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SENATE LIBRARY COMMITTEE 

?

ANNUAL REPORT 

1988/89 

1. PREAMBLE 

During the early 1980's the Librarians promulgated a series of 

foundation planning documents including the Collections Policy 

(May, 1982) and the Steady 

-S p 

ace Library (June, 1982). These 

papers charted a course for the Library to follow during the 

ensuing decade and included provisions for expanding into full 

occupancy of the Library building, increased reliance on the 

secondary collection, further emphasis on microforms and electronic 

formats to supplement and sometimes to replace print media, 

implementation of automated systems within the Library and the 

development of a resource (comprised of both primary and secondary 

collections) designed to meet the teaching and research needs of 

the University Community. 

These policies were endorsed by a review undertaken by the 

President's Advisory Committee on the University Library in 1984 

and reconfirmed by the Senate Library Committee in 1987 when it 

reviewed the 1984 recommendations of the President's Advisory 

Committee. 

1988/89was a busy and productive year for the Library as 

staff attempted to meet the existing needs of an ever-increasing 

campus population while planning for future developments both on 

and off the Burnaby campus and, at the same time, to follow the 

mandates of these earlier documents. These two concerns are clearly 

reflected in the main emphases of this report: 

1. Planning and development of off-campus sites 

2.

Development and up-grading of automated systems 

We expect that future developments will be in the direction of 

increasing reliance on access to electronic sources as a substitute 

for print media. 

2. DEVELOPMENT OF OFF-CAMPUS SITES 

A. The Belzber 

g

Branch 

The Samuel and Frances Belzberg 

Centre on June 7, 1989. It is the f 

opened by Simon Fraser University in 

beginning of what must now be called 

Libraries. 

Library opened at Harbour 

irst branch library to be 

24 years and is clearly the 

the Simon Fraser University 

...2 

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The planning and development of the Belzberg Library 

presented Library Management staff with a complex and interesting 

problem and the successful results were in no small measure ensured 

by a planning process which involved Librarians from the very 

beginning. The planners, architects and designers with whom we 

worked were open and receptive to our ideas and provided 'a wealth 

of knowledge from their own backgrounds. We are also happy to 

acknowledge the steady support received from Jack Blaney, Vice 

President for SFU at Harbour Centre and Warren Gill, Executive 

Director of the site. In fact, we view the whole planning process 

which resulted in the opening of the Belzberg Branch as a model 

which we might profitably emulate as we plan future developments. 

Belzberg is planned to be a 1990s era "electronic library". 

That is, it will have a limited on-site book collection combined 

with a maximum of high tech service applications. Still, it will 

be truly a branch, which means a significant degree of dependence 

on the W.A.C. Bennett Library. The generous support from the 

Belzberg family assured the design of a facility that would not 

only fulfill its high tech service functions but one that serves as 

a flagship for the Harbour Centre campus. 

Full development of the Belzberg Library will proceed as 

programs and enrollment grow. At present, it is staffed by three 

librarians, including Karen Marotz, our Branch Head, and three 

support staff, two of whom work at Harbour Centre and one who is 

stationed at the W.A.C. Bennett Library in order to provide backup 

services for Belzberg. 

Now that the planning and development stage is over we enter 

into the proving stage. Close monitoring of the various functions 

is bound to indicate the need for modification - such problems as 

the exchange of reserve material between sites and corporate 

borrowing privileges are issues new to the Library. We will have 

attempted to respond to them by such measures as examining courses 

proposed for Harbour Centre and purchasing, from Belzberg funds, 

additional copies of those materials which are likely to be in 

demand on both campuses. One of the primary responsibilities of the 

new Branch Head is the monitoring of growth and demand in order to 

ensure the closest possible parity of service between students at 

Harbour Centre and those at the Burnaby campus. We believe we are 

achieving our goal which is to provide good library support at 

Harbour Centre without a negative impact on the main campus. 

B. FRASER VALLEY AND RWANTLEN COLLEGES 

The University will be offering seven courses at each site 

beginning in September, 1989 and continuing for at least two years. 

We expect a variety of course offerings and anticipate the 

possibility of growth. Courses will be offered only in the Fall 

and Spring Semesters. 

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Library space is inadequate at both sites and funds were 

available for only minimal service. However, with the goodwill and 

cooperation of the College Librarians we will be able to provide 

basic reserve services. There will be a small reserve collection 

for each course at each site and Telebook for all students 

registered only ata college site. All serious students and all 

Faculty will depend upon trips to the main campus for additional 

Library services. 

However, it should be noted that these arrangements are 

desined to provide only minimal service in a temporary location. 

Continued contact with Fraser Valley and Kwantlen Colleges would 

require additional funding and a more sophisticated level of 

support. 

C.

CARIBOO COLLEGE 

The Ministry of Advanced Education has made funds available to 

ensure that the University Libraries, in their support of courses 

offered at University/Colleges, do not lower service standards to 

their regular users. As SFU is supporting Business courses our 

primary use of these funds has been additional support of these 

courses through Info-trac, a CD-ROM/microfilm business periodical 

system. Info-trac will also provide benefits to students at the 

main campus since the microfilm collection and a copy of the 

indexing software is housed in the Bennett Library. 

D. BPU -

FRASER VALLEY 

If the recommendation contained in the recent Re 

port 

of the 

Fraser Valley Plannin g 

Committee are implemented, it will be 

necessary to establish an on-site library appropriate to the size 

of the campus and' the scope of the curriculum. The Library has 

prepared preliminary cost estimates and it is hoped that the 

planning model used so effectively at Harbour Centre will be 

followed. 

E.

THE ELECTRONIC LIBRARY NETWORK 

The Open Learning Agency has been charged by the Provincial 

Government with investigating means of developing an electronic 

library network to serve the needs of post-secondary institutions. 

Early in this investigation it was noted that a similar initiative 

is underway for public libraries and so cooperation has begun. 

We are involved in the planning process but it is not yet 

clear what part any individual library will play. 

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3. AUTOMATION 

A. GEAC 9000 

The recent acquisition of the GEAC 9000 integrated library 

system constitutes a major advance in current and future library 

services. It has been apparent for some time that the dual 8000 

system installed in 1985 is not adequate for our growing needs. 

Enhancements such as system authority files to ensure consistent 

bibliographic data and the capability for Boolean searching were 

not possible under the old system and future expansion to 

off-campus users was not feasible. 

Prior to purchase of the 9000 a costly update of the 

environmental control system in the computer room was completed. 

The full price of the GEAC 9000 is $1,200,000. However, the system 

is relatively cheap because it is a stand-alone system and as the 

Library demands few modifications to its basic processes there is 

no need for the usual expensive systems/programmer support. We 

will be able to mount Boolean indexing, provide acceptable access 

to off-site users and have space for our growing files. Another 

benefit of the 9000 is that no new "system" is needed when file 

space becomes crowded; all that is needed are additional disc 

drives and processors. 

B.

INFO-TRAC 

One of the most promising new library developments is the 

growth of systems to provide access to periodical literature -- 

both bibliographic and full text. This year we have begun 

experimenting with one of these -- Info-trac. This system -- in 

two of its modules, Business and General Magazine -- provides 

indexes to over 1400 periodicals on CD-ROM and access to full text 

to 75% of them on microfilm through coded references on the 

indexes. There are multiple access points and, for good measure, 

on each monthly update they include the latest sixty days of the 

New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. They also supply 

backfiles of the journals to 1982. This will be available at 

Belzberg and Bennett Libraries and librarians will be monitoring it 

to assess its value. 

4. WORDBTATION: 

This was not a Library initiative, but it should be noted that 

the Library has made space available on the Second Floor for 

Computing Services' successful Wordstation. While it has provided 

a few minor problems, no real difficulties have presented 

themselves. It is understood that the allocation of space is 

dependent on the Library having enough space for it own needs. 

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S. OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS 

We

have been concerned for some years with the low staffing 

levels in the Library. In most areas we lack back-up even for such 

inevitable facts of life as sickness and vacations. Last year we 

gained 1-1/2 clerical positions and this year the staff complement 

was increased by two: one librarian and one clerical position. 

While we are pleased with these developments the size of our staff 

establishment remains a matter of some concern. 

We will be requesting additional positions to meet the 

increased demands for service which are the inevitable result of 

University expansion. 

The Senate Library Committee and the Librarians are deeply 

concerned about our capacity to meet the demands of future growth 

without significant enhancements to the library infrastructure. 

DAB297

October 19, 1989 

.

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

MEMORANDUM

To................'?.

DOBB ? 

.

?

From ?

POMERLEA 

UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN 

?

HEAD, LIBRARY LOANS 

Subject .........

.

IBRARY PENALTIES APPEAL ? 

.

?

Date.............

COMMITTEE 

The Library Penalties Appeal Committee met on November 1, 1988 

and dealt with seven appeals; five were denied and two accepted. 

GP/jc 