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Libraries
by Ann Wolpert

Public Services
by Steve Gass

Collection Services
by Carol Fleishauer

Administrative Services
by James Mullins

Technology Planning and Administration
by Eric Celeste

About Us > Annual Reports

MIT Libraries
Annual Report FY 2001-2002

Collection Services

This was once again a year of tremendous achievement in Collection Services, in spite of major obstacles.

Building Collections of Distinctions and Relevance

Several opportunities enabled very significant progress in building collections that will enable the work of MIT’s students and faculty (present and future).

1) Support for New Programs

Provost Brown granted the Libraries $100,000 in the FY02 budget to purchase information resources in support of new programs at the Institute. This funding provides essential support for new curricular areas, new faculty with new research interests, and the continually emerging new programs that distinguish MIT. The funds were targeted toward new areas with clear collections gaps:

• Comparative Media Studies – purchased monographs with an international perspective mirroring the global focus of the program. Also a concentration on the cultural impact of new information technologies and analyses of cybersociety. Also 8 new journal titles in communication theory and media studies.
• Film Studies – initiated the development of research level collections, in support of the Comparative Media Studies program, as well as 27 courses across the arts and humanities that currently include film studies.
• Life Sciences – purchased approximately 50 new online biomedical journals, including Cell Press, Nature Reviews, American Society of Microbiology, and American Physiological Society journals. Also a collection of electronic medical textbooks, including such classics as Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, and Stedman’s Medical Dictionary. Also online reference works such as StatRef, a database of full-text medical books and dictionaries, Nature Publishing’s Cancer Handbook, and 4 of the Current Protocols full-text series.
• Bioengineering and Environmental Health – purchased 24 new journals (paper or electronic) in cell and tissue engineering, 5 new journals and 2 electronic reference works in pharmacology and toxicology, 5 new journals and an expansion of the American Chemical Society journal package in the areas of genomics, proteomics, glycomics, and bioinformatics, and 4 new journals in therapeutics and materials research. Also established a new monograph fund to support the needs of the Biological Engineering (BE) Division. In the first year’s expenditures the emphasis was on biomaterials; metabolism of drugs and toxins; molecular, cell and tissue biomechanics; and cell and tissue engineering.
• Earth Sciences – established monograph funds in support of the Professional Masters Program in Geosystems and the geobiology interests of new faculty. Purchased 24 monographs in geosystems and 16 monographs in geobiology in the first year.
• Human Rights – in support of the Program on Human Rights and Justice and the Center for International Studies, purchased monographs and major journals in the area of human rights with a special emphasis on international law.
• Biotech Industry – in support of a still-growing area of research in the Sloan School, purchased critical tools for in-depth industry analysis, both electronic and print, such as: Recombinant Capital database, Scrip Pharmaceutical Companies Fact File, Drug and Market Development Newsletter, BioWorld Genomics Review, and GEN Database of Biotechnology Companies and Resources.
• E-Commerce – significantly improved electronic access to data and market research with the Yankee Group database among others.

2) Gift Funds

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute funds – Purchased 11 years of backfiles of BIOSIS, making the full database back to 1969 now available. Also 42 new textbooks from the Brandon-Hill medical school core list. Also Nature Publishing’s Encyclopedia of the Life Sciences.
• Environment – Professor Rosenblith designated the use of $50,000 from the Alice C. Tyler trust for library materials related to the environment. The expenditures are being spread out over two years. Many monographs were purchased this year, but we will report more fully next year.

3) Digital Resources Funds

Again in the FY02 budget, Provost Brown provided $125,000 for the purchase of new digital resources. (This funding was provided on a one-time basis. Because all the products purchased require continuing funding, the Libraries will seek to “harden” these funds in FY03.) Major purchases included the following:

Engineering and Science:

Nature Monthlies and Review journals
Knovel (engineering and scientific handbooks online)
Safari Technical Books (O’Reilly imprints)
Environmental Science and Pollution Management database
Gmelin Crossfire (inorganic chemistry)
Wiley Interscience electronic journals
ChemNetBase Combined Chemical Dictionary

Social Sciences and Humanities:

New York Times historical archive
Early English Books Online (supplementing significant funding from the Dean of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences)
JSTOR Arts&Sciences II collection
JSTOR Business collection
Sanborn Digital Maps for Massachusetts
ERIC documents in fulltext
Roper Public Opinion Research membership, including 50 studies per year
Bibliography of Asian Studies
STAT-USA Internet (business, economic and trade information)
CSA Worldwide Political Science database
Information Science Abstracts

4) General Institute Funds

As usual, the Libraries purchased approximately 20,000 new monographs and maintained approximately 11,000 serial subscriptions (including paper and electronic journals and databases) from annual recurring funding, with an inflation increment. Inflation in journal prices was just under 7 percent.

5) Government Documents

The Libraries acquired over six thousand government documents items, representing about 52 percent of all titles distributed through the Federal Depository Library Program.

6) Gifts in Kind

The Libraries added nearly 2,500 books donated primarily by MIT offices and faculty. The following individuals donated major gifts: Ann Chase Allen (monographs in engineering, sciences and linguistics), Anthony E. Alonzo (a limited edition of Dante’s La Divina Commedia), Lois Craig (scores and CDs of 20th century violin and other music), estate of Peter Elias (monographs in electrical engineering and computer science), Arthur W. Rice III (The executed works of Parker, Thomas, and Rice), and Thomas C. Wilder (Skillings Mining Review).

7) Archives and Manuscripts additions

The final installment of the Planning Office records was transferred in September 2001. These records constitute the largest collection of administrative records acquired to date. The following new manuscript collections were received: the papers of physicist Felix Villars, materials scientist Nicholas J. Grant, consulting engineer Peter Glaser, LIDS professor John E. Ward, and a small collection of papers of Lydia G. Weld, the first woman to receive a degree in Naval Architecture from MIT. Also received were significant additions to the papers from the family of linguist Kenneth Hale and from the family of mathematician Dirk Struik. Perhaps the most compelling records the Archives acquired this year were the two banners placed in Lobby 10 to capture the written thoughts and feelings of the entire MIT community after the September 11th terrorist attack. A box of memorial objects left with the banners has also been preserved. Shirley Jackson was honored at a Corporation luncheon on December 7, and officially thanked for her gift of the papers from her tenure as Director of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Enabling Effective Access to Collections

Delayed implementation of several features of our new library management system, Ex Libris’ Aleph system, impeded Collection Services’ ability to provide timely access to new collections. At the same time, other initiatives expanded our options for enhancing access.

1) 3rd Barton

Last year’s annual report chronicled the significant efforts related to planning the implementation of a new library management system. The public functions of the new system were implemented on July 9, 2002. Unfortunately, a few major obstacles significantly delayed the implementation of the processing functions.

One of these obstacles was the failure of Ex Libris to deliver a loader for incorporating records from our major supplier of catalog records. This record loader was not installed until late November, resulting in a 5 month delay in loading catalog records for new materials. By December there were in excess of 8,000 volumes in the workspace awaiting final processing. In valiant efforts to catch-up, some staff worked extra hours and others volunteered to work across departments, and temporary staff was hired. However, there was still a significant arrearage at year-end.

Another obstacle was the unanticipated delay and miscommunication surrounding our need for a test server for many functions, including testing the loading of authority records and records from other vendors. This server was not purchased and installed until late Spring. That enabled staff to finally test authority record loading, loading of records from miscellaneous vendors, and year-end closing processes (nerve-rackingly close to year-end!).

A third major obstacle was the limitation of the system for report generation. Some of these “reports” are basic outputs needed for our business practices, like purchase orders. The Information Technology Librarian, the Systems Manager, and many other staff worked diligently to analyze and develop uses of the canned reports. A significant breakthrough was realized when we engaged the IS Data Warehouse staff in a collaboration whereby our data is loaded into the Data Warehouse and reports can be generated with the BrioQuery software. (The process of setting up all of the various reports we wish to utilize is still continuing.) Due to these delays in report writing, as well as to problems with the fund accounting system, our acquisitions processes could not be fully implemented until October. It is a credit to the acquisitions staff that they were able to order and receive orders for the entire year’s expenditures in the remaining 8 month period, even in a year when we had additional funding as described above.

We are working hard (and smart) to return in the next year to a steady-state processing environment without delays that impede access to our rich collections. We are confident the new system will become a useful tool, instead of a major hurdle, when staff have the time to explore and utilize all of its features.

2) Enhanced Navigation Implementation Group

One of the Library Council strategic initiatives for the year was to plan the implementation of ExLibris’ SFX and Metalib applications to provide enhanced navigation of information resources. A system-wide group, co-chaired by the Head of Serials and Acquisitions Services and the Information Technology Librarian, was formed to explore the potential of these tools. Some of the group members presented a demonstration at the all-staff meeting on June 26. There are very interesting possibilities for significantly enhancing access to information resources by cross-searching between various databases and by linking between resources. The group’s report is due in July and after it is received, decisions will be made about implementation in FY03.

3) Metadata Advisory Group

A second group, chaired by the Head of Bibliographic Access Services, was charged with developing metadata expertise, coordinating metadata applications within the Libraries, and providing advice and guidance related to metadata for digital projects at MIT. Collectively they upgraded their knowledge of several metadata schema. Several group members contributed to adapting the Library Application Profile of Dublin Core to a descriptive metadata schema for Dspace, and to the creation of a MARC to Dublin Core crosswalk. One of the group members became part of a two-member team carrying out a three-month study to advise the Open CourseWare Project on its metadata needs.

These efforts, as well as those related to SFX and Metalib, significantly expand the skill-base and “reach” of Collection Services librarians.

4) Barton Records

In spite of the difficulties encountered in normal processes, staff were diligent in their efforts to provide access to newly acquired materials in all formats, as well as enhanced access for existing collections in Barton.

In spite of the loss of system capacity for five months, monograph cataloging productivity for the year was at levels similar to the last three years. MIT Publications staff initiated a process whereby we insert abstracts into records for MIT theses, vastly improving keyword access. Database Maintenance carried out several projects to clean-up Barton data that was corrupted during the migration to Aleph. The Copy-based Cataloging Section worked as a team with original catalogers to carry out cataloging of the conferences in the IEEExplore database, a cooperative project with the catalog department at the University of California, San Diego. In Original Cataloging, all titles in the gifts backlog were cataloged during system downtime. The rare books cataloging project completed the first full year of production. In Special Formats Cataloging, steady progress was made on CD-Rom, video and electronic database cataloging. Maps cataloging has slowed somewhat due to other projects. In Music Cataloging, with the searching assistance of acquisitions staff during down-time, work began on cataloging scores from the collection of the late MIT Professor John Corley. Work also began on cataloging sound recordings recently acquired from the MIT Museum.

Serials Cataloging created 755 catalog records for e-serials and e-journals. They also completed a project, begun in 1998, to create online catalog records for all of the unclassified periodicals represented in the card catalog. In addition, the work to create online catalog records for the serial collections in the RSC continued, with a focus now on the 500’s and 600’s of the Dewey Decimal collection, and on journals being moved to the Harvard Depository. RSC staff continued the multi-year project scanning DDC monograph title pages for cataloging by OCLC; an additional 12,000 records were created this year.

A cross-unit (Serials Cataloging, Database Maintenance, Systems, and Special Formats) effort resulted in planning and readiness for utilizing OCLC set records for the Kluwer journals package. These records should be loaded early in the new year.

So while backlogs exist, catalog access continues to increase in breadth and depth.

5) Vera Records

The Libraries continue to provide two access tools for digital resources, Barton (the online catalog of the Libraries’ collections) and Vera (the web-based listing of e-journals and databases). Digital Resources Unit staff, with assistance from Serials Acquisitions staff, added 1356 records for e-journals (a 41% increase) and 96 records for databases (a 35% increase) to Vera.

6) Access to Archives Collections

In February the Archives reduced public service hours in order to initiate an intensive processing project to organize important administrative and research material related to MIT’s history. By year-end the staff had completed the arrangement and description of the Planning Office records, in addition to working on several smaller collections. The project will continue until February 2003.

Two special processing projects were carried out with the support of grants. Dr. Peter Glaser provided funds to process his papers, the bulk of which relate to his work concerning the solar power satellite. The American Institute of Physics awarded the Archives a grant to process the papers of physicist Victor Weisskopf.

Other significant efforts this year were revisions to the Archives’ public web-site and a new service “Ask the Archives”, by which means the staff provides immediate response to researchers requesting information online. The department continued its ongoing exhibit of an “Object of the Month”, with a specific goal of making the rich diversity of the Archives’ holdings more apparent.

Once again, undergraduate and graduate students in a course taught by Professor David Mindell made intensive use of the collections. These group projects resulted in public presentations of the research in early December.

Manuscript collections with substantial use this year were the papers of mathematician Norbert Weiner, engineer Harold Edgerton, historian and philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn, MIT President Jerome Weisner, and the Rotch Traveling Scholarship. As always, Presidential and Corporation records were in use frequently, as well as those of the Social Action Coordinating Committee and the Albert Farwell Bemis Foundation.

Finally, a renovation of the Archives’ space provided significant improvements to conditions for using the collections, as well as for staff functions. This space change was precipitated by the need to vacate storage space in the basement in order to accommodate the expansion of Preservation Services space. The Archives staff worked with the Libraries’ administrative staff, MIT project managers, and the architectural firm of Hallor and Associates to plan the renovation. Construction took place between December 2001 and March 2002.

Managing Collections

1) Government Documents

Our Serials Acquisitions Librarian, with assistance from many staff throughout the Libraries, carried out an extensive self-study of our depository government documents processes and services, as required by the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). This work also prompted staff to develop a government documents Collection Development Policy and a Government Information web page. In addition, a government documents Procedures Manual is now available on the staff web-site. The Dewey Library, the Humanities, and the Science Library completed reviews of the Superintendent of Documents classes and items, resulting in a significant number of de-selection decisions and the discovery of many items (especially electronic versions) requiring cataloging.

2) Collections Space

The project to install compact shelving in Hayden Basement was completed in October 2001, adding approximately 8,000 linear feet of shelving, with the capacity to house about 48,000 journal volumes. In addition to the shelving installation, the entire basement and much of the science collection on the first floor were shifted into a more logical arrangement. Shelving for unbound journal issues was purchased for the first floor. All bound volumes are now integrated in the basement shelving. All of the shelves and volumes were also cleaned.

3) Storage

Storage activity was slower-paced than in previous years, due in part to the new capacity in the Science Library and also to the processing issues related to the Aleph implementation. Nevertheless, 36,000 volumes were moved to Harvard Depository and 14,000 were added to the Retrospective Collection (Building N57).

Two changes were implemented regarding user access to stored collections in the RetroSpective Collection. The stacks were closed to browsing for safety and security reasons, and a policy was implemented requiring people without MIT identification to schedule on-site visits one business day in advance. Planning to deliver articles electronically continued. The technology involves image capture on a Minolta planetary scanner and delivery of files to the users via the World Wide Web using the Prospero software incorporated into the Ariel 3.01 software. A test phase with Document Services as the “customer” was initiated in May, with a full fee-based service anticipated for the Fall semester.

4) Preservation

Preservation Services staff continued their usual attention to caring for the Libraries’ collections in a number of ways: commercial bindery preparation and management, in-house repair treatments, responding to various building leaks, and a condition survey of rare books in tandem with the rare books cataloging project. However, the excitement in Preservation Services was generated by planning for new space and an expanded program. A combination of donor funding and CRSP support enabled planning for a new laboratory. The planning was assisted by Nancy Carlson Schrock, preservation consultant, and Michael Hallor, architect. Construction began on May 28, with an estimated completion date of late August.

A new donor-funded position, Conservator, was posted in the late spring, with the expectation of filling it by the time the new laboratory is ready for use. Dedicated to conservation of rare and unique materials, this position will enable the Libraries to address the deterioration of some of the remarkable items in its collections, and, in some cases, to perform digital scanning so that researchers may have access via the World Wide Web.

5) Records Management

The expertise and perspective of Archives staff were requested in relation to two Institute initiatives this year:

The Financial Data Retention Project, sponsored by the Institute Auditor, the Director of Libraries, and the Associate Controller of CAO, investigated the need for a team to review the challenges of financial records which are increasingly in electronic form. The Head and Associate Head of the Archives were members of the Financial Data Retention Team.

The second project was initiated by the newly reconfigured Environmental, Health, and Safety Office which is seeking assistance in order to design an electronic information delivery system. The Associate Head is advising the EHS staff members who are managing the project, with the proposed assistance of an outside records management consultant.

Changing Organizational Structure

Institute Archives and Special Collections

When a vacancy occurred in the position of Associate Director for Public Services in August, the reporting line for the Institute Archives and Special Collections was transferred to the Associate Director for Collection Services on an interim basis. In May, the Head of the Institute Archives announced her resignation, effective June 7th. After consultation, the Director of Libraries announced that the Archives would report within Collection Services on a permanent basis. This restructuring will provide better coordination of efforts related to all of the Libraries’ collections. The position of Head of the Institute Archives was posted in June.

Digital Resources Acquisitions

Once again this year, it became apparent that we had insufficient staff assigned to supporting the acquisition of digital resources. Several years ago we created the position of Digital Resources Acquisitions Librarian, and more recently we dedicated a part-time support staff position, Digital Resources Acquisitions Assistant. This year, instead of transferring a single additional position, we restructured in a way that we hope will enable us to respond more flexibly in the future. The Digital Resources Acquisitions Librarian will continue to be responsible for managing orders for databases and packages, for negotiating licenses when a standard license does not suffice, for serving as the licensing and compliance expert for the Libraries, for chairing NERD (the group that selects digital products purchased from central funds), and for coordinating DigProb (the group that responds to user problems with digital resources).

Other tasks, along with the position of Digital Resources Acquisitions Assistant, were reassigned to the Serials Acquisitions Section. The Head of that Section is responsible for all of the financial transactions and records, and for managing the use of the standard license and standard interfaces. The Section staff will be responsible for managing orders for individual e-journals. As time goes by, we anticipate a continuing gradual transition of staff effort from the acquisition of print resources to the acquisition of digital resources.

Recognizing Staff

One Collection Services staff member and one Collection Services staff group were recognized with the Libraries’ Infinite Mile Awards:

• Ellen Duranceau, the Digital Resources Acquisitions Librarian, was honored in the category of Communication and Collaboration.
• The Monograph Acquisitions Section (Debbie Fazio, Charlene Follett, Bruce Goodchild, Betsy Granese, Whit Hill, Laura Lucero, and Garry Ziegler) was honored in the category of Results, Outcome, and Productivity.

During April-May 2002, we hosted a Fulbright Scholar, Cecile Pierre, from the Bibliotheque Interuniversitaire Scientifique Jussieu in Paris. Her research project related to the management of digital information resources in libraries in U.S. universities. She worked directly with the Digital Resources Acquisitions Librarian, attending meetings and contributing to discussions. She also visited five other libraries in New England. Cecile challenged our assumptions and forced us to articulate our beliefs and goals. It was a pleasure, as well as an honor, to host her.

-- Carol Fleishauer