EPIC News

Latest news:

Seeking EPIC Sub-Consortia E-Resource Recommendations

EPIC is responding to a mandate by its members to expand the range of e-resources currently offered to the EPIC consortium. Up until now EPIC has pursued subscriptions to e-resources that have wide relevance to New Zealanders in multiple library sectors by negotiating ‘all of country’ licences to these products.

As well as continuing the ‘all of country’ approach to procurement, EPIC would like to provide members with additional content options tailored to specific interests and/or library sectors by negotiating and administering sub-consortia licences with e-resource vendors on behalf of smaller groups of interested libraries.

EPIC is seeking recommendations from all New Zealand Libraries of e-resources that they would be interested in subscribing to as part of an EPIC administered sub-consortia.

As part of your recommendation, you will be asked why you are recommending the e-resource. This question is to gauge the potential to attract other libraries to join a sub-consortia group.
Recommendations can also be submitted on behalf of more than one library/organisation, provided that you have permission from the organisation/s you are submitting on behalf of.

Libraries/organisations do not have to be current EPIC members to make sub-consortia recommendations and they will not have to subscribe to an existing EPIC package to be included in EPIC administered sub-consortia.

Your recommendations will help EPIC to identify potential sub-consortia products. Once potential products have been established, EPIC will widely publicise our intention to negotiate sub-consortia subscription arrangements for the e-resource/s (the contact person named in sub-consortia e-resource recommendations will receive individual e-mail notifications) and libraries will be asked to express their interest in joining the sub-consortia. This indication of interest is necessary (but not binding) as in order for EPIC to be able to negotiate beneficial licensing terms, a minimum level of demand will need to be demonstrated to vendors.

If the threshold for interest in a product is reached and the vendor responsible is willing, then EPIC will begin consortia negotiations. Libraries will be directly notified about which e-resources EPIC will negotiate for the provision of and EPIC will also provide regular updates about the negotiation progress.

If you are interested in recommending e-resources as EPIC sub-consortia products, please complete the EPIC Sub-Consortia E-Resource Recommendation form

For further information please email the EPIC Manager, Paula Banks at epic@epic.org.nz or phone 04 4743058

EPIC - ITS FUTURE DIRECTIONS

WHY A REVIEW?

EPIC arose in 2004 from a library community initiative to establish a collaborative vehicle to facilitate ‘all of country’ licenses to quality online content deemed to be of wide relevance to New Zealanders in multiple library sectors. The consortium has been very successful in this core role of providing affordable access to subscription databases (a key part of the ‘invisible’ Web) transforming the landscape for smaller libraries in particular. It has often been cited as an example of the benefits of collaboration to address issues of digital exclusion. Since EPIC’s inception members and their use of the resources have continued to grow, additional resources have been added, and new initiatives and services introduced. Its very success has however raised expectations as to EPIC’s role.

Members have suggested EPIC should:

Expand the scope of e-resource procurement beyond the broad ‘national’ sets of resources, to meet the more specific needs of select groups of libraries
Provide additional technical assistance and training support to ensure that members can access and use the e-resources effectively
Assist members to interpret and promote the e-resources to their users
Provide modes of access that enhance the ‘discovery’ of the content of these resources, such as federated search.

Such emergent pressures provoked a tension between the sum of expectations and the capacity for a small not-for-profit consortium to sustainably meet these. Recognising this growing tension, the EPIC Governance Group (EGG) initiated an in-depth review of EPIC’s future directions.

WHAT WE DID

A contractor was commissioned in May 2008 to provide an independent review of the current operating model and evaluate this in the context of other options, investigating how EPIC would need to change operationally to meet procurement and service expectations and yet remain economically viable. This review aimed to include surveys of current and potential members, other key stakeholders, the e-resource vendors, and a comparative analysis of selected NZ and international consortia.

The surveys were undertaken in Jun - Aug 2008 and the contractor’s report on options submitted in October. Response from members indicated a strong strand of goodwill and support for EPIC but demonstrated that many libraries continue to find it challenging to make (or get their users to make) full or effective use of the resources. It also confirmed that there was wide interest in the provision of additional content tailored to specific interests and sectors i.e. not all of country. The survey of other consortia emphasised that EPIC is somewhat unique as a national, multi-sector consortium for collaborative procurement. This uniqueness makes more complex the assessment of EPIC’s future directions.

The review also made evident the less visible factors that contribute to EPIC’s ongoing viability: support for EPIC from NLNZ as the lead agency, a significant volunteer contribution to its governance, and the willingness of many (larger) member libraries to support EPIC as a contribution to the public good.

Initial review results and thoughts as to a way ahead were presented to a Members meeting at the 2008 LIANZA Conference. Two broad options under consideration were outlined. Both included expansion of procurement from the current national site licences to include negotiations for optional content of potential interest to select groups of libraries, while continuing with centralised billing and support for the promotion of resources. A more basic ‘broker’ option proposed no help desk or training support, while a ‘broker and facilitator’ option offered retention of helpdesk and training support to contribute to effective resource use. The latter of course specified higher administrative overheads. Those present at the meeting appeared to favour the ‘broker and facilitator’ option.

Early in Dec 2008 a meeting of the EGG consolidated these potential directions and agreed to focus on the continued procurement of ‘core’, national content and to procure new optional content to meet selected needs. The EGG also recommended that EPIC should investigate delivering training and other support activities through stronger collaborative partnerships with others in the library community and vendors. There was an acceptance that to remain viable, EPIC members would have to become more self sufficient in resolving technical, training and marketing issues. A redeveloped EPIC website was considered a key strategy to assist this end.

THE WAY AHEAD

The Review has confirmed that EPIC should, on behalf of its members:

Continue to undertake negotiations with vendors
Manage e-resource contracts
Provide single billing for vendors (thus reducing costs for both members and vendors)
Confirm NLNZ in its essential support role as lead agency
Expand its e-resources procurement to include optional content, likely to come from members’ suggestions from 2009/10
Re-evaluate the existing content packages, over the longer term, to determine whether they can be made more flexible to better match members’ needs, while retaining their favourable pricing
Rebuild the EPIC website, to offer easily accessible advice and support to resolve members’ day-to-day technical issues, as well as provide promotional and training materials on the use of EPIC’s e-resources
Explore the potential to work in partnership with other library organisations, agencies and vendors to collaboratively deliver training services
Continue to liaise and work with other organisations related to libraries and digital content initiatives, ensuring that respective roles are clear and efforts are not duplicated.

EPIC is now completing a phase of negotiations with vendors whose contracts fell due for renegotiation. The next step will be to enter into a period of member commitment for the renewal of all EPIC subscriptions.

Since the completion of the Review the external environment has changed adversely. The sharp drop in the NZ$ against the US$ has significantly raised procurement costs for the consortium. Currency fluctuation has emphasised the need for EPIC to remain flexible in its approach to delivery of resources and services. In response to this, EPIC has developed a new cost-modelling tool to assist in such exploration and adaptation.

EPIC welcomes member feedback on and participation in the development of the consortium’s role and directions.

Chair / EPIC Governance Group

Feedback to: epic@epic.org.nz

For previous news:

Visit the news archive for previous updates.

If you are an EPIC Member Library, subscribe to the EPIC-L email list for all information and announcements about your consortium.


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	EPIC News Latest news: Seeking EPIC Sub-Consortia E-Resource Recommendations EPIC is responding to a mandate by its members to expand the range of e-resources currently offered to the EPIC consortium. Up until now EPIC has pursued subscriptions to e-resources that have wide relevance to New Zealanders in multiple library sectors by negotiating ‘all of country’ licences to these products. As well as continuing the ‘all of country’ approach to procurement, EPIC would like to provide members with additional content options tailored to specific interests and/or library sectors by negotiating and administering sub-consortia licences with e-resource vendors on behalf of smaller groups of interested libraries. EPIC is seeking recommendations from all New Zealand Libraries of e-resources that they would be interested in subscribing to as part of an EPIC administered sub-consortia. As part of your recommendation, you will be asked why you are recommending the e-resource. This question is to gauge the potential to attract other libraries to join a sub-consortia group. Recommendations can also be submitted on behalf of more than one library/organisation, provided that you have permission from the organisation/s you are submitting on behalf of. Libraries/organisations do not have to be current EPIC members to make sub-consortia recommendations and they will not have to subscribe to an existing EPIC package to be included in EPIC administered sub-consortia. Your recommendations will help EPIC to identify potential sub-consortia products. Once potential products have been established, EPIC will widely publicise our intention to negotiate sub-consortia subscription arrangements for the e-resource/s (the contact person named in sub-consortia e-resource recommendations will receive individual e-mail notifications) and libraries will be asked to express their interest in joining the sub-consortia. This indication of interest is necessary (but not binding) as in order for EPIC to be able to negotiate beneficial licensing terms, a minimum level of demand will need to be demonstrated to vendors. If the threshold for interest in a product is reached and the vendor responsible is willing, then EPIC will begin consortia negotiations. Libraries will be directly notified about which e-resources EPIC will negotiate for the provision of and EPIC will also provide regular updates about the negotiation progress. If you are interested in recommending e-resources as EPIC sub-consortia products, please complete the EPIC Sub-Consortia E-Resource Recommendation form For further information please email the EPIC Manager, Paula Banks at epic@epic.org.nz or phone 04 4743058 EPIC - ITS FUTURE DIRECTIONS WHY A REVIEW? EPIC arose in 2004 from a library community initiative to establish a collaborative vehicle to facilitate ‘all of country’ licenses to quality online content deemed to be of wide relevance to New Zealanders in multiple library sectors. The consortium has been very successful in this core role of providing affordable access to subscription databases (a key part of the ‘invisible’ Web) transforming the landscape for smaller libraries in particular. It has often been cited as an example of the benefits of collaboration to address issues of digital exclusion. Since EPIC’s inception members and their use of the resources have continued to grow, additional resources have been added, and new initiatives and services introduced. Its very success has however raised expectations as to EPIC’s role. Members have suggested EPIC should: Expand the scope of e-resource procurement beyond the broad ‘national’ sets of resources, to meet the more specific needs of select groups of libraries Provide additional technical assistance and training support to ensure that members can access and use the e-resources effectively Assist members to interpret and promote the e-resources to their users Provide modes of access that enhance the ‘discovery’ of the content of these resources, such as federated search. Such emergent pressures provoked a tension between the sum of expectations and the capacity for a small not-for-profit consortium to sustainably meet these. Recognising this growing tension, the EPIC Governance Group (EGG) initiated an in-depth review of EPIC’s future directions. WHAT WE DID A contractor was commissioned in May 2008 to provide an independent review of the current operating model and evaluate this in the context of other options, investigating how EPIC would need to change operationally to meet procurement and service expectations and yet remain economically viable. This review aimed to include surveys of current and potential members, other key stakeholders, the e-resource vendors, and a comparative analysis of selected NZ and international consortia. The surveys were undertaken in Jun - Aug 2008 and the contractor’s report on options submitted in October. Response from members indicated a strong strand of goodwill and support for EPIC but demonstrated that many libraries continue to find it challenging to make (or get their users to make) full or effective use of the resources. It also confirmed that there was wide interest in the provision of additional content tailored to specific interests and sectors i.e. not all of country. The survey of other consortia emphasised that EPIC is somewhat unique as a national, multi-sector consortium for collaborative procurement. This uniqueness makes more complex the assessment of EPIC’s future directions. The review also made evident the less visible factors that contribute to EPIC’s ongoing viability: support for EPIC from NLNZ as the lead agency, a significant volunteer contribution to its governance, and the willingness of many (larger) member libraries to support EPIC as a contribution to the public good. Initial review results and thoughts as to a way ahead were presented to a Members meeting at the 2008 LIANZA Conference. Two broad options under consideration were outlined. Both included expansion of procurement from the current national site licences to include negotiations for optional content of potential interest to select groups of libraries, while continuing with centralised billing and support for the promotion of resources. A more basic ‘broker’ option proposed no help desk or training support, while a ‘broker and facilitator’ option offered retention of helpdesk and training support to contribute to effective resource use. The latter of course specified higher administrative overheads. Those present at the meeting appeared to favour the ‘broker and facilitator’ option. Early in Dec 2008 a meeting of the EGG consolidated these potential directions and agreed to focus on the continued procurement of ‘core’, national content and to procure new optional content to meet selected needs. The EGG also recommended that EPIC should investigate delivering training and other support activities through stronger collaborative partnerships with others in the library community and vendors. There was an acceptance that to remain viable, EPIC members would have to become more self sufficient in resolving technical, training and marketing issues. A redeveloped EPIC website was considered a key strategy to assist this end. THE WAY AHEAD The Review has confirmed that EPIC should, on behalf of its members: Continue to undertake negotiations with vendors Manage e-resource contracts Provide single billing for vendors (thus reducing costs for both members and vendors) Confirm NLNZ in its essential support role as lead agency Expand its e-resources procurement to include optional content, likely to come from members’ suggestions from 2009/10 Re-evaluate the existing content packages, over the longer term, to determine whether they can be made more flexible to better match members’ needs, while retaining their favourable pricing Rebuild the EPIC website, to offer easily accessible advice and support to resolve members’ day-to-day technical issues, as well as provide promotional and training materials on the use of EPIC’s e-resources Explore the potential to work in partnership with other library organisations, agencies and vendors to collaboratively deliver training services Continue to liaise and work with other organisations related to libraries and digital content initiatives, ensuring that respective roles are clear and efforts are not duplicated. EPIC is now completing a phase of negotiations with vendors whose contracts fell due for renegotiation. The next step will be to enter into a period of member commitment for the renewal of all EPIC subscriptions. Since the completion of the Review the external environment has changed adversely. The sharp drop in the NZ$ against the US$ has significantly raised procurement costs for the consortium. Currency fluctuation has emphasised the need for EPIC to remain flexible in its approach to delivery of resources and services. In response to this, EPIC has developed a new cost-modelling tool to assist in such exploration and adaptation. EPIC welcomes member feedback on and participation in the development of the consortium’s role and directions. Chair / EPIC Governance Group Feedback to: epic@epic.org.nz For previous news: Visit the news archive for previous updates. If you are an EPIC Member Library, subscribe to the EPIC-L email list for all information and announcements about your consortium.