2001 in review

Monash University Library successfully implemented a number of significant initiatives during 2001. Key advances in support of the University's research, teaching and learning, collaborative and global activities included:

• Establishment of the Digitisation Centre within the Library at Clayton campus to enable copying and scanning at a centralised location of materials requested by lecturers and others for teaching and learning purposes. To ensure copyright compliance, a database of all items copied is maintained and is accessible through the public access Voyager library catalogue.
• The opening of the Monash South Africa Campus Library, a newly built and fully equipped print and electronic library, in January 2001 at Roodepoort. The resources and facilities were planned and established by staff from the Monash University Library in Clayton, Australia.
• Matheson Annexe - The Library's first flexible learning space, the Matheson Annexe, a refurbished area within the Matheson Library at Clayton campus, opened in April 2001. The Annexe remains open for extended hours during evenings and weekends once the main library building has closed.
• Joint appointment by Monash and Melbourne universities of an Indonesian specialist Senior Asian Studies Librarian under the Melbourne-Monash protocol. The staff member, based in Monash University Library, will work in the relevant libraries at both universities.
• Library Portal - The Library has developed software specifications for a single search interface to enable library users to search and retrieve information within its analogue and digital resources. A contract has been drawn up with a supplier to trial the product in early 2002.
• Subscription to ScienceDirect fulltext collection of electronic journals published by Reed Elsevier, through a consortium of five of the Group of Eight university libraries. The journals, some of which were not held previously by Monash University Library, add significantly to the Library's digital research resources.
• The integration of Monash University Library's Alfred Hospital Sub Branch Library with the libraries of the Baker Medical Research Institute, the Macfarlane Burnet Centre and the Alfred Hospital to form the Ian Potter Library which will provide services to the Alfred Medical Research Precinct including staff and students of the Monash Medical School.
• The integration of the Library of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Parkville campus into the Monash University Library system from the start of 2001.
• Active participation in the AARLIN (Australian Academic Research Library Network) Portal Project which received further funding in 2001 from the Department of Education, Science and Technology's Systemic Infrastructure Initiative.
• Participation in the national borrowing scheme known as "University Library Australia". Students and staff from AVCC member universities are eligible to borrow from any Australian university library.

Progress was made on a number of projects under the banner of the Monash University Library 2020 Plan. These projects are directly related to the nine core directions/capabilities identified at a library staff retreat in November 2000 and include:

• Development of the library portal
• Development of a plan for a delivery mechanism for analogue materials
• A pilot project for subject librarians to spend time in the faculties
• Identification of courses which include library teaching sessions as background for determining core information literacy modules
• Development of the flexible learning space in the Matheson Library and the planned introduction of similar space usage at Caulfield Library
• Initial planning of a program of customer service training for all library staff, including identification of core services that all users should expect to receive at all sites
• Pilot project of Live Help real time reference assistance using NetMeeting
• Extended hours provision of voice services to library users, including offcampus students
• Implementation of Melbourne-Monash "One Library" projects including planning of a trial of intercampus borrowing between the University of Melbourne libraries at Parkville campus and the Law, Hargrave-Andrew and Matheson Libraries at Monash's Clayton campus.
• A draft marketing framework to enable more effective promotion of library activities by relevant staff.

Library Visitors

Visitors continued to come in large numbers to the six Victorian library sites to borrow print materials and to access electronic information. In 2001, over 2.5 million visits were recorded, an 9.1% increase over 2000. Numbers increased from 2,358,852 in 2000 to 2,574,846 in 2001.

Senior Library Staff Changes

The University Librarian, Professor Edward Lim, retired in December 2001. The Deputy University Librarian, Hans Groenewegen retired on 31 October 2001. At this time also, the Technical Services Librarian, Paul Wilkins, resigned to take up the role of Deputy Librarian at the University of Adelaide Library. Ms Cathrine Harboe-Ree was successful in being appointed as the incoming University Librarian.