Maximizing Time, Money & Effort in Moving Your STEM Library Forward

1. Maximizing Time, Money & Effort in Moving Your STEM Library Forward Success in Tough Times Richard P. Hulser, Chief Librarian Natural History MuseumL.A.C. SEAL-S Meeting March 8, 2013 http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankhg/1312189857/

2. Maximize time, money & effort through:

3. Background: NHM Family of Museums Mission: To inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds.

4. Research Library Re-imagining the Museum

5. World Famous Permanent Exhibit Halls Dinosaurs – June 2011 Age of Mammals - July 2010 North Campus Learning Gardens & Nature Lab – June 2013 Becoming Los Angeles July2013

6. LIBRARY NEXT Building on with Turn perception of library from passive materials warehouse into active source of information and education --------- Focus on services while dealing with collection management

7. Library started with Museum 1913Early 1920’s depository branch of Los Angeles Public Library 1925 Fully part of Museum & no longer branch of LAPL First library collections came fromHistorical Society of Southern California andCooper Ornithological Club More materials came from Southern California Academy of Sciences & Museum staff

8. Context • Fully manual library operation • Library closed almost 3 years • Researchers mainly on their own to obtain content • Departments managing own collections • Growing backlog of un-cataloged books • Solo librarian with volunteers • Tight budget • Limited IT support

9. March 2013

10. How? Many volunteers!

11. Volunteers can be highly useful Advantages Challenges • Added expertise/education • Willingness to learn • Online grad programs broadens volunteer pool • Low cost or free labor • Temporary • Reliability • Training • Supervision • Not substitute for staff

12. Deciding factors for information services, technologies and more How do you proceed?

13. Internal Collaboration Important • Computer equipment • Office furniture • Supplies • Priorities sharing

14. Many technologies to consider Cloud Computing foursquare

15. Strategic planning a critical good start • Does your “parent” organization have a vision, mission and strategies for the next 3 – 5 years? What are these? • Library vision, purpose & strategies – including your technology strategies – must support & be aligned with the parent organization

16. Technology strategy planning… • Supplies the rationale and priorities for funding • Ensures priorities are addressed in a timely and appropriate way • Required for some funding (grant proposals, etc.) • Decreases potential purchasing “latest” technology • Increases alignment with library long-term planning, IT plans and institutional strategy (win-win-win)

17. When developing strategies & tactics, consider: • Physical Resources • People Resources • Policies and Procedures http://flic.kr/p/5AfGzx http://flic.kr/p/7S8qtM

18. Cloud technologies can be highly useful Cloud vs. Local Installation Cloud’s not-so-silver lining? • Functionality • Affordability • Minimal IT support requirements • Flexible, easy access from desktop • on-site and/or off-site access requirements • internal staff & clients/customers/users alike • Internet access speed & reliability dependency • Technical problems trouble-shooting • Content storage cost in Cloud • Multiple application/content integration • Security hurdles • interactions of Cloud-based service with locally stored content • User authentication & single sign-on issues

19. Content Management

20. Keep in mind Intellectual Property Rights Information Owners’ Legal Rights Information Custodians’ Social Rights Information Users’ Financial Rights http://flic.kr/p/8Ykuau

21. E-Content Open Source/Free

22. Vendor Negotiations & Partnerships

23. Maximize time, money & effort focusing on:

24. Now start putting the pieces together!

25. Thank you! Questions? Richard P. Hulser 213.763.3387 rhulser@nhm.org