Note-taker: Irvine
Present: Brian Quigley (UCB), Lisa Ngo (UCB), Anna Sackmann (UCB), Sam Teplitzky (UCB), Cory Craig (co-chair-UCD), Julia Gelfand (co-chair ¬e-taker UCI), Hector Perez-Gilbe (UCI), Tony Aponte (UCLA), Jim Dooley (UCM), Michele Potter (UCR), Dave Schmitt (UCSD), Teri Vogel (UCSD), Sarah McClung (UCSF, HLS CKG), Christy Caldwell (UCSC). Guests: Joining us from UCLA for Elsevier discussion: Sharon Shafer & Dana Peterman
1. Roll Call (please mark your attendance with an X in the roll call spreadsheet)
2. Journal Negotiations:
- Elsevier: (only if we lose access, and/or there is something to share that has not been addressed by 7/15)
- Sharon & Dana: announce study
Elsevier: (only if we lose access, and/or there is something to share that has not been addressed by 7/15) – visitors from UCLA shared how they are tasked to learn how a lack of access to current (2019 articles and lost content from Freedom Collection) impacts or will impact scholarship at UCLA. May be early to detect any trends as access has only been cut less than a week. Every campus has different practices associated with ILL. Made clear that UC editors have independent access to current content via their Elsevier rights. Interested in learning what methods users will elect to gain access – ILL is set up differently at each campus; will users depend on various social media & social network connections or will users choose preprint servers, SciHub, ResearchGate and other alternative sources to eliminate paywalls. May conduct some focus groups going forward.
- Sharon & Dana: announce study
- Nature: 3 new titles: Nature Cancer, Nature Food, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, any discussion?
- No expression of current interest for local subscriptions at this time.
- Other journal topics?
3. New & Continuing Resources:
- Safari: Update from Julia Gelfand
Julia Gelfand reported that the new O’Reilly Higher Education (OHE) platform is the alternative access point to get O’Reilly eBooks and will replace current Safari subscription in 2020 when our current subscription ends in Dec, 2019. Comes with a large price increase (3 yr deal: not to be disclosed corresponding to 2020, 2021, & 2022) as the number of books will be nearly 47,000 titles from hundreds of publishers with a large amount of accompanying video and content can easily be used in instruction as textbooks. There is a large amount of duplication with what UC already owns via Tier 1 and Tier 2 packages. This is a subscription with no perpetual retention. There is a current trial through July accessible via one user per campus. Julia investigated alternatives for O’Reilly content via OverDrive and also what is available via Gobi – every campus would have to engage in its own licensing and purchase and there is no savings likely in this model. Also mentioned an interest some campuses had in Skillsoft but since this does not include O’Reilly content decided not to pursue. This will be a Tier 1 so if 1 or more campuses decline to participate a whole new negotiation has to be launched and this is likely to result in higher campus costs. Currently CDL participates paying 5.5% and Julia plans to request an increase of 9.5% for a total of 15% when SCLG reviews a proposal at its August meeting. Several campuses are interested in moving forward and others have yet to note their preferences. Julia seeks input about whether campuses are inclined to want to go forward with this add on in price. Potential pricing was sent to each campus to review. Our Proquest rep, Neil Sorenson is leaving effective the end of this week, and Julia was informed that Suzanne Barnes will be handling this account in the interim. OHE does provide usage stats, but it is not their strong suit and we may want to suggest in the license what our expectations for campus by campus usage is and by publisher.
- SciFinder: Update from Teri Vogel
The 2015-19 contract for SciFinder ends in December. No meetings have yet to be held between CAS & CDL even though there is a new interface with some new usability, being marketred as SciFinder-N. Currently the CDL contributes 25% of the costs. No pricing has been shared and no plans to retire current product has been indicated. Usage has seen a decline by most campuses for both searches and sessions – although not for UCLA, Merced or Riverside. There is a new rep, Chad Lee working with Teri.
- PubMed & PubMed Labs:
4. Other topics
- Research Citation Databases Assessment Task Force: Update from Dave Schmitt
Full report should be issued in coming days. A variety of different databases for different audiences were reviewed such as One Finder, The Lens, Dimensions, Incites, SciVal, Web of Science, Scopus, etc. The purpose of the assessment is to determine how these tools are used and by whom and whether more is better and what options are best and needed.
Utility of Collection Development policies – raised by Tony Aponte. As some campuses consider whether to invest time in revising collection policies or statements it is asked how they are used, by whom and whether it serves a purpose. Short of a consensus, but majority opinion was that they may not be as useful internally as they are to share externally. Often are out of date and mixed reactions are given to the value of a template. Most campuses admitted what they had is not current and they are not encouraged to update or revise them for various reasons mentioned.
Collection development policy statements: Tony Aponte
Utility of Collection Development policies – raised by Tony Aponte. As some campuses consider whether to invest time in revising collection policies or statements it is asked how they are used, by whom and whether it serves a purpose. Short of a consensus, but majority opinion was that they may not be as useful internally as they are to share externally. Often are out of date and mixed reactions are given to the value of a template. Most campuses admitted what they had is not current and they are not encouraged to update or revise them for various reasons mentioned.
5. Campus Updates
- Berkeley – 2 new AULs appointed; Salwa Ismail as AUL for Digital Initiatives and Information Technology and Susan Swarts as AUL for Administrative Services; interviews were conducted for Chemistry Librarian position
- Davis – interviews have been conducted for 2 new department head positions: Student Services & Researcher Services
- Irvine – recruiting for Math/Physics Librarian
- Los Angeles – appointed 2 new Science librarians, Renee Romero and Ali Ibraheem
- Merced – recruiting for an instruction librarian
- Riverside – new AUL for the Digital Library, Kevin Comerford
- San Diego – due to several retirements and pending retirements 3 AUL positions are or will be open soon. Lots of changes. Interim roles are Terry Vogel has assumed collection strategist for the sciences while Dave Schmidt becomes Interim Director of Collection Development & Management Program. Bernie Rodriguez will soon start as a Biological Science/Medical Librarian and Roxanne Peck has assumed the position of Director, Content Acquisitions/Resource Sharing
- San Francisco – recruiting for an AUL for Research & Learning
- Santa Barbara – no report
- Santa Cruz – Christy Hightower has retired as Biological Sciences Librarian and position is likely to be replaced; recruitment underway for a Scholarly Communications/Open Access Librarian. A new digital scholarship lab has opened at the Science Library
In closing, Cory Craig was thanked for her leadership this year. Julia Gelfand will serve as incoming chair of the PSE CKG and vice-chair will be someone from UCLA. The next meeting will be held in September and a Doodle Poll will be sent to establish the date with a call for agenda items.
