11/3/99

James Robinson, News Service (650) 723-5675; e-mail: jamesrob@stanford.edu

Stanford libraries receive three state grants

The California State Library has awarded Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources three Library Services and Technology Act grants for 1999-2000, Stanford University Librarian Michael Keller announced today. The three grants, which total more than $700,000, support projects that use Stanford resources to model new methodologies for the delivery of library services throughout California.

One grant funds the Stanford-California State Library Institute on 21st-Century Librarianship, a joint venture between the Stanford University Libraries and the California State Library. The focus of the institute is to provide information and training to working library staff that will give them tools ­ particularly in areas of information technology ­ to elevate the quality of services they provide to library users, and to help develop library leaders and managers, particularly in areas of planning for technological change. The institute will hold its first weeklong residential summer program on the Stanford campus in August 2000.

"There are a host of issues to look into, and while there are obvious differences between, say, a place like Stanford and a public library system, most of the big issues ­ the profound stuff ­ apply to both. This will be increasingly apparent as we move further into the digital age," said Keller, who has been closely involved in the development of the institute concept. He said a vital component of the institute is the mix of librarians from different types of institutions and from other parts of the world.

"We hope that cross-fertilization of ideas and solutions, intensive interaction among participants and lasting informal ties will be among the distinctive qualities of the program," he said.

State Librarian Kevin Starr said the grant "represents a considerable investment on behalf of Stanford University and the California State Library and demonstrates our strong commitment to the success of the project."

More information about the institute is available at http://institute21.stanford.edu.

The Digital Delivery of Interlibrary Loan Monographs grant will help model new methods for sharing resources. By providing digital delivery of out-of-copyright (or non-copyrighted) materials requested by other libraries, the project will aid in the day-to-day work of interlibrary loans and contribute to the longer term goal of building digital collections. The grant may make possible interlibrary loan circulation of previously non-circulating materials and thus extend the range of materials available for interlibrary loan.

Another grant will support the development of a statewide California Preservation Clearinghouse that will provide information about preservation and disaster preparedness. The clearinghouse will establish a website at Stanford to disseminate preservation resources, establish an e-mail forum for online discussion of preservation issues, develop a database of California disaster preparedness and response resources, and develop information products.

"Basically, these grants enable Stanford to share its resources in ways we could not subsidize on our own. Both the institute and the Preservation Clearinghouse will build off of the resources of Stanford and contribute to the overall development of library services," Keller said. "The digital interlibrary loan program will broaden access to the marvelous resources of our own libraries."

Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources (SUL/AIR) develops and implements resources and services within the university libraries and academic technology units that support research and instruction. With collections containing more than 7 million volumes and numerous archival, manuscript, map, media, government document, database and serial materials among its 14 libraries, SUL/AIR coordinates with Stanford's Business, Law, Medical and SLAC libraries and the Hoover Institution to provide comprehensive information resources to the Stanford community. The Academic Information Resources division provides information-technology support and instruction and network services to the entire campus community, whether in the libraries or in the dorms. SUL/AIR's HighWire Press division provides advanced online publication and access services to more than 150 of the world's leading peer-reviewed scholarly journals in science, technology and medicine, and thus is significantly involved in the provision of information to the world's research and academic communities.

The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) is a federal grant program administered in California by the State Librarian. Each year the State Librarian awards grants on a competitive basis. Successful projects begin on Oct. 1 of each federally specified grant year and conclude on Sept. 30 of the following year. For additional information contact Jay Cunningham, LSTA Coordinator, at (916) 653-8112, or e-mail jcunning@library.ca.gov.

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