Retention and preservation within the Copac Tools

1. Retention and preservation within the Copac Tools Michael Emly University of Leeds CCM Workshop 19 March 2012

2. Copac Collection Management Tools Project • JISC funding • Current project runs Oct.2011 – July 2012 • Partners: Mimas, RLUK, Leeds, Sheffield, York • To develop tools, based on the Copac database, to improve collection management decisions • Starting with use cases and case studies, identify the community’s needs and develop relevant tools • Work on the interface so those tools integrate with library workflows • Explore pertinent issues around retention, preservation and support for more effective coordination / collaboration in collection management

3. Assessing individual items strand • Quickly assess how many copies of an item are reported within Copac • Support for automated procedures and batch processing  • Avoid disposal of a “last copy” • Support decisions to actively conserve or digitise • Control still rests with the individual library • But supports a coordinated approach across the community

4. Assessing collections strand • Starting with a collection of titles held by your library, the tool reports how many are held by each library in Copac • Also reports how many are unique to your library, held by you and one other library, etc. • Can be based on any subset of your holdings, or any search within Copac (e.g. by author or subject)  • Allows a library to assess the strength of its holdings in a given subject or collection • “How do my collections fit into the national picture?” • “Which collections should I prioritise for retention, conservation, digitisation?” • Supports a coordinated approach across the community

5. Retention and preservation strand • Flows from work on other two strands • Objective is to help libraries to signal their intentions with respect to individual items, or collections, via the Copac database • Identify the issues involved and begin to find solutions, particularly for material sitting outside “Special Collections” • Perhaps build mechanisms to facilitate transfer of material if this is identified as a need  • Permit a less haphazard approach to retention and preservation • Ensure best use of scarce resources • Safeguard access for scholars

6. Objectives of today’s workshop • Understand what information you would like to have access to, and how • Understand what information you would be prepared to contribute to Copac • Identify key drivers for Copac contributors and other partners • Identify benefits for individual libraries • Identify barriers to implementation • Think about mechanisms for collaboration • Begin to think about specifications, formats, workflows and systems

7. Our work plan for today • Group discussion • Feedback • Identify common themes and points of agreement • Discussion • Agree next steps

8. And longer term • Suggest a framework of objectives around retention and preservation • Agree a common vocabulary • Develop a specification for development within the Copac Tools • Stimulate and feed into broader discussion e.g. JISC, RLUK, UKRR, etc. •  • Development of an agreed national strategy and framework to safeguard access for scholars in the long term