Just a reminder to please send purchase requests for books (eTextbooks, eBooks, print books, more copies required for high demand etc) to acquisitions@libr.canterbury.ac.nz. Please do not send requests directly to individuals in the LAC team, even though they are all fabulous. This will assist us in managing workloads in the team for example when staff are away or busy on other tasks. The same applies to theses digitisation requests. Many thanks for your assistance.
All posts by tjs62
Access to Informit databases
Our access to Informit is down at the moment. A number of CAUL libraries are reporting the same problem. Informit have advised a temporary fix which is to replace the “.com.au” part of the URL with “.org” which seems to work.
Informit database problems
A number of CAUL libraries are reporting a range of problems (searching, link resolving, authentication) with Informit databases. Today we have become aware of some problems with our subscriptions (AGIS). Please report any problems to collections@libr.canterbury.ac.nz. CAUL are collating a spreadsheet of issues and are discussing with Informit on our collective behalf.
DPI Tip for January 2021
The beginning of the year could be a good time to do a bit of a review of your workstation and just check how it is working for your ergonomically. If you haven’t looked at the online ergonomic self-assessment tool for a while, this is also worth reviewing. And if you are experiencing discomfort or pain relating to a workplace activity or workstation you should record that as an event in RMSS (and talk to your manager) for further assistance.
SpringerNature webinar this Thursday 2pm – Enabling Distance Learning with Springer Nature eBooks
For possible interest, the blurb from Springer as follows:
Registration details: Register now
In this webinar, Anil Chandy, Vice President, Major Reference Works and Textbooks Publishing talks about the advantages offered by Springer Nature’s textbook portfolio to a graduate and post graduate student audience. The ongoing pandemic makes eTextbooks a particularly useful and attractive format for students who have to learn offline, online as well as in new normal- based blended instructional environments. Springer Nature’s textbooks portfolio is contributed to by the world’s preeminent academicians and instructors and editorial development of content is underpinned by principles of easy accessibility and pedagogy as well as alignment to courses. The webinar will also focus on data relating to Australian and New Zealand authors and their textbooks in Springer Nature’s eBook collection as well as our nascent but fast growing Open Access textbook collection.
Date: 28 January 2021 (Thursday)
Time: 12pm AEDT / 2pm NZST
Print high demand – availability of eBook version
In the spirit of being alert and ready, last week we asked EBSCO to run a report for us based on our high demand print holdings, looking for matches of electronic versions available for purchase.
They have sent us this list of results from the exercise. There’s about 18% matching, unfortunately in the remaining 82% in many cases we are down to the hard core.
LAC will look to purchase an eBook version where we consider the cost and access to be reasonable (less than $200; more than 1 user access).
Subject librarians and anyone else (eg front desk staff) are welcome to recommend the details of any other texts to acquisitions@libr.canterbury.ac.nz that should be purchased in eBook format. Criteria typically considered are: UC increasing online teaching, evidence of demand, anticipated use but with an eye to value for money .. particularly when costs go up (eg four figures for a 3 user eBook).
Access and Collections positions being advertised – applications close 29 January
Just a reminder that applications for the positions being advertised in Access and Collections close this Friday.
UC Library statement on providing eTextbooks
At Fiona’s presentation today UC Academics’ Perspectives of Textbooks I mentioned briefly about the UC Library statement on providing eTextbooks which the Information Resources Working Group developed last year. This statement has now been approved by Library Committee. It will inform our conversations with academics and purchasing practice in 2021 along with alternatives such as OERs and findings from the research on academics perspectives of textbooks.
Libraries worldwide are experiencing growing demand for online access and a changing publishing environment where it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide affordable and equitable access to textbooks. This statement outlines eTextbook models which meet our criteria for purchase within the context of finite financial resources. We will be promoting this more in the coming weeks and on our website but sharing this in the meantime.
Some further reading:
New Read and Publish agreements
We are increasingly learning about read and publish agreements between publishers and libraries (also called transformative agreements). This article provides a useful introduction. These support the Library’s strategic aims for increasing open access to resources. We have recently signed up to 3 new Read and Publish agreements with the following:
- CSIRO – a pilot agreement allowing us to publish in 8 CSIRO journals as well as read access to CSIRO journals we don’t currently subscribe to [agreement details]
- Royal Society – access to and unlimited publishing to all 10 Royal Society journals [agreement details]
- PLOS (PLOS Medicine and PLOS Biology) – another pilot agreement [FAQ and agreement details]
These join the Microbiology Society agreement set up early last year. The CSIRO and Royal Society agreements were submitted in response to CAUL’s Fast Track to Open Access initiative.
Promotional material and other resources are available here.
It is early days in our experience with Read and Publish agreements and we are all learning. Stuart and Sara will be working with their teams to promote these and given UC is being listed as a participating member (example) we could well get some comments and questions any time now from our community about these agreements and transformative agreements in general (recent example).
Library resources for micro-credentials and MOOCs
A few of us have been receiving queries about access to Library resources for micro-credentials and MOOCs, I’ve started putting a few notes here. Please feel free to edit this page as necessary particularly if you have other knowledge or understanding to share on this topic as different conversations around the campus continue to play out.