NAME OF PROPOSED PROJECT: COOPERATIVE MICROFORM RETENTION PROJECT

PROPOSAL GROUP CONTACT: LESLIE BUTTON, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS/AMHERST

PROPOSAL GROUP MEMBERS:
RICHARD BLEILER, UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
JENNIFER CARROLL, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
KERRY CRONIN, BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
REGINA RABOIN, TUFTS UNIVERSITY

DESCRIPTION: THIS INITIATIVE PROPOSES TO DESIGN A PROCESS BY WHICH INTERESTED INSTITUTIONS CAN AGREE TO COOPERATIVELY RETAIN AND CENTRALIZE MICROFORMS WITHIN THE BLC. IT WOULD INCLUDE IDENTIFYING EACH PARTICIPATING LIBRARY’S CORE CURRICULUM AND RESEARCH AND AGREEING TO LET GO OF NON-CORE MICROFORM TITLES IF OTHER PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES AGREE TO RETAIN THEM. THIS PROPOSAL PRESUPPOSES THAT ANY AGREEMENT INVOLVING MICROFORMS WILL BE SUPPORTED BY THE WILLINGNESS OF RETAINING LIBRARIES TO LEND MICROFORMS OR TO PROVIDE FASCIMILES TO OTHER BLC LIBRARIES.

OUTCOMES / DELIVERABLES/BENEFITS: BLC MEMBER LIBRARIES
THIS PROPOSAL WOULD PROVIDE A MECHANISM BY WHICH THE DEPTH OF COLLECTIONS AND APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF REDUNDANCY ACROSS THE BLC LIBRARIES WOULD BE IDENTIFIED. MICROFORMS WOULD BE MAINTAINED AND ACCESSIBLE TO MEMBER LIBRARIES USING THE BLC DELIVERY SYSTEM WITHIN AGREED UPON TIMELINES.

POTENTIAL ROADBLOCKS: THE PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS MIGHT NEED TO OBTAIN COMMITMENT FROM STAFF WHO MAY BE CONCERNED THAT RESOURCES WOULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY ACCESSIBLE TO USERS. THERE MAY BE A WORKLOAD IMPACT ON MICROFORMS AND INTERLIBRARY LOAN/DOCUMENT DELIVERY STAFF. LIBRARIANS WHO ROUTINELY USE THESE RESOURCES FOR INSTRUCTION AND RESEARCH COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED.

CONSORTIAL STAFF SUPPORT NEEDED: THE PROJECT GROUP MAY NEED SUPPORT FROM BLC STAFF TO DE-DUPLICATE MICROFORM HOLDINGS OF PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES. THE BLC OFFICE WOULD NEED TO RETAIN AND PROMINENTLY DISPLAY ON THE BLC WEBSITE THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AGREEMENTS.

MONEY / RESOURCES REQUIRED:

• SUFFICIENT STORAGE CAPACITY AT RETAINING LIBRARIES
• COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING MATERIALS ON QUICK TURNAROUND TIMELINE
• MONEY TO DEFRAY THE COST OF ACQUIRING ONGOING TITLES

ESTIMATED TIMEFRAME FOR THIS PROJECT:

• DECEMBER 2006: PROJECT GROUP MEMBERS SHARE SPREADSHEETS OF PERIODICALS, NEWSPAPERS, RESEARCH COLLECTIONS AND JSTOR TITLES IN MICROFORM FOR IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL AREAS OF OVERLAP. REACH OUT TO OTHER BLC LIBRARIES TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION.
• FEBRUARY 2007: CONVENE PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES FOR INITIAL DISCUSSION
• MAY 2007: PROJECT PROPOSAL WILL BE READY FOR THE MAY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL MEETING.

BENCHMARKS FOR SUCCESS:

• MEMORANDA OF AGREEMENT IN PLACE AT BLC OFFICE, WITH 2-3 LIBRARIES AGREEING TO RETAIN MICROFORM TITLES OR COLLECTIONS.
• THE USE OF THESE COLLECTIONS WILL HAVE AGREED UPON METRICS. USE STATISTICS WILL BE COMMUNICATED TO THE HEADS OF COLLECTION COI AND POSTED TO THE BLC WEBSITE.
• SERVICE MODEL THAT PROVIDES DELIVERY TO BLC MEMBERS THROUGH ESTABLISHED CHANNELS.

LIBRARIES THAT HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN THIS PROJECT
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT LIBRARIES
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS/AMHERST
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE