National Library News Volume 27 #2 February 1995 ISSN: 1195-2326 Contents Hans Rutimann: Preservation Ambassador Speaking from...ABS Preservation of the Past for the Future Resource Sharing: Making the Connections - Finalizing a Resource-Sharing Strategy - National Guidelines for Document Delivery - Faster Than...! One Step Ahead of the Client Dynix Acquisitions Module Now in Operation Public Programs - Spotlight on...Opening of MacMillan Exhibition ***** MANAGING EDITOR Gwynneth Evans EDITORS Willadean Leo Jean-Marie Brière GRAPHIC Roseanne Ducharme National Library News, published ten times a year by the National Library of Canada, is available free upon request. To change your subscription address, please send your current address label, with all appropriate changes indicated, to: Marketing and Publishing, National Library of Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0N4. Fax: (613) 991-9871. 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The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. ***** Hans Rütimann: Preservation Ambassador by Iris Winston, Staff Writer Keeping abreast of all issues involving the preservation of library materials and access to information keeps Hans Rütimann travelling around the world. "One of my main tasks is to see what is going on, and to link efforts abroad to similar activities in the U.S.," explains Rütimann, an International Program Officer with the Washington-based Commission on Preservation and Access. Established in 1986 to foster cooperation on preservation and access, the Commission is an independent organization supported by 75 U.S. research libraries and private foundations, including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which provided the funding for the Canadian Cooperative Preservation Project, which was coordinated by a National Library staff member. "The Commission is a catalytic agent, a broker on preservation issues," says Rütimann. "It identifies problems initially in the fields of books and journals preservation, but increasingly in areas of electronic format. It encourages research and collaboration, and disseminates information that assists informed decisions. We never pretend to have the answers, but we do attempt to raise the questions." Rütimann was among some 30 delegates in Ottawa to participate in the National Meeting of Canadian Preservation Specialists hosted by the National Library on October 31 and November 1, 1994. "It is very interesting for me to be here," he said during the meeting of representatives of libraries and organizations particularly concerned with preservation issues, "both to share information on our work, and to learn. We tend to think of Europe or Latin America rather than looking north when we think internationally. Canada, in some ways, is too much part of the family. In fact, one of my most urgent tasks is to know what Canada is doing so that we neighbours can cooperate." Cooperation, he says, is particularly important because of the ways in which new technologies are affecting preservation issues. "The new technology dominates conversations everywhere. There is a general fear of the unknown because we know too little about the large-scale integration of electronic information. Even in countries where tying into technological development is an almost- insurmountable problem, there is still great interest in following and understanding developments." Technology, he points out, has tightened the relationship between preservation and access. "We are now living in a digital world, in which we are moving from the management of material to the management of the process. The medium is relatively unimportant as we concentrate on the permanency of the information. In the digital world, preservation is access and access is preservation." He adds that the profound changes being wrought by technology make it particularly important to help countries with less sophisticated library systems. "If we don't help Third World libraries, the gap between the information technology haves and have-nots will widen. However, if technology is applied wisely, it can be used to narrow the information gap. Two-thirds of the countries in the world are not in a position to tie into modern technology, but it is gratifying that there is a general willingness to share information and work together." The cooperative spirit extends to traditional preservation issues, such as mass deacidification, permanent paper use, storage conditions, microfilming and copying standards. According to Rütimann, these issues are still very much on the agenda as we fight to save decaying library collections and preserve their intellectual content. "For example, the issue of deacidification is not solved to everyone's satisfaction," he says. "And we still have our work cut out on permanent paper. Even though we have success stories in Canada and the US, much of the world still uses inferior paper for publishing. There is, in fact, some danger that technology will dominate to the extent that there is too little concern for traditional issues." Not likely as long as Hans Rütimann remains the passionate preservation ambassador that he showed himself to be at the National Library gathering, where he and other delegates voiced their concerns and worked to further the development of the national strategy on preservation. An update on decisions and actions agreed upon at the National Meeting of Canadian Preservation Specialists will be given in the next issue of National Library News. ***** Speaking from...ABS by Ingrid Parent, Director-General It was in January 1991, already four years ago, that I wrote the first "Speaking from...." column. I remember that my theme then was the importance of meeting the needs of our users. Since then, we have worked on various quality and service innovations, and it is perhaps time to take stock of how far we have come. Management gurus have declared that to succeed in the nineties, an organization needs to focus, first and foremost, on meeting the needs of the clients. To some people this may seem to be a rather obvious truism; however, it is an idea that must be constantly reinforced. In our profession, especially in the bibliographic access areas, long-held traditions are being challenged, and must meet the needs imposed by current values and requirements. On the other hand, the fact that new technologies exist does not necessarily mean that they will be embraced immediately by all libraries and library users, a caution that we must keep in mind as we become increasingly preoccupied with these technologies. Therefore, keeping in touch with user needs as we develop new products and services has been and will continue to be both an objective and a challenge for us. So what are some of the initiatives that we in ABS have implemented to improve services to our users over the past few years? - The bibliographic access areas have been involved in an extensive re-engineering project to improve efficiency and effectiveness (see "Speaking from...ABSB", National Library News, vol. 25, no. 9, September 1993, pp. 2-3, and "Reengineering Bibliographic Access: BART Goes Back to Basics", National Library News, vol. 26, nos. 8-9, August/September 1994, pp. 1, 3). Out of this review have come several initiatives relating to cataloguing levels and priorities, a reorganization that groups all cataloguing operations into integrated teams, and an intense review of the Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) program. While much work remains to be done, it appears that the re-engineering initiative is turning into a continuous renewal effort to find improvements to better serve all our users. - Five user focus group sessions on cataloguing issues and products were held across the country in 1994. In addition, questionnaires on the same topics were distributed through various listservs on the Internet. A summary of the discussions was prepared and has been distributed. Many comments and suggestions received from users were implemented: for example, we started to distribute cataloguing records for videorecordings in Canadiana products as requested by users, and we posted the Internet addresses of our bibliographic access services in National Library News, on the Library's gopher and listservs to improve our communications with users and our efficiency in dealing with their comments and questions. - A major theme that emerged from the user focus group sessions was the need to improve bibliographic access to government publications. As an important step to achieving that end, we will ensure that cataloguing records for federal government publications that appear on the Weekly Checklist for the Depository Services Program are available in our bibliographic products by the time that depository libraries receive their publications. It is expected that this initiative will obviate the need for libraries to do original cataloguing for these titles. - ABS staff have become enthusiastic users of electronic communication methods, and participate in national and international electronic discussion lists related to bibliographic and acquisitions issues. Questions and comments addressed to the Library through cyberspace are always welcome. - We have recognized that libraries are not composed of books alone, and have extended our collecting responsibilities and our legal deposit requirements to cover videorecordings, CD-ROMs and other documents in electronic form. These types of materials are acquired and catalogued for Canadiana, the national bibliography. The whole area of acquiring, cataloguing and preserving electronic documents represents new ground not only for us, but for most libraries throughout the world. We are working to identify, through pilot projects, the issues that libraries encounter in handling electronic collections, and to find solutions and develop standards for these materials. - Automation of ABS's operational activities has been a priority for several years. In 1993 we transferred our manual serials check-in operation to Dynix; in 1994, our acquisitions functions, formerly on a local KnowledgeMan application, were transferred to Dynix. The availability of information to our users about the status of titles that are on order or on a desiderata list should be greatly improved. - To improve online access to our bibliographic information, we put great emphasis on converting manual files to automated form. As a result, the conversion of the Library's shelflist has been completed: all titles catalogued in pre-automation days (1950-1973) are now available in DOBIS. In addition, a major effort was made to convert a substantial part of the manual union catalogue (see "Converting the National Union Catalogue", National Library News, vol. 26, no. 11, November 1994, p. 6), and ongoing conversion is a priority. Finally, records for all serial titles held by the National Library have been automated in Dynix. The addition of retrospective holdings for these titles in Dynix is an ongoing project as well. - With the Library of Congress and the British Library, we are investigating the possibilities for harmonizing MARC formats and cataloguing rule interpretations relating to name authorities to simplify the cataloguing process. Format harmonization will also facilitate sharing bibliographic and authority records, not only among the three national bibliographic agencies but among all libraries that use these records for cataloguing and other purposes (see "National Library and Library of Congress Discuss Cataloguing Practices and MARC Formats", National Library News, vol. 27, no. 1, January 1995, p. 13. - Since August 1994, we have been contributing new subject concepts identified in Canadian publications to Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) as part of the LC Cooperative Subject Cataloging Project. This development will make LCSH more comprehensive and useful for all libraries, as well as more representative of topics considered in Canadiana material. These are only a few of our recent initiatives. As we build the National Library's collections, provide bibliographic access to them, and develop bibliographic databases and products, we are continuously improving our operations and, we hope, improving our service. We welcome your comments at any time. ***** DID YOU KNOW... that the National Library is undertaking a major pilot project that will provide guidelines and options on how to deal with electronic publications? Using twelve Canadian periodicals available only online, the Electronic Publications Pilot Project will examine different means by which Canadian electronic publications can be deposited at the National Library, where they will be catalogued, permanently stored in a database and made accessible to library patrons across Canada. Issues such as copyright, security, royalties, billing, and technical standards will also be addressed. A final report identifying issues and results will be produced and made publicly available after the project is completed at the end of April 1995. For more information, contact: Nancy Brodie Government Information Holdings Officer Information Resource Management National Library of Canada 395 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N4 Telephone: (613) 947-5887 Fax: (613) 996-7941 TTY: (613) 992-6969 Internet: nancy.brodie@nlc-bnc.ca ***** Participants at the National Meeting of Canadian Preservation Specialists, National Library of Canada, October 31-November 1, 1994 Pam Bjornson, Executive Director, Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, National Archives of Canada, Ottawa David Brown, Executive Director, Information, Communications and Security Policy Division, Treasury Board Secretariat, Ottawa Claude Busque, Chef, Division des collections de sciences humaines et sociales, Bibliothèque de l'Université Laval, Quebec Merrill Distad, Assistant Director, Cameron Library, University of Alberta, Edmonton Suzanne Dodson, Facilities and Preservation Manager, University of British Columbia, Vancouver Gwynneth Evans, Director-General, National and International Programs, National Library of Canada, Ottawa Madonna Green, Paper Conservator, Queen Elizabeth II Library, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's Jacques Grimard, Director General, Archives Preservation Branch, National Archives of Canada, Ottawa Charles Gruchy, Director General, Canadian Conservation Institute, Department of Canadian Heritage, Ottawa Alice Harrison, Chief Librarian, Atlantic School of Theology Library, Halifax Ernie Ingles, Chief Librarian and Director of Libraries, University of Alberta, Edmonton Georgina Lewis, Co-ordinator, Preservation, Elizabeth Dafoe Library, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg Ralph W. Manning, Project Manager, Acquisitions and Bibliographic Services, National Library of Canada, Ottawa Nancy Marrelli, Director of Archives, Concordia University Libraries, Archives, Montreal Jan Michaels, Preservation Policy and Planning Officer, National Library of Canada, Ottawa Carole Moore, Chief Librarian, Robarts Library, University of Toronto, Toronto Antony Pacey, Micrographics and Preservation Officer, Library and Information Services, National Museum of Science and Technology, Ottawa Bill Peters, Director General, Heritage Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage, Ottawa Karen Potje, Head, Conservation and Preservation Department, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal Mike Renshawe, Preservation and Collections Librarian, McGill University Libraries, Montreal Hans Rütimann, Consultant, New York Marianne Scott, National Librarian, National Library of Canada, Ottawa Charlotte Stewart, Director of Archives and Research Collections, William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, McMaster University, Hamilton Eric L. Swanick, Legislative Librarian, Legislative Library of New Brunswick, Fredericton Richard Thouin, Directeur de la conservation, Bibliothèque nationale du Québec, Montréal Karen Turko, Head, Preservation Services, Robarts Library, University of Toronto, Toronto Jean-Pierre Wallot, National Archivist, National Archives of Canada, Ottawa Johanna Wellheiser, Manager, Preservation Services Department, Metro Toronto Reference Library, Toronto Karen Yates, Research and Information Services, National Library of Canada, Ottawa ***** Preservation of the Past for the Future Adapted from the keynote address given by National Librarian Marianne Scott at the National Meeting of Canadian Preservation specialists hosted by the National Library, October 31-November 1, 1994 As librarians and archivists, our involvement in preservation issues is not new. It is a key aspect -- some would say the key aspect of our work. We have always operated in "preservation mode", and given priority to maintaining our collections in the best possible condition, both to protect them and to make them more accessible. Such changes in the approach to preservation issues as have occurred have been changes in emphasis: in setting priorities, using new technological developments, and, particularly in this era of diminishing financial resources, avoiding duplication of efforts to ensure that we make the most of our collective ability and common resources to preserve our nation's collections. In the past several years, the National Library of Canada and libraries across the country have done much to come to grips with the problems of deteriorating collections. We have dealt with and continue to deal with destructive properties within paper and other materials, inadequate storage conditions, uncontrolled environments, flood, fire, and other potential disasters. Only by combining to combat the enemies of preservation can we make our collections available to present and future generations. And with the severe budget limitations that we all face, any national strategy for preservation can be effective only if our cooperation extends to communication and coordination. An excellent example of a cooperative endeavour to preserve Canadian materials and make them more accessible is work done by the Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions, now in its fifteenth year. Libraries across the nation have proved more than willing to lend materials to be microfilmed, and the National Library has been closely involved with CIHM's work from its beginning. Initially, this conversion to microformat was seen as a way to make pre-1901 Canadiana materials more widely available. Now, with close to 70 000 titles filmed, it is also recognized as a valuable means of preservation. The National Library's Decentralized Program for Canadian Newspapers is another good example of a cooperative effort to preserve a major source of historical information. Newspapers have always presented a serious preservation problem because they are printed on poor-quality paper. It is, therefore, extremely important that we work closely with the provinces in conserving them. Through the DPCN, the National Library has now worked with every province and territory to preserve this particularly vulnerable part of published history. The DPCN could well be an appropriate model for other joint preservation initiatives. The DPCN is a constant reminder that paper quality has long been the most urgent preservation problem facing libraries. This is why the National Library is such a strong advocate of permanent paper use -- a cause that is finally bearing fruit. Awareness of the importance of using permanent paper for information that is or may be of historical importance has increased markedly in the last few years. Virtually all the fine paper manufactured in Canadian paper mills is now alkaline, and we can hope that the need to deacidify materials will one day end if most of our new print acquisitions are published on paper with a lifespan of several hundred years. However, the prohibitively high cost of conservation and mass deacidification means that we simply cannot preserve everything in all our collections in optimum condition, and must therefore select the most significant items. Other formats, particularly commercial audio and video tapes and electronic information, have very short potential lifespans. Reformatting material is often the only way to ensure the continuing availability of its intellectual content. And as purse strings tighten everywhere, a national cooperative strategy is the only way to ensure that words of the past will be kept for the future. We just cannot afford to treat or film every item in every collection. We must make choices, sometimes extremely difficult choices. But our decisions can be both less painful and more effective when we base them on a coordinated approach that balances local needs and autonomy with the overall good of Canada's published heritage and economic considerations. Recognition of the need for a national strategy has grown from an increasing sense of urgency in the library profession as we struggle to keep our collections safe. By recognizing the close relationship between preservation and availability, preparing surrogates for current circulation and master copies for posterity, giving conservation treatment to publications, and storing publications in appropriate conditions, we can hope to offer future clients the service that our current users enjoy. Preservation and access -- a matter of perceived conflict in the past when protective measures and lending were sometimes seen to be in opposition -- are really two complementary aspects of library service. As mentioned in the document prepared by the advisory committee that developed the strategy in 1992, our national project should cover all printed materials kept in libraries. It should focus on the preservation of originals of Canadian works, non-Canadian works that are of value to our heritage, and other documents of historical or aesthetic importance, as well as the prenservation of all intellectual content in research materials or any other materials of documentary value. This may be a lot to ask, but I really believe that much can be accomplished if a realistic and carefully coordinated approach is adopted. Our discussions will bear in part on the recommendations set out in the 1992 document. Among the most important are the following: those relating to creation of an official group to be responsible for coordinating preservation activities in Canadian libraries; that concerning the development of a coordination mechanism for maintaining national policies; that regarding shared responsibilities for preserving valuable printed materials; and, finally, in cooperation with a coordination program, that regarding the microfilming of damaged or deteriorating works in accordance with the standards set out in the Guidelines for Preservation Microfilming in Canadian Libraries. Other important recommendations concern to the need to train specialists at library schools to ensure that there will be highly qualified preservation specialists throughout the country. Another recommendation advocates maintaining a preservation research program and ensuring the necessary funds for safeguarding our publishing heritage. When the Guidelines were being prepared two years ago, it was impossible to predict that the preservation of electronic publications would become such an important, urgent and complex matter. A solution must be found as quickly as possible. Now we need to review past accomplishments, to reach a consensus on future priorities and strategic questions, and capitalize on scarce resources. Economic necessity has, to some extent, been the catalyst for the germination of a national preservation strategy. Financial considerations mean that we cannot preserve every copy of every book, periodical, newspaper, tape or diskette. But we can still preserve much of our past. It is vital that we work together to preserve the collective holdings of Canada's libraries. Each library serves a specific community and its particular focus is directed by client needs, regional differences and local priorities and specialities. Such specificity can become a strength in furthering a strategic plan for preserving the intellectual content of Canada's library collections. It makes sense to build on specialized collections of particular importance; equally, it makes sense to link our collection policies to retention and preservation policies through a national strategy coordinated by the National Library in its role as the guardian of the nation's published heritage. We are part of the way there. We still have far to go. Now it is up to us to finalize a concerted action plan. ***** Finalizing a Resource-Sharing Strategy by Iris Winston, Staff Writer Enabling people to have access to information wherever they are in whatever format they want and whenever they need it. This is the philosophical foundation on which a national resource-sharing strategy among libraries is being built. The importance of sharing materials and information has always been recognized by libraries, and it has always been a fundamental part of library activities. The current emphasis on a more structured approach has been spurred by both need and ability: as budgets shrink, the sharing of resources is often the most creative route to fulfill client needs, and as technology advances and more and more libraries are connected to the information highway, information can be transmitted more quickly and widely. In addition to working within the mandates of the various organizations involved in a national resource-sharing strategy, major factors that must be considered include the demographics of the population being served, the geography of the area involved, budgetary restrictions and evolving technologies. The strategy must satisfy local, regional and provincial requirements, serve the needs of libraries with and without sophisticated technology at their disposal, and consider possible partnerships to optimize resource-sharing effectiveness. The National Library of Canada has been building on a solid foundation of resource-sharing tradition. Following meetings and consultations across the country from 1985 to 1988 and the publication of Resource Sharing in Canada in 1990 and Canadian Resource Sharing: A Proposed Strategy and Plan in 1991, the Library has continued to develop a Canadian resource-sharing strategy by establishing a working group in 1993. The group was to review and update the plans, while taking into account the evolution of the information highway and other economic, political and societal changes. A discussion document that described a possible national resource-sharing vision was widely distributed early in 1994. Representatives from all parts of Canada and various types of libraries met in Vancouver in June 1994, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Canadian Library Association (CLA), to continue discussions and identify priorities. A meeting with francophone librarians took place in conjunction with the Association pour l'avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation (ASTED) meeting in Hull in October 1994. Both groups were asked to identify key resource-sharing issues and rank them in order of priority. While there were some differences in emphasis between the two groups, the main issues identified by both were: - Coordinated collection development, with particular reference to developing directories of collection strengths. - Union catalogues: centralized and/or decentralized, linked together via technology in ways that make it easy and economical for libraries to report holdings and access location information. - Delivery of information and material, particularly the development of standards and policies to ensure consistency of service, the creation of more full-text databases, the reconciliation of old procedures and new technologies, and the education of users on effective means of delivery. - Equitable access to information through the development of fast and efficient delivery methods. - Sharpened focus on service and access that results in interlibrary loan being recognized as a basic rather than an optional service. - Copyright issues, with particular reference to electronic publications and the reproduction of documents. - Libraries and their role on the information highway, with particular reference to organizing and archiving information on the Internet. "The National Library is now looking at the most effective ways of combining these priorities into an effective national strategy of resource sharing," says Resource- Sharing Officer Carrol Lunau. "A primary focus is to be on making interlibrary loan a basic rather than optional service. In addition to giving us a clearer idea of perceived needs and priorities, these meetings were very valuable in creating a better understanding among librarians of very different types of libraries. It is not often that a university librarian and a school librarian sit at the same meeting, for instance." The next step is for the National Library to integrate the results of the meetings and respond quickly to stated needs of the library community. "We are still open to feedback and discussion," Lunau says. "The National Library recognizes the urgency of using current technology to expedite resource sharing and is trying to provide the outlines for the broadest possible context for the strategy." Current work on ZAPP, the National Library's pilot project for implementation of the Z39.50 Search and Retrieve protocol in conjunction the Library's new bibliographic system, AMICUS, and the availability of the Library's Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) on the Internet will have a direct effect on resource-sharing strategy. So, too, will making subsections of the Union Catalogue available to libraries at a reasonable cost and ensuring that current information on resource-sharing activities is communicated quickly. These are some of the resource-sharing initiatives under way at the National Library. To improve communication on resource-sharing activities across the country, we have established a regular resource- sharing column in the National Library News. For instance, an upcoming column will identify some of the practical, concrete activities which the Library has undertaken in response to the resource-sharing priorities identified at the meetings. An updated and expanded version of the Canadian Inventory of Resource Sharing is to be published in print and electronic versions and will be available via the Library's gopher. "The 1990s has been identified by many as the decade for resource sharing," says Lunau. "As we reach the mid-point of the decade, Canada is well positioned to combine technologies and information services to assist all citizens in participating in the global community." ***** National Guidelines for Document Delivery by Carol Smale, Director, Resource-Sharing Services Recent research1 has indicated that interlibrary loan (ILL) service varies widely across Canada. Some libraries provide interlibrary loan as a standard service to their clients and attempt to acquire all requested materials for them as quickly as possible. Others actively discourage or even refuse ILL service to their clients. The majority of libraries lie somewhere between these two extremes. One of the reasons for this disparity may be a lack of understanding among library staff of exactly what is expected of them. Partly in response to this situation, and following a recommendation from a study done by Peat Marwick (see "Interlibrary Document Delivery Study", NL News, vol. 25, no. 6, June 1993, p. 6), the National Library has developed document delivery guidelines for libraries in Canada. The guidelines were established in consultation with members of the Canadian library community, and cover such topics as turnaround time, request transmission method, shipping and handling of materials, methods of delivery, and statistics, for both the borrowing and the lending library. They have been endorsed by the Canadian Library Association (CLA) and are being studied by the Association pour l'avancement des sciences et techniques de documentation (ASTED). Every library has its own particular clientele and resources, either or both of which may influence its choices in methods of document delivery and/or requesting. We hope that the guidelines will provide a base from which libraries can develop their own service standards, and will assist libraries in knowing what kind of service to expect from each other. The ultimate goal of ensuring that clients receive the documents they want as quickly as possible will be accomplished more efficiently than ever. The National Guidelines for Document Delivery are available free of charge to all Canadian libraries. If you have not already received a copy, you may request one from: Marketing and Publishing National Library of Canada Telephone: (613) 995-7969 Fax: (613) 991-9871 TTY: (613) 992-6969 Internet: publications@nlc-bnc.ca For more information or to comment on the Guidelines, please contact: Client Services Coordinator Interlibrary Loan Division National Library of Canada 395 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N4 Telephone: (613) 996-7527 Fax: (613) 996-4424 ENVOY 100: OONL.ILL.PEB TTY: (613) 992-6969 Internet: illser@nlc-bnc.ca 1 Françoise Hébert, "Service Quality: An Unobtrusive Investigation of Interlibrary Loan in Large Public Libraries in Canada", Library and Information Science Research, vol. 16, 1994, pp. 3-21. ***** The main purpose of this column " Resource Sharing: Making the Connections", is to share information so that those involved in resource sharing can learn from each other and ultimately provide improved services. Ideas for topics for future columns can be submitted to: Carrol Lunau National and International Programs National Library of Canada 395 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N4 Telephone: (613) 996-3262 Fax: (613) 947-2916 TTY: (613) 992-6969 Internet: carrol.lunau@nlc-bnc.ca ***** Faster Than...! If your library is located outside the more heavily populated areas of Ontario and Quebec, you have probably noticed a change in the National Library's document delivery service. In November 1994, the National Library began using Purolator Courier Ltd. to deliver interlibrary loan materials to libraries in most parts of Canada. This is part of our continuing effort to improve the speed and efficiency of document delivery to all Canadians. The delivery of materials from the National Library to libraries in most parts of Ontario and Quebec has always been relatively prompt. Most documents destined for these areas arrive at the requesting library one to three days after they leave the National Library. Truck and mail deliveries to other parts of the country, however, have frequently been slow and unreliable, often taking as long as 10 days. Purolator guarantees overnight delivery to most large centres and two-day delivery to all other parts of Canada. Under the terms of the agreement, Purolator will deliver photocopies, books, microforms and other interlibrary loan materials to all areas of Canada except those parts of Ontario and Quebec that are not covered by the agreement. Materials formerly sent by Priority Post and mail will now be sent via Purolator at the National Library's expense. Most libraries in Ontario and Quebec will continue to receive material from the National Library as they do now, except for institutions in some areas (e.g., Kapuskasing, Rouyn-Noranda) that may be eligible for Purolator service. Libraries may return materials borrowed from the National Library by the method of their choice. Delivery by fax and ARIEL will continue as appropriate. We will, of course, be evaluating the success of this service over the next year. If you have any comments, we would be very pleased to hear them. The National Library is committed to providing equitable service to its clients throughout the country. Our partnership with Purolator is one way in which we are trying to accomplish this goal. For more information concerning this service, contact: Client Services Coordinator Interlibrary Loan Division Research and Information Services National Library of Canada 395 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N4 Telephone: (613) 996-7527 Fax: (613) 996-4424 TTY: (613) 992-6969 ENVOY 100: OONL.ILL.PEB Internet: illser@nlc-bnc.ca ***** DID YOU KNOW... that the National Library has published a new edition of Canadian Translations? This compilation lists translations of monographs, pamphlets and brochures that were published in Canada and catalogued by the National Library of Canada during 1993 (government publications are not included). Most records contain the name of the author and translator, the title of the translation and the original work, and other bibliographical information. Canadian Translations is available in WordPerfect, version 5.1 (on 3 1/2" diskettes). Order from: Canada Communication Group - Publishing Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0S9 Telephone: (819) 956-4802 Fax: (819) 994-1498 Cat. no. SN21/1993-MR ISBN 0-660-59661-X Price: $19.95 (Canada), $25.90 (elsewhere) ***** DID YOU KNOW... that the National Library of Canada has compiled a list of Canadian books in large print that were published with the assistance of the National Library's Large Print Publishing Program? Books such as Barometer Rising by Hugh MacLennan, How to Saw Wood with an Angel by Gertrude Story, Shakespeare's Dog by Leon Rooke, Jean Vanier et l'Arche: une communion dans l'amour by Kathryn Spink and others are now available from various publishers. If you would like to receive a free list of the books available, contact: National Library of Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N4, telephone: (613) 995-7969, fax (613) 991-9871, TTY: (613) 992-6969, Internet: publications@nlc-bnc.ca The list is also available on the National Library's gopher server at Internet gopher.nlc-bnc.ca ***** One Step Ahead of the Client by Margo Wiper, Director, Marketing and Publishing Adapted from a paper presented at the Association pour l'avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation (ASTED) Conference held in Hull in the fall of 1994, which focussed on the theme of power and creativity. With the impact of constant change in the fields of information and telecommunications and the ongoing budget cuts affecting all levels of government as well as the private sector, not a day goes by that libraries are not asked to justify their relevance, if not their existence. Consequently they have had to propose innovative ways of carrying out their responsibilities, and they have had to do so with drastically reduced human and financial resources. There are also other major trends that influence the library's ability to offer its products and services in this kind of environment. Here are a few of them: the global market, the increase in requests for information, greater use of informatics and telecommunications in various applications, and, finally, the choices the client is offered in terms of presentation, product range, and availability of value-added services. "The Information Age" has become an accepted term to describe the increasingly technological nature of our society. And what can one say about technology? Just a few years ago, clients would either visit a library or see their librarians to discuss their information needs. Sometimes the documents were directly accessible and the customer could leave with them immediately; if not, the client was prepared to wait until the requested material arrived from another source. A wait of two or three weeks was normal when dealing with a library. Result: a satisfied client. Then came computers, fax machines and other technological innovations, and requests and complaints also began to come in at an alarming rate. The client mistakenly assumed that a request for information or any other library product or service could be satisfied as quickly as the electronic information request was made. Result: a dissatisfied client. Your clients are now aware of the purely technical capabilities of recent technological developments. But what the librarian sees is a world of constant change in which nothing stays the same. It is not a matter of denying change or adjusting to a new environment, but of realizing that change means acquiring expertise in a new field and committing funds for the purchase of new materials to better respond to our clients' expectations. Unfortunately, we have very little money for training or the acquisition of these new technologies. Speaking now of the information highway, not only does the client want information immediately, it now must be customized, condensed and supported by the library's information expert. In this world of instant communication, the client can now consult library catalogues the world over from a workstation, whether at home or at the office, and immediately know the location of the desired document. It is no longer necessary to go to the library to do research in the library's holdings. One of the first articles I read while preparing this paper was an excerpt from a 1974 publication by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, entitled Library and Information Service Needs of the Nation, the introduction of which reads as follows: "It is commonplace these days to say that library and information services must be attuned to the needs of the people. It is also commonplace to say that these information needs are not well understood and that we must develop greater understanding of them, if we are to fulfill them. "In the intervening years, researchers have written volumes on information needs, the federal government has funded hundreds of library projects designed to meet user needs, and there has been a much greater thrust toward making library service more responsible to users. "The challenge facing libraries is not only to learn how to identify information needs, but also to create new services and reshape existing service delivery patterns around these extraordinarily diverse needs." This statement still holds true in 1994. The key areas identified in 1974 were: - services must respond to people's needs; - library services must be placed at users' disposal; - the challenge facing libraries is to provide this service without additional resources. The same observations were made in a recent study of federal government libraries conducted by the National Library of Canada and the Council of Federal Libraries. This study identified the following as key areas and the focus for its recommendations: - client-oriented services; - improvement of organization and networking; - maximal and flexible use of resources. The only difference between these two examples is that in 1974 they referred to "people" and "users", whereas in 1994 we refer to "the client". But the same client-service factors still exist today. Libraries in 1974 wanted to concentrate their efforts on clients and their needs, and libraries in 1994 continue to do so. Services must focus on user needs rather than library processes, and must include the possibility for users to obtain information on their own. Libraries are an investment in human and information resources in response to user needs. But libraries must ensure that these resources are used. And this leads us to the marketing of library services. Marketing library services is a priority and it must be dynamic. Libraries should make effective use of market studies so as to be familiar with their clients and the services they require. On this basis, libraries should design new products and services, and measure and evaluate their services in terms of client needs. Marketing is applicable to the entire life cycle of product and service delivery, from creation to evaluation. Through marketing, libraries can customize their products and services so as to meet the needs of key client groups, in accordance with the priorities of their organizations. One must always take into account the two basic principles of marketing. The first is, know your own market. To do this, you must establish an information system about that market. Seem complicated? Not at all! You can collect information about your market by answering a few of these vital questions: Who are your clients? What are the specific needs of your clients? Who are your competitors? and so on. The second basic principle of marketing has to do with your client's perception of your services. It is the client who decides on the degree of service or the quality of what you are offering. Your clients' perceptions of value received must be the common criterion on which the evaluation of all your organization's activities is based. It is particularly important to identify "the client" when the organization is a large one, offering many services in thinly segmented markets. It is not enough to know what to listen to; one must also know what to ask. Clients' perceptions are based on very personal experiences. The client who says that your organization is weak in communication may be thinking of a disagreeable telephone call, periodic frustration over a poorly written manual, or any combination of a dozen other things. You know what they mean only when you ask them the right questions. On the basis of general comments gleaned from letters, telephone calls, comment sheets and order forms, it is possible to identify a whole series of client attitudes and experiences that concern your products and services, such as interlibrary loans, reference and communications. Whether you make use of one of these approaches or have worked out distinctive methods for your own purposes, the process involves developing a variety of methods for continually surveying your clients. It is what can be called "active listening": giving your organization plenty of opportunities for inspiration derived from client ideas and experiences, then taking every possible advantage of every meeting you have with a client who has something important to say. And then you take action! Listening is only half the exercise. Now you must make use of what you learn so that you are one step ahead. There is a fundamental premise which holds that your clients' perception of quality applies to everything that your organization does. The sole purpose of your library is to satisfy your clients. Excellence, or peak performance, is achieved when you move beyond mere client satisfaction. Too often, the client's characteristics, attributes or expectations of the service are not consistent with the organization's priorities. To meet the challenges facing them, libraries will have to adopt radically new management methods in the coming years. A revolution in the information field is now occurring throughout the country. Those who play a part in it will be carried on the wave of success. Those who cling to the old ways will be left out. The rallying cries of those participating in the revolution are increasingly vehement: client satisfaction, excellence of client service, priority attention to the client, and total quality management. Whatever their management methods, all of the leading-edge libraries recognize the necessity of giving priority to the principle that clients must receive more for their money. It is not possible to do business without a clientele. If you do not give your clients their money's worth, they will have no good reason to choose your library from among the growing number of competitors jostling each other in every sector of the market. Because technologies are evolving so rapidly, a product's life cycle is becoming shorter and shorter, and libraries will continue to find it difficult to keep their competitive advantage. Today's innovation quickly becomes yesterday's old news. All the books dealing with organizational efficiency mention that getting closer to the clientele is one of the key elements of excellence. Above all, they underscore the need to make services more flexible and to adapt them to increasingly diversified client needs. Clients are more demanding, intransigent and critical with regard to services received, especially as they find that they are paying more and more, often too much, for what they are getting. Clients have understood that they have the power to express their dissatisfaction and to exert pressure as never before. Clients are demanding not only that competent professionals handle their requests, but they also want these professionals to be human and to listen. The new technology requires that we place greater emphasis on client service. Knowledge of the quality of the service we provide to the public is an essential condition for good management. As service providers, you are on the front line in this process. In his book The Third Wave, Alvin Toffler says that libraries must decide whether they will be submerged by the tidal wave of change in this new Information Age, or whether they will learn to change too late, at their cost. In this dynamic environment, will libraries find themselves a market niche fast enough to guarantee themselves at least some role, if not the role of information leaders? Certain libraries are reinventing their operating rules to succeed in this new environment. To do this, they must be alert; they must experiment and get the market's reaction to their experiments so that they can survive and prosper, and also determine which services are used by whom and why. The challenge, of course, is to channel our energies towards the future, while doing excellent work to meet the information needs of today with the types of media available and our current information resources. Some libraries feel that when a new service is launched, such as selective home or office access to the library catalogue, the library is beginning to realize part of its potential service to a population which had not used the library before. As other information services and sources become better known to the population, the library will find that it is on the verge of losing some of its most loyal supporters, simply because there now exist more practical and more relevant sources that can be used for information access. The objectives of the library of the future should therefore be to increase, improve and refine access to the library collection and to other related information sources, to improve the effectiveness of library operations, and to acquire the expertise necessary to respond to client needs. Efforts to change can be compared to a parade. Basically, three groups participate: the limited number of people actually in the parade, the more important group of people who are watching the parade, and the vast majority of people who say "What parade?" With regard to efforts to improve service or its quality, any organization that does not know there is a parade has either been operating in a cave for the past decade or does not care about its future. For those who are leading the parade, improvements to service and quality have contributed to almost incredible levels of growth, cost reduction and profitability. For the constantly growing crowd who is watching the parade, learning and waiting to join in, improvements to service and quality are certainly the means to survival in a world of dramatic change. The only reason your library exists is to satisfy your clients. What is more, you will attain excellence by ensuring that your clients are not only satisfied, but delighted. Copies of the complete text of this speech are available free from: Marketing and Publishing National Library of Canada 395 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N4 Telephone: (613) 995-7969 Fax: (613) 991-9871 TTY: (613) 992-6969 Internet: publications@nlc-bnc.ca ***** Dynix Acquisitions Module Now in Operation On October 25, 1994, the National Library officially implemented the Dynix Acquisitions module in Acquisitions and Bibliographic Services. Staff members of the Canadiana Acquisitions Division and the Selection and Acquisitions Division have worked long hours with other staff members of the National Library and Dynix personnel to ensure that the installation and operation of the module would go smoothly, and their efforts have been rewarded. This notable occasion gave Library staff members and special guests Marianne Scott, the National Librarian, and Ron Passmore, President of Dynix Canada, a chance to comment on the automation of the Library's services. The former noted: "With the implementation of the Acquisitions module, this completes the implementation of the four modules of the Dynix system acquired by the National Library: OPAC, Circulation, Serials Control, and Acquisitions. These automated applications will provide support to the operational areas of the Library." The Library's services to clients will improve since information on titles acquired through legal deposit, orders, gifts or exchange become accessible at an earlier stage in the acquisitions process. In addition, the Dynix Acquisitions module should enable the Library to accommodate an increase in the number and variety of Canadian publications, and thus to better fulfill its mandate to collect and make accessible Canadiana. Congratulations and thanks to all those who have worked on the Dynix implementation project! ***** Spotlight on... Opening of MacMillan Exhibition by Randall Ware, Public Programs As any event organizer can attest, good planning and good luck are the two elements necessary for the creation of a good event. Both played a role in the opening of our major exhibition, "Sir Ernest MacMillan (1893-1973): Portrait of a Canadian Musician", on Monday, October 17. We had decided that we wanted more than just the usual speeches and reception and, to that end, had hired the principal strings of Ottawa's Thirteen Strings to perform several of MacMillan's compositions. Their 35-minute mini- concert included several of his folksong settings, a fugue, and one movement of his string quartet. Many audience members commented favourably upon both the quality of the playing and the compositions themselves. Having planned to include live music, we had the good luck to be able to make Ezra Schabas's just-published biography of Sir Ernest, The Importance of Being Canadian, part of the event. The University of Toronto Press agreed to send Mr. Schabas to Ottawa for the opening. He spoke for ten minutes about the book and Sir Ernest's life, and autographed copies of the book later for his many admirers. We also had the opportunity to launch the new Analekta recording that features MacMillan as both composer and conductor. Mario Labbé, President of Analekta, was on hand to offer the first copy of the CD to National Librarian Marianne Scott. The recording was produced with the considerable assistance of the Library's Music Division and the Marketing and Publishing office (see "Sir Ernest MacMillan: Portrait", National Library News, vol. 26, no. 12, December 1994, pp. 8-9). One of the reasons that this opening was so special was that a number of MacMillan family members, including Sir Ernest's son Ross and his wife Gwen, Pat MacMillan (wife of Sir Ernest's late son, Keith), grand-children and great- grandchildren, were present. Speaking on behalf of the family, Ross MacMillan said that the occasion was a moving experience. Finally, Marianne Scott invited everyone to join her in viewing the exhibition itself, which illuminates and pays tribute to a great Canadian. We were pleased by the program that we had created and, clearly, our audience was as well. ***** DID YOU KNOW... that records for all music materials catalogued by the National Library since 1972 are now available on DOBIS? This improved accessibility is one of the results of a recon project that lasted almost three years and involved inputting more than 12 000 records and matching almost 4 000 items to records already in DOBIS. Records for sound recordings accounted for almost half of the completed project, which covered music monographs, scores and recordings in various formats. ***** End of text .