Libraries: DEDCC : 2006 Annual Report

Meeting Notes > Annual Reports

01/30/2007
2006 Annual Report

TO: Five College Library Directors
FROM: Janet Ewing, Chair DEDCC
DATE: January, 2007
RE: DEDCC Annual Report, FY2006

This was DEDCC’s fourth year of operation and was marked primarily by various educational initiatives. Our membership shifted with the loss of Stephanie Willen Brown, who was not replaced during this academic year. Janet Ewing became chair for the first of a two-year term.

Brown Bags – DEDCC hosted two brown bag opportunities for our colleagues this year. Both, coincidently, were held at the University. In the early fall (Sept. 23) we sponsored an update on the summer NAAUG/SMUG (ELUNA) conference. Linda Matson, Beth Lang, Jane Beebe, Jan Jourdain, & Paul Trumble report back on the highlights giving the group a lot to think about and discuss as we were then struggling with Metalib and poised to begin implementing Aleph. In the spring (Apr. 11) D Bonner and xxx gave us all an overview of Verde. They ran through some basics of its structure and capabilities and discussed the five college implementation and preliminary plans for its use.

Google Scholar Program – On January 12, 2006, DEDCC presented a half-day conference on “Google Scholar: What it Means for Libraries”. With generous sponsorship from the Librarians Council, we were able to bring in two speakers, Oren Beit-Arie from ExLibris and Timothy Shearer from the University of North Carolina. They did a wonderful job in addressing this question from different perspectives and leading us all into some very interesting reflection and discussion. We were also able to throw this open to our colleagues in the wider area. The program was a huge success on many measures. Attendance was over 170 (representing every state in New England) when we had to close for lack of space. Enthusiasm and creative energy surrounding Google Scholar was so high that DEDCC decided to follow up from the program with a letter to Dr. Schmidt, CEO at Google, Inc., expressing gratitude for their initiative and suggesting improvements from the Library perspective. This letter was sent on April 5th.

Digital Objects and Digital Assets Management – DEDCC collaborated closely with Five Colleges and other groups to pull interested parties together for a Retreat to talk about needs and issues in the area of Digital Assets Management. Much of the planning was done in the late spring/early summer, but the Retreat was held at Amherst College on July 12, 2005. DEDCC is not necessarily a key player in this process, but the explosion of digital objects presents a common challenge for all of our campuses and we are interested in facilitating dialog on possible collaborative solutions. As such we try to keep abreast of developments and are happy to assist as needed in moving the process along.

Among these activities were many smaller projects and discussions. For example, we refined the protocol for the five college libraries email list (FCLIB) and advocated for the updating of five college library and committee information on the Five Colleges, Inc. website. Beginning in the summer of 2006, with the support of the FCLC, DEDCC scaled back its activities in light of the Aleph implementation process. DEDCC did not want to distract from all of the mental energy and effort collectively going into the important work of transitioning to our new ILS.


	Meeting Notes > Annual Reports 01/30/2007 2006 Annual Report TO: Five College Library Directors FROM: Janet Ewing, Chair DEDCC DATE: January, 2007 RE: DEDCC Annual Report, FY2006 This was DEDCC’s fourth year of operation and was marked primarily by various educational initiatives. Our membership shifted with the loss of Stephanie Willen Brown, who was not replaced during this academic year. Janet Ewing became chair for the first of a two-year term. Brown Bags – DEDCC hosted two brown bag opportunities for our colleagues this year. Both, coincidently, were held at the University. In the early fall (Sept. 23) we sponsored an update on the summer NAAUG/SMUG (ELUNA) conference. Linda Matson, Beth Lang, Jane Beebe, Jan Jourdain, & Paul Trumble report back on the highlights giving the group a lot to think about and discuss as we were then struggling with Metalib and poised to begin implementing Aleph. In the spring (Apr. 11) D Bonner and xxx gave us all an overview of Verde. They ran through some basics of its structure and capabilities and discussed the five college implementation and preliminary plans for its use. Google Scholar Program – On January 12, 2006, DEDCC presented a half-day conference on “Google Scholar: What it Means for Libraries”. With generous sponsorship from the Librarians Council, we were able to bring in two speakers, Oren Beit-Arie from ExLibris and Timothy Shearer from the University of North Carolina. They did a wonderful job in addressing this question from different perspectives and leading us all into some very interesting reflection and discussion. We were also able to throw this open to our colleagues in the wider area. The program was a huge success on many measures. Attendance was over 170 (representing every state in New England) when we had to close for lack of space. Enthusiasm and creative energy surrounding Google Scholar was so high that DEDCC decided to follow up from the program with a letter to Dr. Schmidt, CEO at Google, Inc., expressing gratitude for their initiative and suggesting improvements from the Library perspective. This letter was sent on April 5th. Digital Objects and Digital Assets Management – DEDCC collaborated closely with Five Colleges and other groups to pull interested parties together for a Retreat to talk about needs and issues in the area of Digital Assets Management. Much of the planning was done in the late spring/early summer, but the Retreat was held at Amherst College on July 12, 2005. DEDCC is not necessarily a key player in this process, but the explosion of digital objects presents a common challenge for all of our campuses and we are interested in facilitating dialog on possible collaborative solutions. As such we try to keep abreast of developments and are happy to assist as needed in moving the process along. Among these activities were many smaller projects and discussions. For example, we refined the protocol for the five college libraries email list (FCLIB) and advocated for the updating of five college library and committee information on the Five Colleges, Inc. website. Beginning in the summer of 2006, with the support of the FCLC, DEDCC scaled back its activities in light of the Aleph implementation process. DEDCC did not want to distract from all of the mental energy and effort collectively going into the important work of transitioning to our new ILS.