Career Tech 1• University Research VP 1• CIO (each sector) 3• Fiscal Agents 2• Chancellors Representative 1• Executive Directors 2

A FEW WORDS ON HOW WE APPROACH THE

FUTURE Apologies to Joe Lucia and others

Bridging function:

Libraries serve as bridges

the proprietary domain of commercially valued intellectual property

-------------------------------------------------------

the gift economies of intellectual and cultural expression

A Foundational Claim“The cultural assumptions and social practices embedded within Open Access Information and Open Source software are congruent and co-extensive with the values and missions of libraries writ large.”

Embracing “Open” =Deepening & enhancing our

cultural mission & social function

A Foundational Position

–“all future investments in content and content creation, infrastructure & systems will flow toward non-proprietary regimes, which will mean a fundamental reordering of the library, and the academic publishing and library technology business environments.”

The Commons as the Core

The unique cultural and social role of libraries:– to support, expand, and preserve– the intellectual and cultural

commons– in all of its discursive & literary

forms– to nurture the generative

conversation– begetting new knowledge & cultural

expression

Embracing the Commons = Keeping Libraries Open:

Open StacksOpen Standards

Open AccessOpen Data

Open Source

Challenges to Library Open Source and Open Access

• Vendor dependency• Software maturity• Functionalist orientation• Technical confidence /

competence• Administrative buy-in• Strategic vision • Intellectual timidity• Herd mentality

“Open Libraries” Is the Goal

“ Radical Collaboration” may be the tool:

“To embed the values, processes and practices of the knowledge commons within libraries & the library community…”

“To harness the network effects of open practices for the benefit of the unique cultural & social function of libraries “

Thought Experiment 1

2008 Aggregate Annual Expenditures,Public, Academic & School Libraries:

$18,100,000,000Assume 1.5% goes to

technology support:$ 271,500,000

If we collectively redirect 20% of thisannual investment to open source work:

$ 54,300,000

Thought Experiment 2

200 Largest Public / Academic Libraries

Allocate 1 Staff position to open source

200 FTE Technical Staff Immense pool of library-native

talentbuilding apps & infrastructurefor the participative, commons-centeredlibrary of the future

Discussion/Questions

Any new venture goes through the following stages: enthusiasm, complication, disillusionment, search for the guilty, punishment of the innocent, and decoration of those who did nothing.” Unknown

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important. Bertrand Russell

Documents

Experiences in a University- Community College-Private College Consortium Or…I am not young enough to know everything. Oscar Wilde Or…Ignorance is the