Computer Science Roundtable
June 5, 2007
11:00-12:30 PM
Brian Quigley
bquigley@library.berkeley.edu
The Computer Science Round Table for 2007 was organized by the Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics (PAM) and Science & Technology (SciTech) Divisions, with PAM taking the lead this year. The session was sponsored by ACM, with Danny Dotson (Ohio State University) as moderator and Brian Quigley (UC Berkeley) as notetaker. It offered an opportunity for open discussion of issues related to computer science information and resources.
Database issues. The first issue was duplication among IEEE, ACM, and aggregators. This topic generated little discussion, though some participants liked the duplication as long as it helps users find publications. Other participants stressed the importance of subscribing to the publisher platform since aggregators are more volatile, with no guarantees that specific publications will remain in their databases.
Some users have noted problems with IEEE Xplore and other resources on Macs. Most of our CS researchers are not using Macs, so the issue does not come up often, but there are pockets of Mac users in some organizations. Problems seem to occur most often when patrons use Safari as a browser, so most of us recommend using Firefox on Macs instead. In its technical support, IEEE Xplore recommends using Internet Explorer 5.2.3 or Netscape 7.1 on Macs.
Serials issues. Some institutions have experienced problems loading MARC records for Lecture Notes in Computer Science. No one has heard about a resolution to this problem, but no one was sure if it is still a problem either.
Open access journals. Most participants are adding open access journals to their electronic journals lists and/or catalogs. Institutions are mainly using the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) to identify open access journals, though they also discover them through blogs, listservs, knowledgebases, and patron recommendations. Participants agreed that DOAJ does not include all open access journals, and not all of the journals it includes are robust. Participants generally felt it was worthwhile to catalog open access journals, but this cataloging does add to our backlogs.
One participant noted that a recent OCLC survey ranked the catalog low on the list of places people go to find information, which led the group to wonder if it is more important to keep our electronic journals lists and link resolvers updated. With more users finding articles online through search engines, we are also encountering more “appropriate copy” and authentication problems. One participant mentioned that her institution’s LibX toolbar includes a “reload through proxy” option.
Ebooks. Representatives from Safari (ProQuest) and Books24x7 attended the round table to answer questions. Some libraries would like to add local access to more titles on top of their consortial licenses to Safari, but this is not currently possible. One participant noticed that some Safari ebooks do not have MARC records, as indicated by the list to “see which MARCs are missing” in the Backoffice. Another participant wondered if it would be possible to get RSS feeds of new subscribed titles only. The representative promised to look into these issues. Safari is also adding videos and podcasts on a limited basis, but these are not currently available to the academic market.
In response to a question about Microsoft Vista books, the Books24x7 representative described their philosophy on collection development as focusing on popular, high-demand titles. He also noted that RSS feeds are only available for corporate customers.
Most libraries have stopped buying print copies of books that they can access on Safari or Books24x7, though many still buy on request. Some still buy high-use titles regularly, just in case they have to cancel their online subscriptions in the future or because they cannot afford enough simultaneous users. Some participants expressed interest in sharing subscription costs with their campus IT departments, but others were concerned about their ability to afford these subscriptions if the IT departments later pulled their support in tight budget years.
Future home for computer science. Currently, planning for the Computer Science Round Table alternates between PAM and SciTech. PAM has been thinking about a permanent home for computer science and plans to conduct a survey this fall to gather opinions. Some participants expressed a preference for the current approach, and others wondered about inviting IT Division and Engineering Division members as well.
