Towards Innovative Library Services

This chapter discusses emerging innovative technologies and examines how Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Library is increasingly benefited by its new and future services. It discusses the National Open Distance Learners' Library and Information Network (NODLINET), a project of IGNOU Library created for distance learning libraries for sharing collections, e-resources, and services on a common platform. The chapter discusses how IGNOU Library is moving towards innovative Library Services by providing its users with updated contents and constantly strengthening service capability in network information environment. It also explains in detail the component of Remote Access to E-resources, which is a quick, easy, and convenient service to gain off-campus access to all IGNOU Library subscribed databases and other online resources. It also enumerates the copyright restrictions and licensing restrictions through Remote Access Service. There is also a discussion in detail on various other innovative initiatives taken by IGNOU Library like Cloud Computing, Course Reserves, Institutional Repository, Discovery, and AtoZ Services.

Riding the Waves of Change for Electronic Resources at the Library and Learning Commons, Monash University Sunway Campus

This chapter contributes to the topic of electronic resources. The purpose of this chapter is to share with fellow professionals the experience and challenges that the Library and Learning Commons, Monash University Sunway Campus Malaysia faced in progressing electronic resources at the Sunway campus. It discusses two major actions undertaken, namely (1) the implementation of an e-book acquisitions policy and (2) the implementation of Search, a Web resource discovery service undertaken in collaboration with Monash University Library Australia. The intent of the chapter is to share the experience of the Information Resources Section that undertook to implement these actions as part of the Section’s annual development plan for 2011 and 2012. The ensuing initiatives to realize the action plans and the progress made are discussed here. More importantly, the outcomes and the learning experiences are shared, in the understanding that by sharing, they contribute to enriching the field and empowering and challenging ourselves to progress further.

Electronic Resources

The chapter addresses some issues with e-resources management in libraries, including the concept of e-resources, scope, and challenges of e-resource management in libraries. It defines e-resources as sources of information that are available and accessible electronically through the use of computers. Using such terms like e-journals, e-books, Websites, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), etc., the chapter defines the scope of e-resources and traces the origin of e-resources in the library environment back to the introduction of the Machine Readable Catalogue (MARC) in the mid-1960s. Infrastructure gaps and other sundry issues like funding, access model, archiving, preservation, ownership versus access, and lack of continuity in publication are some of the challenges highlighted in the management of e-resources in libraries. The chapter finally presents a brief overview of e-resources in the library environment today and maintains that e-resources are a welcome development in the library.

Embracing Change

This chapter outlines the successful management style that has proactively facilitated innovative changes to a range of library services. The changes discussed are those facing all contemporary libraries. Starting with an overview of service provision, staffing, the management team, and management style, it considers the factors required for the effective implementation of innovation in a range of services. The topics covered include creating a library “blog,” the benefits of a library bookshop, e-book lending, e-book publishing, creating a library mobile app, and e-magazine lending. The aim of this chapter is to argue that fellow librarians can embrace change and facilitate innovation in ways that are efficient, cost-effective, and cutting-edge, whilst reinforcing the importance of libraries at the centre of our society.

Open E-Resources in Libraries

In general, electronic resources include articles, online journals, e-books, e-theses, databases, Websites, portals, gateways, blogs, etc. The author distinguishes Open Access (OA) resources mainly intended for researchers and open digital heritage mainly intended for the general public. The author’s objective is to present the background of OA resources, different OA initiatives and software, first institutional repositories, open archives browsers and harvesters, open access registries, activities in Europe and UNESCO, and personalities who are the most important advocates of OA. Concerning the open digital heritage, the author’s objective is to present the most important international and national projects like the European Library, Europeana, the World Digital Library, Gutenberg Project, Google Books Project, Hathitrust Digital Library, Digital Public Library of America, International Children’s Digital Library, the Library of Congress Digital Library, Gallica of the French National Library, National Digital Library of China, etc. The author’s opinion is that libraries have to accept all challenges of the open e-resources for researchers and open digital heritage and that the future of open access for all users is not impossible. The world’s knowledge should be accessible as a public good to every citizen of the planet.

Copyright and Licensing Essentials for Librarians and Copyright Owners in the Digital Age

So much of what we as librarians do involves some aspect of copyright, whether it is document delivery, electronic reserves, online learning tools, and course management systems (e.g. Blackboard), or online modules that allow one to share one’s references and full-text attachments with others (e.g. RefShare). It is therefore important that we become involved in copyright- and licensing negotiations with our online content providers. We also have an obligation to not only familiarize ourselves with but also to tutor our library patrons in terms of copyright legislation, bearing in mind that they may be held personally liable for their use of copyrighted materials through digital interfaces (Graveline, 2011).

Knowing Protection of Intellectual Contents in Digital Era

New technological innovations have made the publishing of ideas easy, while maintaining protection of the published content has become a concerning issue. Plagiarism is an emerging issue in the digital era. The intention of writing this chapter is to explore various tools and projects that enable an author to know: 1) that their work is original; 2) The best possible options to maintain rights on intellectual work; 3) the publishers’ policies while archiving your document in an institutional repository; and 4) the ethics of publishing. To handle such issues, the authors identify ways to avoid plagiarism and mention the use of anti-plagiarism software. Attempts are also made to explore how far a scholarly work can be treated under the periphery of “fair use.” The various derivatives of creative commons are also explained regarding copyright issues in the digital era. The essence of projects like SHERPA/RoMEO and COPE are also discussed.

Going Online

This chapter discussed in detail electronic journals (e-journals), their advantages and disadvantages, and need for subscription. In selection of e-journals, identification of e-journals, their evaluation and purpose for subscription are important considerations for selection of more relevant resources for patrons. The authors also discuss cost benefit analysis of e-journals and elaborate cost involved in subscription of print and electronic journals and provide their cost benefit analysis.

Considerations of a Digital Age

This chapter talks about electronic resources from a collection development perspective. Working from the assumption that most institutions will need some electronic resources to adequately serve their patron population, this chapter explains what issues collection development staff may need to address when electronic resources are being incorporated into the existing collection. These issues include costs and benefits of electronic resources, how the collection development policy will be affected by the inclusion of electronic resources, and faculty/staff reactions to the incorporation of new materials. This chapter also strongly advocates the addition of an electronic resource manager or multiple electronic resource staff members and their close cooperation with the collection development staff.

Convergence towards Excellence Diversity

This chapter extends current discussions about excellence and proposes a look beyond the dominant line of e-resources research where transition cycles in information management, knowledge management, competences management, and performance management are the multi-contextual value creators for individuals and organizations. This is done by an extensive review of European policies (single information market, agenda for culture) in two steps: first, excellence triggers are analyzed, discussing digital agenda and consumer culture. Next, an integrated model of e-resources excellence management is presented. It locates the argument for the importance of convergence in excellence diversity where e-resources values are uniquely and contextually interpreted, requiring understanding, and assesses customer consumption processes as an experiential, social, and cultural phenomenon. A variety of informational behaviors, skills, and activities is the measure of the complexity of personal values possibilities and of excellence framework development, maturity, and sustainability.