Asia-Pacific Library Advisory Committee (APLAC)

Minutes of the meeting held on 13 June 2006, 11.15am
Library Meetings Room, R G Menzies Building.

Present:  Kent Anderson, Chris Ballard, Richard Barz, Kathy Collier, Vic Elliott (chair), Yusaku Horiuchi, Sue Kosse, Tana Li, Ewan Maidment, Roald Maliangkay, Amelia McKenzie, Barbara Nelson, Kirill Nourzhanov, Renata Osborne, Benjamin Penny, Ian Proudfoot, Nicholas Tapp, McComas Taylor, Karen Visser, Zhao Zhongwei

Apologies: Jenny Corbett, Geremie Barme, Colin Jeffcott, Ken Wells, Robert Cribb, Robin Jeffrey

  1. Minutes of Previous Meeting and Matters Arising

Minutes of the previous meeting were accepted.
Kirill Nourzhanov reported that a donation of $3000 from CAIS was made to the Library to support Middle East library purchases.  Vic Elliott expressed the Library’s appreciation.

  1. Division of Information Update

Vic Elliott reported on the following developments:

    1. Integrated Library Management System
    2. An automated Interlibrary Loans/Document Delivery system will be launched in the 2nd semester.  The new system will allow the user to track requests, and receive email notification regarding their requests
    3. Metafind – a cross-database search facility will be launched in the 2nd semester
    4. Work is underway to implement an automated system to manage the Library’s 300+ licence agreements with vendors in relation to electronic resource access.
    5. Vic Elliott confirmed that Library Advisory Committees will continue under the University’s College structure. 
    6. Pacific Information Services (Pasifika)

ICEAPS (International Centre of Excellence for Asia Pacific Studies) funding was obtained through the Pacific Centre (RSPAS) towards the establishment of a study space in the Menzies Library dedicated to Pacific Islands information and resources. 
Funding was also provided for the employment of a temporary part-time Pacific librarian to catalogue donated material from ANU Pacific scholars.

    1. Menzies Opening Hours

Menzies will extend its opening hours from semester 2, 2006.   The new semester opening hours will be: 
8.30am – 7.00pm (Monday to Thursday)
8.30am – 5.00pm (Friday)
1.00pm – 5.00pm (Saturday & Sunday)

4.   Access and Collection (A&C) Budget
The 2006 A&C budget was tabled. 
Vic Elliott explained that the 2006 A&C allocations of $8M included a one-off $.5M internal transfer from the Division of Information.  This supplementation will not be repeated in 2007.  Vic will seek to increase the Library’s levy from academic programs by $.5M to maintain this level of funding.   
Renata Osborne tabled updates on the status of 2005 acquisitions of:

  1. expensive items
  2. new subscriptions/cancellations/transfers
  3. purchases from discretionary funds

Follow-up action was noted for 2 items:
-  Subscription to online version of Encyclopaedia of Islam
-  Cancellation of the The Qur'an and its interpreters
Proposals for new journal subscriptions, journal cancellations, and expensive items were tabled for review and decision.
Kent Anderson offered to partially fund from his research budget the purchase of certain expensive Japanese language items, which the Library gratefully acknowledged.
5.   Space and Store
Vic reported on the Library’s plan for an off-site storage facility in Hume in order to alleviate the space crisis in all Library buildings.  The aim is to reduce shelf occupancy in library buildings to 75%, to allow for future growth and to provide more teaching and leaning in library buildings.  Vic emphasized that the Library will provide a retrieval and copying service from Hume.  There will be facilities at Store for users.
Vic foreshadowed a special APLAC meeting later in the year to discuss off-campus storage.
6.   Any Other Business
There was no other business.
The meeting closed at 12.30pm