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By Tom Wilding
 The 1998/99 year was one of
accomplishments. Many things which had begun in prior years reached fulfillment. It would be
impossible to list every achievement that the Libraries made, but here
are some highlights:
PULSe: The implementation of a new online library
system was completed, with a new online catalog, PULSe, becoming active
in December 1998 and other modules following shortly thereafter. PULSe
delivers the catalog of our library holdings through a web-based
interface, permitting faster and easier access for library users all
over the world. PULSe is based on Endeavor Information Systems Inc.'s
Voyager product and gives the library a fully client-server based system
that is completely Y2K compliant. The implementation process involved
all members of the library staff since the new system supports the
acquisitions and cataloging process, circulation and reserves process,
and of course is the user interface as well. The system provides a
module that can handle the management of an image database as well,
which will lead to the development of new services in the next few
years.
Web Access: During spring break 1999, all of the
Libraries' workstations in the public areas were replaced with high-end
workstations that support graphical interfaces and access to the World
Wide Web. This, coupled with the implementation of PULSe, brought the
Libraries into a full state of readiness to meet the Year 2000 problems.
The advent of Web access into library service areas created high user
demand during the second half of the spring semester, and we anticipate
continued high use in the future.
UTA Libraries Online: The Libraries’ Web
Services, the newest library department, continued to develop the
Libraries’ website, totally revamping and reshaping it. Since the
Libraries’ home page has become the primary entry point to digital
library services and resources, the emergence of the UTA Libraries
Online in this new website is particularly important.
Electronic Resources: The Libraries’ online
offerings of information resources, both databases and full text
information, continued to increase. By year's end, the full text of more
than 6,000 journals was available through the Libraries' home page,
representing approximately two-thirds of all journal holdings. Many of
the earlier titles appear only as text, and only some of the articles
are available from them, but an increasing number of journals are now
available in the full page image and include the entire journal,
complete with graphs, charts, and illustrations. Full text resources are
a particularly important means of meeting the needs of UTA's growing
distance learner population and of the many UTA students and faculty
members for whom the flexibility of remote access is critical to their
academic success. The Electronic Resources Working Group continued to
catalog electronic resources so that they appear in the online catalog
and to identify policy areas and procedures that needed to be revised to
accommodate these new formats.
Document Delivery: After several pilot projects,
the Libraries announced in January 1999 a new service for UTA faculty
members. For journals that the Libraries do not own, faculty members can
order direct from a document supplier, who normally is able to fax the
required article to the faculty member directly within twenty-four
hours, and sometimes much faster. The Libraries pay for the article up
to a specified dollar limit. Even in its first few months, this service
became very popular with the busy UTA research faculty.
Remote Storage: Years of planning preceded the
first shipment of materials to a remote storage facility in Austin,
Texas. The Libraries were given space to hold the equivalent of 25,000
volumes as a first increment, and in December 1998 the first truckload
was prepared and shipped. Remote storage has long been considered one of
the important strategies for the management of the physical library
collection and existing space in library facilities. The program is
designed to identify blocks of materials as well as individual items
that are important for research but which receive low use and remove
them from the active collection to relieve crowding. Once thought to be
a stopgap measure for libraries, remote storage has been proven to be an
effective means of reducing the cost of library operations while not
eroding overall service. When materials are needed, they are shipped
back to the campus by overnight mail, or in the case of journal
articles, photocopied and faxed to the user. When the use of items or
collections increase as program interests change, materials are
transferred back to the active collection.
Development: During the summer of 1998, the
Libraries partnered with the School of Architecture in a telefund effort
to raise funds for the improvement of the architecture library
collections. Over $14,000 was raised in that effort, and with that
success in mind, another telefund was carried out in the summer of 1999.
The target this time was the collection that supports undergraduate
classwork. Individuals active in the UTA Alumni Association were
contacted and over $11,000 was pledged. The Libraries will be selecting
titles, including electronic titles, over the coming academic year.
Houston Endowment: Negotiations with the Houston
Endowment led to the receipt of a grant for $200,000 to fund a project
based on the Libraries’ cartographic collections, particularly the
Virginia Garrett Cartographic History Library. Working with a number of
teachers in Texas high schools, library staff and faculty from the
Department of History and School of Education are developing a
curriculum that can be used in the high schools using significant maps
from the collections. The maps are to be digitized and delivered over
the Internet to the classroom. This is an exciting opportunity to
exploit the wonderful map collections and to partner with Texas
educators.
Mini-semesters and Distance Education: When UTA
announced the development of abbreviated semesters to be held over the
winter and spring intersessions, the Libraries responded quickly. These
are times that the Libraries normally have shortened hours and undertake
projects that cannot practically be carried out during the busy
semesters. Every faculty member who was to teach a course in these
mini-semesters was contacted by library staff to ensure that students
who needed any specialized assistance would be accommodated. In
addition, library hours were kept at the normal level.
Continued efforts were made to meet the needs of those students
who were enrolled in the many distance education programs at UTA. A web
page specifically addressing their needs was developed, and packets
defining library services and options for receiving materials were sent
to each student. A service was developed that allowed these students not
just to receive interlibrary loan materials by mail but also to deliver
books and photocopies of journal articles from the Libraries’ own
collection as well. A toll free telephone line was installed so that
students could have access to library staff when needed without
incurring long distance charges.
BACK
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Glossary
Client-
Server-Based System
Document Delivery
Electronic Resources
Full Text
PULSe
Remote Storage
UTA Libraries Online
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