VALE Annual Users Conference

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VALE Annual Users Conference

• Strategic Planning Promoting Our Resources,
  Promoting Ourselves
• January 7, 2004

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Todays Users Conference

• 184 registered attendees
• Largest number ever
• 46 out of 52 VALE member libraries represented

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New VALE Mission Statement

• The Virtual Academic Library Environment (VALE),
  a consortium of New Jersey college and university
  libraries, and the New Jersey State Library, is
  dedicated to furthering excellence in learning
  and research through innovative and collaborative
  approaches to information resources and services.

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Strategic Priorities

• Expand and sustain an effective funding stream
  through collaboration
• Advocacy and public relations efforts
• Shape a communications plan to enhance visibility
• Develop and implement a remote reference service

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Strategic Priorities (cont.)

• Develop and implement a shared information
  literacy Web site
• Secure funds to publish on the Web, appropriate
  and unique local databases
• Identify other potential areas of collaboration
• Conduct ongoing assessments to measure
  accomplishments

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Goal Expand Access to Scholarly Resources

• 29 different electronic resources were licensed
  Total cost 1.6 million
• Access by 248,400 FTE student equivalents
  statewide
• 4.623 million searches were executed averaging 17
  searches per FTE
• Academic Search Premier provided to all VALE
  Libraries by NJSL
• Web-based recommendation form

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VALE Databases by Discipline
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Most Heavily Used Resources

• Academic Search Premier (1,797,852)
• Lexis Nexis Academic (700,000) est.
• ABI Inform (531,462)
• Literature Resource Center (369,093)
• PsycINFO (269,820)
• ERIC (225,447)
• MLA Bibliography (124,202)

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Goal Learning to Use Information Resources

• Shared Information Literacy Committee formed
• Create online tutorials, explain research
  process, how to cite resources
• Prototype tutorial developed that is
• Template based
• Open-source
• Shareable
• Composed of multiple modules

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Goal Assessment and Evaluation

• 2-part survey conducted in June 2003 for
  librarians and directors
• 87 report outstanding database choices
• 70 could not afford on their own
• Assessed satisfaction and areas for future
  priorities
• Deeper discounts, e-book licensing, cooperative
  collection development, knowledge of new
  technologies
• Recent workshop on usage statistics

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Goal Round the Clock Reference

• Reference Services Committee charged to
  investigate
• Tested QandANJ software
• Recommended participation by academic libraries
• Some academics are participating in the statewide
  initiative 24/7
• Develop an academic queue in the future to filter
  higher level requests

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Goal Communicating with Members

• VALE Users Conferences
• Collaboration with NJ/ACRL
• Expanded VALE Web site (http//www.valenj.org)
• Includes committee updates
• Recommendation forms
• VALE Listserv (VALE_at_corrado.rider.edu)

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Goal Making Print Collections More Accessible

• Resource Sharing Committee projects
• Created the VALE Reciprocal Borrowing agreement
  facilitating improved access
• 46 participating VALE libraries
• Z39.50 compliant union catalog created
• Users can easily locate needed resources
• Ease of identifying resources for ILL

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Goal VALE Finances

• Finance Committee created in FY03
• Review database licenses and assist in budget
  preparation
• Developed Preferred Licensing Terms for vendors
• Prepared Memorandum of Understanding for member
  signature
• Implemented a 2.6 service fee

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Current and Future Projects

• VALE e-resource licenses to go up on the Web site
  with a summary table
• Web-based calendar of VALE activities and
  meetings
• Link to the VALE Union Catalog from the main VALE
  Web page
• Participate in statewide initiative to add
  science, technology, and business resources
• Support of the NJSL marketing campaign
• Establish ad hoc committee to study last copy
  and print repository

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Whats on Your Mind?

• Questions comments.

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Accomplishments Dont Happen on Their Own

• Very special thanks to
• Norma Blake, New Jersey State Library
• Anne Ciliberti, WPUNJ
• Judy Avrin, WPUNJ
• Dave Hoover, RU
• Ed Corrado, Listserv Administrator
• VALE Executive Committee
• Chairs and members of all VALE Committees

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Most Notably

• Stand up and say thank you to
• Marianne Gaunt, Rutgers University Librarian
• VALEs first Executive Committee Chair
• For her
• Vision, Leadership, Spirit of Collaboration and
  Fellowship