Janine Salwasser & Ruth Vondracek Oregon State University Libraries

Oregon State University Land, Sea, Space and Sun Grant Institution Situated close to federal/state research facilities Home of the Institute for Natural Resources – Oregon University System Sustaining natural resources is one of OSU’s five thematic focus areas (OSU Strategic Plan - 2004)

Land, Sea, Space and Sun Grant Institution

Situated close to federal/state research facilities

Home of the Institute for Natural Resources – Oregon University System

Sustaining natural resources is one of OSU’s five thematic focus areas (OSU Strategic Plan - 2004)

OSU Libraries’ Role Goals Enhance digital collections in areas of historical strength and institutional excellence (e.g. natural resources) Provide user centered service leading to user self-sufficiency Collaborate with the Institute for Natural Resources and other academic institutions Means Use endowment funds as seed money for pilot projects and staff development Increase capacity for successful grant writing Continue successful fund raising Invest in and value what we have to offer as partners.

Goals

Enhance digital collections in areas of historical strength and institutional excellence (e.g. natural resources)

Provide user centered service leading to user self-sufficiency

Collaborate with the Institute for Natural Resources and other academic institutions

Means

Use endowment funds as seed money for pilot projects and staff development

Increase capacity for successful grant writing

Continue successful fund raising

Invest in and value what we have to offer as partners.

Digital Libraries: Working definition: “… a managed environment of multimedia materials in digital form, designed for the benefit of its user population , structured to facilitate access to its contents, and equipped with aids to navigate the global network …” Mel Collier,ISDL’97, http://www.dl.ulis.ac.jp/ISDL97/proceedings/collier.htm

Working definition:

“… a managed environment of multimedia materials in digital form, designed for the benefit of its user population , structured to facilitate access to its contents, and equipped with aids to navigate the global network …”

Mel Collier,ISDL’97,

http://www.dl.ulis.ac.jp/ISDL97/proceedings/collier.htm

Needs Assessment: What, When? 2001 Goal: Create a natural resource digital library based on what users want and need: Content Access Geographic Scope Uses and Usability Services http://www.istl.org/02-winter/article2.html

2001 Goal: Create a natural resource digital library based on what users want and need:

Content

Access

Geographic Scope

Uses and Usability

Services

http://www.istl.org/02-winter/article2.html

Needs Assessment: 2001 Findings Users can articulate what they want and need from a digital library Users want a wide variety of information in a wide variety of formats Topics of greatest interest include: forestry, watersheds, land and water use Place matters…

Users can articulate what they want and need from a digital library

Users want a wide variety of information in a wide variety of formats

Topics of greatest interest include: forestry, watersheds, land and water use

Place matters…

Importance of Place Access to multiple spatial scales wanted and needed: Watershed County Basin Ecoregion State Pacific Northwest (incl. British Columbia) “ Always a need to anchor a natural resource issue with a geographic location.” Dr. David Hulse, University of Oregon

Access to multiple spatial scales wanted and needed:

Watershed

County

Basin

Ecoregion

State

Pacific Northwest (incl. British Columbia)

Moving Forward with a Natural Resource Digital Library Users were not aware of any accessible system or digital library that enables: Spatial and non-spatial information discovery; Information integration and synthesis; Evaluation of information quality; and Social networking .

Users were not aware of any accessible system or digital library that enables:

Spatial and non-spatial information discovery;

Information integration and synthesis;

Evaluation of information quality; and

Social networking .

Digital Library Conceptual Framework Users Web Portal Data/Content Tools Expertise Distributed Information Resources User Defined Information Levels

Natural Resource Digital Library Users Natural resource decision-makers Public Agencies Watershed council members Soil and water conservation district staff Local planners Extension agents Scientists Researchers Librarians Educators Students Media staff Citizen volunteers Landowners Interested public

Natural resource decision-makers

Public Agencies

Watershed council members

Soil and water conservation district staff

Local planners

Extension agents

Scientists

Researchers

Librarians

Educators

Students

Media staff

Citizen volunteers

Landowners

Interested public

Digital library prototype: Willamette Basin Explorer Natural Resources Digital Library for Willamette Basin Place-based resource Supports informed natural resource decision-making www.willametteexplorer.info Launched in June, 2004

Natural Resources Digital Library for Willamette Basin

Place-based resource

Supports informed natural resource decision-making

www.willametteexplorer.info

Launched in June, 2004

Oregon Explorer Natural Resources Digital Library for Oregon Place-based resource Supports informed natural resource decision-making www.oregonexplorer.info Launched in June, 2007

Natural Resources Digital Library for Oregon

Place-based resource

Supports informed natural resource decision-making

www.oregonexplorer.info

Launched in June, 2007

Current digital library services: Learn about critical natural resource issues Browse multi-media stories View data and make custom maps and reports Access archived digital information View photos, and videos Search datasets Download GIS data Access photos, imagery, videos, audio files Contact the experts Submit content to ScholarsArchive@OSU Give feedback

Learn about critical natural resource issues

Browse multi-media stories

View data and make custom maps and reports

Access archived digital information

View photos, and videos

Search datasets

Download GIS data

Access photos, imagery, videos, audio files

Contact the experts

Submit content to ScholarsArchive@OSU

Give feedback

Evolution of the Oregon Explorer Basin Portals e.g. Willamette Basin Explorer Topic Portals e.g. Land Use Explorer Data Portals e.g. Imagery Explorer

Basin Portals

e.g. Willamette Basin Explorer

Topic Portals

e.g. Land Use Explorer

Data Portals

e.g. Imagery Explorer

Oregon Explorer Portals Current In Development

Most popular features accessed: Multimedia stories Mapping tools Visualization and reporting tools Imagery

Multimedia stories

Mapping tools

Visualization and reporting tools

Imagery

Multimedia stories

Mapping tools: basic and advanced

Example of mapping tool product

Visualization and reporting tools

Oregon Explorer data portal: Accessing Imagery

Current Digital Library System Architecture

Partnerships provide full spectrum of expertise Digital Library Development Digital Library Content Digital Library Funding Digital Library Use and Usability Provide technological expertise for digital library infrastructure Supply the quantity, quality, depth and breadth of information collected and maintained Provide opportunities for cost-sharing and fundraising Create an expanded community of interest and use

Digital Library Development

Digital Library Content

Digital Library Funding

Digital Library Use and Usability

Provide technological expertise for digital library infrastructure

Supply the quantity, quality, depth and breadth of information collected and maintained

Provide opportunities for cost-sharing and fundraising

Create an expanded community of interest and use

Library Information Systems Computer Natural Resources Social “ Sciences” Public Agencies Planners Educators Conservation/Restoration Groups Decision makers Researchers Content Providers and Users Development Content $$$ Usability

Partnership Success Factors Shared community of interest Mutual benefits realized Executive champion Expertise fit and availability Money and in-kind contributions to move forward Each participant has a good track record in collaboration, communication, and outcomes.

Shared community of interest

Mutual benefits realized

Executive champion

Expertise fit and availability

Money and in-kind contributions to move forward

Each participant has a good track record in collaboration, communication, and outcomes.

Value of Needs Assessment & Partnerships Our needs assessment proved an important process for identifying content and technology parameters important to users identifying partners engaged in related activities Participating in effective partnerships helps to meet the users’ long term information need address long-term sustainability and stewardship share-costs and expertise

Our needs assessment proved an important process for

identifying content and technology parameters important to users

identifying partners engaged in related activities

Participating in effective partnerships helps to

meet the users’ long term information need

address long-term sustainability and stewardship

share-costs and expertise

Contacts ruth.vondracek@oregonstate.edu [email_address] Oregon State University Libraries 121 The Valley Library Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4501

ruth.vondracek@oregonstate.edu

[email_address]

Oregon State University Libraries

121 The Valley Library

Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4501