Redefining Libraries As Multi-Institutional Entities

1. Redefining Libraries As Multi-Institutional Entities Carole Moore, University of TorontoWendy Lougee, University of MinnesotaAnne R. Kenney, Cornell UniversityKevin Guthrie, Ithaka May 21, 2009

2. Redefining Libraries as Multi-Institutional EntitiesWendy Pradt LougeeAssociation of Research LibrariesMay 2009 Twin Cities Deans CouncilFebruary 2008

3. A Parable, Paradigm, & [modest] Proposal Parable: is sharing enough? Paradigm: a new framework Proposal: virtual communities as a model

4. THE PARABLE…

5. The Future of the Library: A View from the Provost’s Office” (1990) “…Stating the problem is easy; and if we set aside our traditional prejudices, it takes no genius to name cooperation as the only tenable solution…. we ought to envision a time when the autonomous individual collections of our nation’s research libraries are in substantial degree melded into a large dispersed collection to which we all contribute and in which we all share equally….” Billy E. Frye

6. Multi-Institutional Models:Dimensions of Resources, Expertise, Governance Coordinated/shared collections: Farmington, FDLP, RLG Shares Coalescing resources: consortia licensing, cooperative purchases Collaborative goals/shared expertise: Making of America, Hathi Collective action: SPARC, SCOAP3

7. THE PARADIGM…

8. The Paradigm: Diffuse, Engaged “With the incorporation of distributed technologies and more open models, the library has the potential to become more involved at all stages, and in all contexts, of knowledge creation, dissemination, and use. Rather than being defined by its collections or the services that support them, the library can become a diffuse agent within the scholarly community.” Lougee, Diffuse Libraries, 2002

9. Shifts Collection-centric Expertise

10. Shifts Collection-centric Expertise Publication-focused Process

11. Shifts Collection-centric Expertise Publication-focused Process Access = control Sense-making

12. Shifts Collection-centric Expertise Publication-focused Process Access = control Sense-making Service = mediation Enabling

13. Shifts Collection-centric Expertise Publication-focused Process Access = control Sense-making Service = mediation Enabling Local Global

14. PARADIGM A conceptual or methodological model underlying the theories and practices of a science or discipline at a particular time; (hence) a generally accepted world view. Oxford English Dictionary

15. Paradigm shift “when…the profession can no longer evade anomaliesthat subvert the existing tradition of… practice -– then begin the extraordinary investigations that lead the profession at last to a new set of commitments, a new basis for the practice of science.” Thomas Kuhn, Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 1962

16. THE [modest] PROPOSAL…

17. Virtual Communities Gravitational pull of network, grid resources Collaborative, interdisciplinary scholarship Tools for discovery, management, collaboration Social contributions (“Wisdom of Crowds”) E-research model: multi-institutional, data-rich, collaborative

18. “The time is right for taking a more cross-cutting, multidisciplinary approach to understanding the basic organizational abstractions, communication models, trust mechanisms, and technology infrastructure required to form and operate effective VO’s [virtual organizations] across a broad range of target domains.”

19. Mellon Foundation-funded Scholarly Communication Institute (practical ethics) Pilot: A place for bioethics community: discovering, managing, analyzing, sharing Develop sustainable, multi-institutional, interdisciplinary community EthicShare A Virtual Community Model

20. High quality (selective) content Comprehensive access to all material types (full text) Domain-sensitive discovery & access Space for (global) community discussion, exchange, commentary Group & private work space Tools for information management, sharing Community-governed, developed Community Requirements (Defined through focus groups, surveys)

21. Virtual Research Environment Components CONTENT Collection Development Content aggregation Ingest mechanisms Harvesting Resolution Discovery Tools Automated ontology Community terms Faceted searching Drupal, Solr ACCESS COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE Policy & Sustainability Editorial policies Community participation User privacy Intellectual Property Engagement & Collaboration Social tools to add value Editorial participation

22. Content Harvesting • Resolution Services • News & Events • Community defined discovery • Tags, commentary, sharing • Editorial policies • Governance

23. Library Role in Virtual Communities? Content selection, conversion; adding value Preservation, curation Tool development Integration of content, content & tools Catalyst for collaboration? Who hosts the collaborative? Who sustains the collaborative? Who contributes to the collaborative? Exclusive roles? Collaborative roles?

24. Redefining Libraries As Multi-Institutional Entities Anne R. Kenney, Cornell University May 21, 2009

25. Some Bold Assertions • There is a collective wealth held hostage by redundant operations and collections at ARL libraries. • Many of the things we compete over don’t make our institutions more competitive. • Our history of collaboration may ironically make it more difficult to do radical collaboration. • Our staff would rather do more work than give up doing some things.

26. Collective Wealth of ARL Members • Total ARL library expenditures: $3,914,758,950 • Total materials expenditures: $1,219,796,179 • E-resources expenditures: $536,033,744 • Monographs: $315,757,710 • Total salaries and wages: $1,709,969,994 • 10% savings = $391M!

27. Every state and every region in the country is stuck with some form of anachronistic and expensive local government structure that dates to horse-drawn wagons, family farms and small-town convenience Tom Brokaw NYT op-ed, 4/20/2009

28. Reconsidering Collective Wealth • Stop measuring “success” by how much money spent/dedicated to libraries • as % of university budgets or ARL investment index • Measure instead success by operational efficiencies, institutional effectiveness, resource reallocation, consortial work, or addressing big challenges at the university • eliminate backlog and multiple purchases of same title through vendor packages; press for resource sharing in licensing • ROI • Reversing attrition rates, supporting x-disciplinary work

29. Competing ≠ Institutional Competitiveness • Success of Borrow Direct • Failure of IRs • Wagon wheels rather than webs • Wanting to be a “model” for peers • Think local, act global

30. Shift ARL Measures to Promote Collaboration • Move from volume counts to title counts • Measure degree of uniqueness • Quantify collaboration and use in rankings • Collective purchasing, shared collections • Number of shared staff • Combined functions • Define collective measures to complement institutional ones

31. “Even farmers don’t use silos anymore.” Alice Pell Vice Provost, International Initiatives Cornell University

32. But We Already Collaborate • Valuing process over progress • Collaborating at the edges • borrowing over building • collection responsibilities in esoteric areas • Sharing cataloging but not catalogers • Focusing on IT standards not pooled resources • Assessing collaborative approaches through a new lens (e.g., Hathi Trust) • Connecting the dots

33. “I’d give it to you, but it’s mine.” Michael Kenney Hickerson at age 4

34. Doing More with Less • A preference for perfection and service • “The national library of the United States is giving away the birthright of American scholars in exchange for a mess of Internet pottage.” • Thomas Mann • “What is Going on at the Library of Congress”

35. Doing More with Less • Layering on experiments but maintaining all other functions • Less with less vs. focusing efforts • ARL: should we stop collecting reference statistics and focus on documenting faculty/library collaborations?

36. Potential Areas for Collaboration • Collective collections • Backroom functions • New domains • The power of many

37. “A lack of inventiveness isn’t the problem. A lack of will may be.” "In a Time of Crisis, Colleges Ought to Be Making History" Chronicle of Higher Education May 11, 2009

38. Collective Collections • Collections by the numbers • Begin with prospective co-ownership and then fold in retrospective • Revisit Janus Conference and RLG Conspectus “Is there any reason beyond local pride to maintain duplication?” Tom Brokaw

39. Collective Collection Challenges • Institutional identity, faculty acceptance • Better overlap/analysis and use tools • Zero sum budgeting, financial restrictions, accounting systems • Pre-nups for shared collections • Delivery, legal issues • Outreach/research support for faculty and students

40. Backroom Functions • Shared technical processing, centers of effort • Collective negotiation with vendors for content and metadata • Contract potential with leading libraries in other countries

41. Backroom Functions Challenges • System of “credits” for work done on behalf of all • Standard definitions of good enough • Budgets/funding streams • Shared end processing systems

42. New Domains • Building local cyberinfrastructures • Bridging IRs • Services layered on top • Re-imagining academic computing • Difficulties in collaborating in new areas

43. The Power of Many • Exercising collective clout • Providing cover to do what’s needed • Reaching the tipping point on OA • Abjuring NDAs with publishers and others • Negotiating for scholarly media collections • Collective action demands as much attention as institutional action • Reexamining anti-trust issues in library negotiations

44. "Faced with the choice between change and proving there is no need to do so, most people get busy on the proof." John Kenneth Galbraith

45. Making “Multi-Institutional Entities” Work: Reflections on Strategy and Governance Kevin Guthrie Ithaka 21 May 2009

46. Background

47. Redefining Libraries as Multi-Institutional Entities CLIR’s 2008 report No Brief Candle, and the current economy, point to “no more business as usual” for libraries. Our speakers have agreed to discuss what they see as opportunities for new ways of libraries working together to reduce redundancies, align resources, and take collective action toward a desired, innovative future. We have asked each speaker to illustrate their remarks with examples of opportunities and to pose questions that the community must address to redefine libraries as multi-institutional entities.

48. What is different about this conversation? Is this new? Libraries do have experience with various forms of multi-institutional “collaboration” and organization • Consortia • State Systems • ILL services • Outsourcing • Vendors and service providers

49. “This time we mean it.”

50. “This time we mean it.” “Really.”