Digital Production & Integration Program (DPIP)
Project 03 : Electronic Reserves Prototype

3.3.1 E-Reserves - DPIP Report DRAFT: 5/19/2006

DPIP will lead the development of a prototype e-reserves service that will define workflows and build basic infrastructure in preparation for a later widespread implementation of e-reserves.

The term E-Reserves refers to providing digital access to materials used for educational purposes; it does not refer to, and is not meant to imply, any specific system or process designed solely to manage e-reserves. Materials include articles, book chapters, film and audio clips, images, etc. The preferred solution for students would be one that provides convenient 24/7 access to the full text of assigned readings and multimedia material within online courseware (i.e. Classes*v2 (Sakai) or Blackboard). Faculty need a resource that will help them solve the complications surrounding the use of copyrighted material in course management systems, and they need a service that will make the entire process of getting both copyrighted and other materials into their online courses easier and more manageable.

DPIP can provide leadership in the investigation of a prototype service and support to e-reserve efforts in various areas including metadata creation, production of digital content from library or library-worthy material, and in usability studies, but cannot (at least initially) take an instrumental role in establishing a comprehensive e-reserve service.

In the meantime, we propose that DPIP work in collaboration with selected school and department libraries, the Portal Opportunities Group, the ELI program, Access Services, and the ITS AM&T Instructional Technology Group to develop a prototype e-reserves service that will define workflows and build basic infrastructure in preparation for a later widespread implementation of e-reserves. Access Services does expect that by late spring 2006 a newly hired reserves supervisor will be able to participate in a limited e-reserves initiative. The Medical, Social Science, and Kline Science libraries are logical potential participants in this effort. ITS has offered assistance in the development of tools that will enable the integration of reserve material into the Sakai collaborative learning environment.

There is some urgency in moving forward with an e-reserves program because the moment is opportune and the need appears to be great. The implementation of Sakai at ITS provides a special opportunity for the library to integrate its resources and services into the environment where faculty and students will conduct much of their teaching and learning activity. In their evaluation of digitization needs and challenges incorporating input from many stakeholders, members of the DPIP working group rated e-reserves as one of the highest priority issues the library needs to address. Limited survey results and conversations with individuals reveal that an increasing number of faculty and students want e-reserves. (A larger-scale needs assessment could determine more precisely how widespread this sentiment is.) For example, the Working Group on User Requirements for the Teaching and Learning Portal reported that “Faculty had several negative comments about the library resources (5). These ranged from the lack of an online reserve system, to difficult search interfaces, to a lack of subject-specific information. It was also mentioned by two faculty members that it is difficult to integrate library material into Classes Web pages.” Just recently at the Art History Faculty Digital Day session on February 21, several faculty expressed serious frustration over the lack of this service. There is anecdotal evidence that some faculty even obtain electronic course material through colleagues using e-reserve services at other universities.

The goal of this prototype effort will be to implement the following use case included in the report of the Portal Opportunities Group, where faculty submit requests for e-reserves through Classes*v2 and staff at the library and at ITS respond promptly by locating and delivering the e-content regardless of format or source. Ideally the use case will be broadened to include non-print content and to support the Blackboard CMS in use at the Medical Library.

The role of DPIP in this prototype e-reserves service could be to offer project management, conduct needs assessment and usability studies, coordinate the identification of tasks that need to be completed, digitize library material requested or direct work to appropriate units at ITS, and provide funds for software, technical development, obtaining permissions from copyright holders, and temporary operational staffing during the two-year development period. Permanent implementation of the service and expansion throughout all library units including Access Services will require a commitment from senior administrators (LMT and LMC) to reallocate resources for this critical function.