athabasca university library athabasca, alberta canada steve schafer director library services...

Athabasca University LibraryAthabasca, Alberta Canada

Steve Schafer

Director Library Services

[email protected]

Library Services - Online

• http://www.athabascau.ca/library– core services and contacts

• AU Library “information gateway”

• Fully integrated & web-based catalog– library holdings & selected Internet sites

• Integrated library processes– acquisitions, receiving, cataloging, processing


• Automatic patron authentication & verification – to access online journal databases

• Patron access (distributed) to online resources– selected Internet sites– other library catalogs


• New AUCAT features– Web-based searching– Capacity to include web resources in the catalog – Automatic request of items in the catalog– Patron initiated renewals – View patron’s own library account– Search other library catalogs (z39.50)


• AUCAT Features (cont.)– Course reserves - listings of supplementary

materials of courses– Electronic reserves - mounting fulltext of

supplementary materials– ILL (Interlibrary Loan) - easier to place request– Comprehensive user statistics – Reports on system data


• More than 30 online databases– citations & abstracts – fulltext to articles in 2500+ journals

• Selected web sites

• Pathfinders (i.e., career development, English literature, et al.)

• Course web pages (links)

• Online help & instruction pages


• Benefits of online databases– Remote access -- convenience & flexibility– Off campus user can search & research– Fulltext of articles– Various ways to retrieve information

( i.e., view, print, download, email)– Online technical support & help


• Challenges of online databases– Varying search platforms of service providers– Configuration of the web browser– Not all databases include fulltext– Costly over time -- ability to sustain– Instruction & help issues remain– Connectivity


• AU Library reports:– Rising use of online databases, particularly

those that provide fulltext online– Online Library system is accessed 24 hours a

day, 7 days a week, from countries around the world

– Increases in the number of requests to the Library Information Desk (requests for materials and reference assistance)

Library Services

• Management Issues– Staffing issues: need for flexibility, need for

more training, increased demands by users for instruction

– Collection issues: ability/means to sustain subscriptions & licenses

– Technical issues: configuration, “help”– Technical issues: hardware replacement &

upgrades

Library Services

• Management Issues (cont.)– User issues: increased sophistication respecting

use of the computer and electronic resources– User issues: need for a return to understand

bibliographic concepts – User issues: need for strong search & retrieval

skills– User issues: increasing demands & rising user

expectations

Library Services

• The Saying goes:”If we build it they will come”

athabasca university library athabasca, alberta canada steve schafer director library services...

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