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Contents
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First Steps:
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Initiative II: Expand Resource Sharing in New York State to Improve Electronic and Traditional Access to Library Resources for All Users.
The Regents Commission's vision of NOVEL includes the recommendation to expand New York's existing resource-sharing efforts. Successfully carrying out this recommendation will require that the various online catalogs for all types of library collections be searchable, individually or collectively, through the World Wide Web. It will also require considerable research and the cooperation of many constituencies to address a number of far-reaching issues relating to access and use of collections across institutional boundaries.
TASKS:
- The NOVEL Steering Committee should create a Resource-Sharing Advisory Group representing a broad array of
library constituencies, including the following:
- colleges and universities
- K-12 schools
- public libraries
- special libraries
- staff from the New York State Library, the State Archives, and the State Education Department
- graduate, professional, and research institutions
- Membership should include experts on interlibrary loan, technical staff who manage shared catalogs, and those with similar responsibilities.
- In the short term, the Resource-Sharing Advisory Group will be charged to determine the need for and explore the issues surrounding a virtual shared catalog and its relationship to resource sharing on various geographic levels, e.g., system, region, state, and beyond.
- Over the longer term, the Resource-Sharing Advisory Group is charged with developing a methodology to investigate
the following:
- the current state of electronic access and delivery options
- best practices
- related technologies and standards
- In developing the methodology, the Advisory Group should address the following:
- the need to access catalogs beyond a user's primary library
- traditional interlibrary loan versus electronic delivery options
- user-initiated interlibrary loan and on-site open access
- application of standards to enable linking of library catalogs
- incentives for sharing catalogs and resources and for implementing standards
- the need for retrospective conversion
- the need for a statewide serial union catalog and scanning technology to supplement access to articles not available electronically
- implementation costs
- The Resource-Sharing Advisory Group, with the assistance of State Library staff and consultant support as needed, will investigate the access options according to the methodology developed in Task C, closely coordinating their activities with work of the other Advisory Groups, particularly the Interface Advisory Group (see Initiative V). Based on their findings, the Resource-Sharing Advisory Group will make recommendations for expanding resource sharing to the NOVEL Steering Committee and the State Library.
First Steps:
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Initiative III: Develop a Coordinated Program for the Digitization of Information Resources in New York Libraries and Other Repositories.
A program to develop digitized collections from the rich information resources in New York's libraries and other repositories will require careful coordination and planning. The program will build on existing projects and work collaboratively to expand digitized resources.
TASKS:
- The NOVEL Steering Committee should create a Digitization Advisory Group composed of people who have demonstrated
a leading role in digitization in New York, and should include representatives from the following:
- all types of libraries
- record holders such as government archives and historical records repositories
- the New York State Library, the State Archives, and the State Education Department
- It should also include representatives of user communities, such as-
- education, including both K-12 and higher education
- the scholarly community
- business
- related agencies, such as the Governor's Office for Technology
- The Advisory Group will assess the status of digitization efforts in New York, identify needs and issues, and
recommend directions for future developments and initiatives. It will be charged to investigate the following:
- Content-What are the priorities for materials to be digitized (based on an inventory of existing resources)?
- Access-How can we assure access to digitized collections? Does retrospective conversion of records contribute to access?
- Standards - What existing standards are relevant to this initiative? What standards need to be developed? What is the status of metadata development?
- Migration - How will migration to future technology be ensured?
- Criteria - How will competing priorities for proposed digitization projects be resolved?
- Copyright - What are the intellectual content ownership issues?
- Capacity - How can we provide adequate capacity to support digitization through training, facilities, and equipment? Should regional centers be developed?
- Preservation - How does digitization relate to preservation?
- The Digitization Advisory Group will also be charged to do the following:
- Design an Inventory Project that will identify existing accessible digitized resources. The data from this inventory will identify gaps in digitized resources and help to establish priorities for digitizing materials.
- Develop a strategic plan that includes digitization priorities.
- Identify alternative potential public and private funding sources, e.g., the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), etc.
- Establish contact with digitization efforts throughout the state and nationwide.
- An Implementation Team including staff from the New York State Library, the State Archives, and the State Education
Department will work with the Digitization Advisory Group to do the following:
- Implement the Inventory Project. (The completed inventory can be made publicly available to raise awareness and enable access.)
- Identify and support specific digitization projects. Consideration should be given to projects that use unique or locally developed/global-interest collections; primary resources that support the New York State Learning Standards; and resources that illustrate New York State's history and heritage.
- Pursue alternative potential funding sources (IMLS, NEH, corporations, foundations, etc.).
First Steps:
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Initiative IV: Enhance the Availability of High-Speed Telecommunications for New York's Libraries Across All Regions of the State.
Expanding equitable telecommunications service throughout the state is a critical component that will provide the infrastructure to make access to information feasible for all New Yorkers. To ensure the success of NOVEL, legislation and regulation may be required to provide the needed connectivity. The involvement of public agencies and their commissioners with legislators and telecommunications providers is key to establishing that connectivity.
TASKS:
- The NOVEL Steering Committee should create a Telecommunications Advisory Group. The Advisory Group should consist of representatives from the library community, including those from rural and inner-city urban areas and the New York State Library, as well as people with extensive telecommunications knowledge and experience-not just with traditional telephone services but also with wireless, cable, and cellular technologies. Membership should also include those with legislative, telecommunications regulatory, and library policy-making experience, as well as a representative from the Regional Information Centers (RICs), which provide network support for schools and are involved in E-Rate funding for grades K-12. The Telecommunications Advisory Group should work closely with the NOVEL Steering Committee on policy issues.
- The Telecommunications Advisory Group will be charged to do the following:
- Identify service gaps and seek partners to develop practical ways to provide services to unserved and underserved
areas as follows:
- Document the existing connectivity level and costs of each library by using data from the Electronic Doorway Library Initiative, E-Rate program, Plans of Service, Gates Foundation grants, Basic Education Data System (BEDS), annual reports, and the Academic Library Survey of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
- Identify, analyze, and summarize gaps and inequities in telecommunications service.
- Review alternatives to telephone lines and hard wires: wireless, cable, cellular, satellite, etc.
- Articulate needs to the Public Service Commission, the State Education Department, the Office of General Services
(OGS), the Governor's Office for Technology, the New York Library Association, the State University of New York,
and the City University of New York, and collaborate to-
- make existing networks available to libraries or create new networks.
- promote the adoption of regulations and laws that support the goals of NOVEL.
- Identify groups that share telecommunications concerns, such as business councils, economic development offices, Chambers of Commerce, and legislators, as potential collaborators in increasing access.
- Identify private-sector partners who are already providing no-cost or low-cost connections to libraries, and leverage them as models throughout the state.
- Encourage a public policy discussion on equitable network access and bandwidth availability.
- Evaluate the need for funding as part of NOVEL support of telecommunications.
- Identify service gaps and seek partners to develop practical ways to provide services to unserved and underserved
areas as follows:
- To help build the future telecommunications environment for NOVEL, the Advisory Group will also do the following:
- Work directly to negotiate service extensions into unserved/underserved areas of the state.
- Create a strategy for the future that focuses on equitable access, i.e., connecting every library, business, and home; bridging the digital divide; and contributing to economic development.
- Recommend standards to facilitate easy flow of information.
- Use Library Services and Technology Act funding for pilot projects.
- Develop legislative proposals to secure funding for NOVEL in subsequent years of implementation.
- Evaluate and make recommendations about the issue of filtering in networked information services (in conjunction with the Interface Advisory Group).
First Steps:
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Initiative V: Develop a NOVEL User Interface (or Portal) that Integrates the Services and Resources Brought Together Under NOVEL.
The ultimate success and utility of the other NOVEL initiatives will depend on how the products and services developed under those initiatives are integrated into a seamless interface or NOVEL portal. The NOVEL interface will be web-based; emphasize ease of use; be accessible at all times (24/7/365); and be customizable for local libraries, user groups, and individuals. An Interface Advisory Group will define the customizable part of the interface; however, the model for it should be a commercial service such as Yahoo or America Online.
TASKS:
- The NOVEL Steering Committee will create an Interface Advisory Group that includes representatives from the major library communities in the state, their customers, and the State Library. A consultant familiar with the construction and maintenance of customizable website portals will support the work of the Advisory Group. The Interface Advisory Group must work closely with the other NOVEL Advisory Groups (perhaps through common membership) to ensure proper coordination of recommendations and decisions.
- The Interface Advisory Group will be charged to do the following:
- Develop an understanding of the various types of portals and recommend a model for NOVEL. Draw on consultant expertise to identify emerging technologies and solutions that permit personalization and customization of portals.
- Recommend appropriate authentication techniques for identifying NOVEL customers and controlling access to NOVEL services and resources, especially those provided under contracts with commercial vendors.
- Assist in devising local integration strategies, responsibilities, and roles for individual libraries and library systems.
- Recommend a general approach to creating local NOVEL portals, including development of logos, guidelines, standards, and ways to acknowledge support provided by contributing organizations.
- Recognize filtering issues and help libraries to get technical assistance, in close coordination with the Steering Committee and other relevant Advisory Groups.
- Develop customer feedback mechanisms to evaluate the portal and the means of customization.
- Develop a means of collecting data on the use of NOVEL portals and resources (especially commercial databases).
- The NOVEL Interface Advisory Group will work with an Interface Implementation Team made up of staff from the
State Library and the State Education Department, Advisory Group members, and consultant support as needed. The
Implementation Team will be charged to do the following:
- Identify "best practices" used by other institutions that have implemented Internet portals for delivering library services on a statewide or regional basis.
- Based on guidelines provided by the Advisory Group, design NOVEL interfaces or interface mechanisms, a logo, guidelines, standards, and the means of acknowledging support and contributions.
- Develop a prototype interface for NOVEL. The prototype will make NOVEL "real" for stakeholders and
decision-makers; provide a practical demonstration of the workability of the portal concept defined by the Advisory
Group; and show how NOVEL can be customized to suit different groups of users. The prototype should also take into
account the following:
- services currently available through EmpireLink
- appropriate authentication mechanisms for identifying users in ways that will satisfy both users and vendors of commercial information resources
- methods of integrating search results from multiple sources
- ways of addressing issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act
First Steps:
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Appendix A: EmpireLink
The following questions and answers describe EmpireLink, which will provide the foundation of the electronic resources in NOVEL.
What is EmpireLink?
- Launched in January 1999 by the New York State Library, EmpireLink is a statewide project that provides access to electronic resources. It permits free access to commercial full-text databases, including sources for health information and general reference, and current or past editions of more than 100 domestic and international newspapers.
Who is eligible to participate in EmpireLink, and what benefits do they receive?
- Participation in EmpireLink is available to all member libraries of library systems in New York State to the extent permitted by negotiations and contractual limitations. Every $1 that New York invests in EmpireLink results in $25 worth of access at the local level.
How can users get access to EmpireLink?
- EmpireLink is accessible from any participating library in the state. Libraries that have the computer capability, usually through their library system, may also offer library users remote access to EmpireLink from their homes, schools, or offices 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
What resources are available through EmpireLink?
- Currently, three collections of resources are available:
- Health Reference Center-Academic (HRC-A), offered by The Gale Group
- Dialog@CARL-Basic Collection, offered by the CARL Corporation
- EBSCO MasterFile Select, Primary Search, and TopicSearch, offered by EBSCO
- The HRC-A database is a source of important health information for both medical professionals and consumers. It currently provides access to full-text journals in medicine, nursing, and allied health; consumer health, including nutrition; and more. HRC-A also contains full-text pamphlets and selected health-related articles from an additional 1,500 general-interest magazines, as well as health-related and topical overviews.
Dialog@CARL-Basic Collection contains approximately 300 multidisciplinary databases, including the News Collection, which consists of more than 100 newspaper and newswire databases.
EBSCO's MasterFile Select includes 771 full-text periodicals covering general reference; news; current events; and information on business, health, social sciences, humanities, education, and general science. TopicSearch provides information on current events and social issues. Primary Search includes Searchasaurus, a search engine geared for elementary- to middle-school-aged users.
How is EmpireLink funded?
- EmpireLink is a three-year pilot project funded through a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant to the New York State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
What other services are provided to participants in EmpireLink?
- An EmpireLink e-mail list, provided by the New York State Library, encourages communication among library staff
of participating libraries. An EmpireLink Help Desk service, also provided by the State Library, is staffed from
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to respond to questions and concerns about the databases offered through
EmpireLink.
More information about EmpireLink is available on the New York State Library EmpireLink web site.
Appendix B: The NOVEL Planning Team and NOVEL Web site
Background
In Meeting the Needs of All New Yorkers: Library Service in the New Century, the Commission on Library Services states in its first recommendation: "The Commission recommends that the State Library lead the implementation of NOVEL.." The State Library decided that the first step toward implementation should be the formation of a NOVEL Planning Team.
Charge
The charge to the NOVEL Planning Team was to "develop a plan that outlines the NOVEL components and how they will be implemented; establish a working timeline for implementation; and host a statewide forum on NOVEL to discuss and obtain reaction to a draft version of the implementation plan, including timeline, before issuing it in final form."
Membership
Co-Chairs:
- Liz Lane, Director, Research Library, New York State Library
Fred Smith, Library Development Specialist II, Technology and Resource Sharing Team, Division of Library Development, New York State Library
Team Members:
- Tom Alrutz, Associate Director for Central Library Services, The New York Public Library
Soumaya Baaklini, Associate Librarian, Research Library, New York State Library
Laurie Brooks, Director, Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES School Library System
Mary Brown, Director, Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System
Paul Crumlish, Director, Warren Hunting Smith Library, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Carol Ann Desch, Coordinator of Statewide Library Services, Division of Library Development, New York State Library
Loretta Ebert, Director, Folsom Library, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Christie Frost-Wendlowsky, Director, Schuyler-Chemung-Tioga BOCES School Library System
Carolyn Giambra, Instructional Specialist, Williamsville Central School District
Carey Hatch, Assistant Provost, State University of New York
Eleanor Heishman, Director, Binghamton University Libraries
Dottie Hiebing, Director, Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO)
Anne Hofmann, Chief Librarian, Donnell Library Center, The New York Public Library
Mary Elizabeth Jones, Library Development Specialist I, Technology and Resource Sharing Team, Division of Library Development, New York State Library
Min Liu, Regional Automation Coordinator, Long Island Library Resources Council
Sara McCain, Library Development Specialist II, Technology and Resource Sharing Team, Division of Library Development, New York State Library
Chuck McMorran, Chief, Technical Services, Queens Borough Public Library
John Meierhoffer, Manager, Data Processing Services, Information Technology Services, New York State Education Department
Betsy Morris, Computing and Network Services Coordinator, Pioneer Library System
Marsha Ra, Director of Library Services, City University of New York
Kathleen Roe, Archives and Records Management Specialist, New York State Archives
John Shaloiko, Director, Southeastern New York Library Resources Council
Carol Tauriello, Director, Erie 1 BOCES School Library System
Linda Todd, Library Development Specialist I, Technology and Resource Sharing Team, Division of Library Development, New York State Library
Ex Officio Members:
- James C. Dawson, Board of Regents
Carole F. Huxley, Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education
Janet M. Welch, State Librarian and Assistant Commissioner for Libraries
Process and Timetable
Working with Louella Wetherbee, a technical consultant/facilitator based in Dallas, Texas, the Planning Team met four times in Albany and hosted the statewide forum (also in Albany) in developing an implementation plan and timeline. The dates of the meetings and forum were as follows:
- First meeting: January 17 and 18, 2001
- Second meeting: March 14 and 15, 2001
- NOVEL Statewide Forum: May 17, 2001
- Third meeting: May 18, 2001
- Fourth meeting: June 12, 2001
NOVEL Web Site
As the work of the Planning Team evolved, the team recognized the need for a means of communicating their progress to interested individuals and organizations.
Before the March meeting, the State Library launched a NOVEL web site. The immediate reason for establishing the website was to post the initial draft of the NOVEL Implementation Plan and solicit comments on the plan from around the state. After the March meeting, the web site also provided a means of posting information about the NOVEL Statewide Forum as well as a mechanism for forum registration.
The NOVEL web site includes the following:
- NOVEL: Libraries Expanding Information Access for New Yorkers in the New Century
- Implementation Plan downloadable as Word or PDF file
- Instructions for joining the NOVEL-L E-mail Discussion List
- NOVEL Statewide Forum Presentation in PowerPoint or html
- The Regents Commission's NOVEL Recommendation
- NOVEL Proposed Budget
- NOVEL Background Information (Origins, Components, Scope)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- NOVEL Planning Team (Charge, Process, Timetable, Membership)
- Links to Related Sites
- Regents Commission on Library Services
- New Century Libraries: Regents 2002 Budget and Legislative Initiative
- EmpireLink
Appendix C: NOVEL Statewide Forum and NOVEL-L Listserv
Statewide Forum
One of the most critical steps for the NOVEL Planning Team in carrying out its charge was to host the NOVEL Statewide Forum. The Planning Team prepared a draft implementation plan, including a timeline, but the team consisted of only 30 people. The forum provided an opportunity to discuss the Planning Team's thinking with representatives from a wide variety of organizations and to obtain their reactions before issuing a final implementation plan.
On May 17, 2001, 200 library, education, and community leaders from organizations across New York participated in the NOVEL Statewide Forum. State Librarian Janet M. Welch welcomed the attendees, and Regent James Dawson set the context for NOVEL by discussing the work of the Regents Commission on Library Services and the New Century Libraries legislative initiative.
George Needham, Vice President, Member Services, OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., and former State Librarian of Michigan, gave the keynote address. Mr. Needham's comments focused on his experience in establishing AccessMichigan, and offered insights to New Yorkers for implementing NOVEL.
Louella Wetherbee, technical consultant for the NOVEL Planning Team, facilitated the forum program, which consisted of three table tasks. The purpose of the first table task was to discuss the NOVEL draft plan and generate suggestions for strengthening the initiatives outlined in the plan. The second table task elicited information about local collaborative efforts related to NOVEL, and how New York could build on these efforts. For the third table task, groups considered the best ways to generate and sustain momentum for NOVEL after the forum, and discussed how to take NOVEL into the field.
The Planning Team reviewed the wealth of information obtained at the NOVEL Statewide Forum at two subsequent meetings, and revised the draft implementation plan accordingly.
NOVEL-L Listserv
Based on the enthusiasm generated at the forum, the Planning Team established a listserv, NOVEL-L. The listserv
enables those who are interested to keep in touch with developments involving NOVEL and to contribute their ideas.
Those who attended the NOVEL Forum were added to NOVEL-L shortly after the forum, and many others have signed up
since then.
Anyone is welcome to subscribe to NOVEL-L. Instructions
for subscribing are posted on the NOVEL Web site.
Appendix D: NOVEL Proposed Funding and Fact Sheet
New Century Libraries
Board of Regents Legislative and Budget Initiative 2001-2002
NOVEL-New York Online Virtual Electronic Library
The Proposal
New Century Libraries (Libraries 2002) proposes that the State invest $14 million to create NOVEL, the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library, to enable libraries throughout the state to-
- Share catalogs, digitize collections, and purchase electronic resources collectively at enormous savings.
- Offer swift access to research materials hundreds of miles away.
- Leverage local resources by supplementing their collections with quality databases, and other online materials selected, accessed, and updated by librarians.
- Offer users access to full-text journals, databases, and other electronic information via the library from their homes, schools, and offices.
- Digitize unique and fragile materials, such as rare historic documents, and make them accessible electronically.
- Provide Internet access for those who have no computer or Internet connections at home, bridging the digital divide for all New Yorkers.
The Need
- The glut of information on the Internet is confusing and overwhelming, and Internet users are turning to librarians
as advisors and instructors:
- A recent CNN survey reveals 75% of Internet users also use the library, and the number of reference specialists in public libraries has increased 56% in the past 5 years.*
- Public library visits in New York State increased almost 20% from 1996 to 1998.
- The cost of online journals and databases is prohibitive to most individuals and small businesses as well as their local libraries.
- While 41.5% of American households have Internet access, the digital divide remains significant.**
- 73% of those with a disability do not have Internet access.
- 76% of minority households do not have Internet access.
- More than 64% of single-parent households do not have Internet access.
- More than 77% of single-parent, female-headed households in central cities do not have Internet access.
Requested Resources
$14 Million to create NOVEL, the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library
*CNN online, November 28, 2000.
**Falling Through the Net, Towards Digital Inclusion, the National Telecommunications Administration, October 2000.