Smithsonian Institution Libraries A Snapshot May 14, 2008

Mission As the largest and most diverse museum library in the world, SIL leads the Smithsonian in taking advantage of the opportunities of the digital society. SIL provides authoritative information and creates innovative services and programs for Smithsonian Institution researchers, scholars and curators, as well as the general public, to further their quest for knowledge. Through paper preservation and digital technologies, SIL ensures broad and enduring access to the Libraries’ collections for all users.

SIL-A Distributed Network 20 libraries in museums and research centers in Washington, DC; Edgewater and Suitland, MD; New York City; & Republic of Panama, supported by Central Services: Acquisitions Cataloging New Media Office and Preservation Interlibrary loan Director’s office/Administration Development 109 Staff (down from 130 in 1997)

20 libraries in museums and research centers in Washington, DC; Edgewater and Suitland, MD; New York City; & Republic of Panama, supported by Central Services:

Acquisitions

Cataloging

New Media Office and Preservation

Interlibrary loan

Director’s office/Administration

Development

109 Staff (down from 130 in 1997)

SIL– the Collections 1.5 million volumes 4,522 active print journal subscriptions 3,000 electronic journals 190,000 microforms 2,500 digital volumes

1.5 million volumes

4,522 active print journal subscriptions

3,000 electronic journals

190,000 microforms

2,500 digital volumes

Special Collections 50,000 Rare Books and Manuscripts

50,000 Rare Books and Manuscripts

Special Collections World’s Fairs and Expositions

World’s Fairs and Expositions

Special Collections Historical Trade Literature

Historical Trade Literature

Who Are We Serving? Smithsonian scientists, curators, historians, researchers Visiting fellows, graduate students, scholars, interns Students in affiliated academic programs Smithsonian educators and exhibition staff Smithsonian management, docents, volunteers Researchers world-wide and general public

Smithsonian scientists, curators, historians, researchers

Visiting fellows, graduate students, scholars, interns

Students in affiliated academic programs

Smithsonian educators and exhibition staff

Smithsonian management, docents, volunteers

Researchers world-wide and general public

How Are We Serving? Direct access to physical collections through up-to-date online catalog and well-maintained stacks, scan & deliver Interlibrary loan (5,822 items borrowed) Exchange and Gift (3,763 exchange partners) With Print Collections…

Direct access to physical collections through up-to-date online catalog and well-maintained stacks, scan & deliver

Interlibrary loan (5,822 items borrowed)

Exchange and Gift (3,763 exchange partners)

Library Spaces National Air and Space Museum Anacostia

Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

National Museum of American Indian Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

With knowledgeable staff… A Philadelphian called seeking assistance on a presentation she had been invited to make on African women artists during the inter-war years. (who answered 43,500 reference queries in 2007)

A Philadelphian called seeking assistance on a presentation she had been invited to make on African women artists during the inter-war years.

Recent press reports about super-massive black holes caused a number of queries about the nature of black holes, how they are detected, how they effect us, and how long does one last, whether two or more can merge and what happens if they do.

For a curator’s research on the use of sugar in the United States and the sugar industry, we found an online copy of an 1890 cartoon on the business “trusts,” originally published in the “Rural New Yorker” magazine research.

SIL assisted a couple from New Mexico with their historical research on a territorial post office built in 1873 on the outskirts of Albuquerque. Staff provided support for STRI’s Legal Office by doing several searches on the topic of open pit mining.

SIL Staff Also Teach & Train Seminar on natural history illustration Explaining the value of trade literature

How Do We Care for Collections? Good shelving, housing practices Environmental controlled vaults Environmental monitoring Disaster planning & management Binding Repair Conservation

Good shelving, housing practices

Environmental controlled vaults

Environmental monitoring

Disaster planning & management

Binding

Repair

Conservation

Book Conservation Laboratory

How Do We Serve the Public? Public Programs Education The Web

Public Programs

Education

The Web

SIL’s Public Programs SIL Gallery Exhibitions Dibner Library Lecture Publications Resident Scholar Program Traveling exhibition Behind-the-scenes Tours Galaxy of Knowledge Website (211,584 images)

SIL Gallery Exhibitions

Dibner Library Lecture

Publications

Resident Scholar Program

Traveling exhibition

Behind-the-scenes Tours

Galaxy of Knowledge Website (211,584 images)

Digital Imaging Center

Sharing Information Web-based Databases Trade Literature Inventory Postal Museum Vertical Files Art and Artist Files

Web-based Databases

Trade Literature Inventory

Postal Museum Vertical Files

Art and Artist Files

Sharing Collections Online Exhibitions Doodles, Drafts and Designs (2004) Digital Books The Avifauna of Laysan (1893-1900) by Walter Rothschild Distinctive Collections Sewing Machines: Trade Literature

Online Exhibitions

Doodles, Drafts and Designs (2004)

Digital Books

The Avifauna of Laysan (1893-1900) by Walter Rothschild

Distinctive Collections

Sewing Machines: Trade Literature

Online Exhibitions USA Today “Hot Site: January 13, 2005”. “this site will knock your socks off.”

Digital Books

Digital Books “ Aloha. I live on The Big Island of Hawai'i, a $300.00 plane ride away from Honolulu and the Bishop Museum. Even when I can make it to the Museum (where I study the Hawaiian Bird Skins), they do not have every single bird (moho apicalis, the Oahu moho is missing)….I have been looking for this text for over TWENTY YEARS. Mahalo nui loa for all your hard work.”

Distinctive Collections “ Obviously I am spending TOOOOO much time in your terrific collection.”

Smithsonian Libraries Websites 4 websites Galaxy of Knowledge Tools for the Researcher Smithsonian Digital Repository (SDR) Smithsonian Libraries’ Blog

4 websites

Galaxy of Knowledge

Tools for the Researcher

Smithsonian Digital Repository (SDR)

Smithsonian Libraries’ Blog

Smithsonian Libraries Web Stats Usage Statistics 3.5-4 million hits per month 350-450,000 visitor sessions per month 80% of users are non-Smithsonian ~ 27% growth in use each year

Usage Statistics

3.5-4 million hits per month

350-450,000 visitor sessions per month

80% of users are non-Smithsonian

~ 27% growth in use each year

New Roles Data Curation Publishing Leadership in international projects

Data Curation

Publishing

Leadership in international projects

Data Curation Smithsonian Research Bibliography Smithsonian Digital Repository

Smithsonian Research Bibliography

Smithsonian Digital Repository

Publishing Electronic Publisher for the Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press Sources and Critical Interpretations Stirling Expedition Project

Electronic Publisher for the Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press

Sources and Critical Interpretations

Stirling Expedition Project

Leadership in International Projects The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL is the largest collaboration yet undertaken by Smithsonian Libraries. SIL Serves as the Secretariat Hosts the BHL Program Director

The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL is the largest collaboration yet undertaken by Smithsonian Libraries.

SIL Serves as the Secretariat

Hosts the BHL Program Director

Biodiversity Heritage Library American Museum of Natural History (New York) Field Museum (Chicago) Natural History Museum (London) Smithsonian Institution Libraries (Washington) Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis) New York Botanical Garden (New York) Royal Botanic Garden, Kew Botany Libraries, Harvard University Ernst Mayr Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University Marine Biological Laboratory / Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

American Museum of Natural History (New York)

Field Museum (Chicago)

Natural History Museum (London)

Smithsonian Institution Libraries (Washington)

Missouri Botanical Garden (St. Louis)

New York Botanical Garden (New York)

Royal Botanic Garden, Kew

Botany Libraries, Harvard University

Ernst Mayr Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University

Marine Biological Laboratory / Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

SIL’s Inflation Challenge

SIL’s Inflation Challenge In 1984, spent $385,000 for 5,000 journal subscriptions In 2007 spent $958,290 for 1,948 Print journal subscriptions rise every year due to rate increases and fall of dollar FY09 projection is 10% rise Demand for electronic resources escalating -- $468,000 in 2007 “ [Electronic access] is crucial, and increasingly, because of the absence of many important journals that have been cut, it is having a very negative effect on my scholarship here at SI.”

In 1984, spent $385,000 for 5,000 journal subscriptions

In 2007 spent $958,290 for 1,948

Print journal subscriptions rise every year due to rate increases and fall of dollar

FY09 projection is 10% rise

Demand for electronic resources escalating -- $468,000 in 2007

What Users Are Saying Extracts from User Assessments “ Users universally agree that the library collections are one of three inseparable pillars of superior academic research, alongside staff and collections. “ One thing that really makes the library wonderful is the librarian’s expertise in terms of really understanding the discipline and guiding people to things. I go in there and think I’m a great researcher and just talking to the librarian for five minutes I have five more things I wouldn’t have thought of….”