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Fulbright Scholar Studying Electronic Resources Services at MIT Libraries

MIT Libraries
Office of the Director
14S-216
Contact: Ruth K. Seidman, rks@mit.edu, 617.253.5686
April 11, 2002

Cecile Pierre, Electronic Collections Librarian at the Bibliotheque Interuniversitaire Scientifique Jussieu in Paris, is a Fulbright Scholar at the MIT Libraries for April and May 2002. Working closely with Ellen Duranceau, Digital Resources Acquisitions Librarian, Ms. Pierre is studying the structure and organization of electronic resources services at MIT.

Bibliotheque Interuniversitaire Scientifique Jussieu, heir to the science collections of the Sorbonne Library, serves two major universities in Paris, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie and Universite Paris 7—Denis Diderot. The library has 14 subject branches and is associated with eight laboratory libraries. The Earth and Ocean Sciences Library and the Mathematics Library are among the many notable subject branch collections.

With the exponential growth of electronic publications, particularly electronic journals and online databases, academic and research libraries worldwide are facing the challenge of integrating these publications into the library collection and providing the substantial services necessary for convenient access by library patrons. Among the issues being addressed are the technical aspects of mounting publications and providing them throughout the campus, budgeting and cost considerations, providing an appropriate mix of paper and online resources, licensing and legal issues, training of staff and familiarizing library patrons for these new technologies, and developing new access tools.

Cecile Pierre is interested in learning about the innovative solutions that MIT Libraries have developed to address these many issues. Her findings will be shared with her colleagues in France and will be the subject of a written report and an article for publication in the professional literature.