Research and Information Services in Lied Library
| Published date | 01 March 2002 |
| Pages | 47-57 |
| Date | 01 March 2002 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830210420681 |
| Author | Shelley Heaton,Victoria Nozero,Wendy Starkweather |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Research and
Information Services in
Lied Library
Shelley Heaton
Victoria Nozero and
Wendy Starkweather
Introduction
In 1991, when the university libraries at
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
began developing plans for a new central
library, it was clear that technology would
significantly influence the planning process.
The impact of the continuing changes and
future developments of electronic resources was
unknown at the time, but the importance of
seeing beyond the present and envisioning new
possibilities for reference service soon came to
be understood by library planners.
Context
The libraries at UNLV in the early 1990s had
just begun the transition to electronic formats of
reference sources. Some bibliographic records
were only available through a card catalog,
which was still awaiting complete conversion to
an Innovative Interfaces catalog. The library
had only two CD-ROM products, Compact
Disclosure and ERIC, and offered extensive
mediated database searching through Dialog
and BRS. All these resources were centrally
located in the reference area, with no remote
access from offsite or from other parts of the
library. Service was provided at a central
reference desk located a considerable distance
away from the front door and on a different
floor. Near the reference desk there was a
Government Publications service desk with
restricted service hours due to a limited staff.
Other points of service included a periodicals
desk run by the Technical Services' Periodicals
Section, a Media Services desk, and a
microforms counter.
By the time the first building program was
developed by library staff in 1993, the library
was heavily invested in CD-ROM technology
and the program reflected plans for an extensive
CD-ROM LAN. The idea of a Computer
Commons had already been suggested, and it
was intended to be jointly run by the Media and
Reference Departments and to contain 160
computer workstations. The library staff was
giving serious thought to database loading
through the OPAC, and had begun joint
projects with other university system libraries in
the state. Other than the Computer Commons,
The authors
Shelley Heaton (sheaton@ccmail.nevada.edu) is Head of
Research and Information 1, Victoria Nozero
(vnozero@ccmail.nevada.edu) is Head of Research and
Information 2 and Wendy Starkweather
(wstark@ccmail.nevada.edu) is Director of Public Services,
all at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Keywords
Academic libraries, Information technology, Planning,
Information services
Abstract
The issues involved in the planning for Research and
Information Services at the Lied Library are discussed.
Planning took place over an 11-year period and required
ongoing flexibility and adaptability to change during the
extended time between initial planning and opening day.
Some decisions regarding technology were made so late in
the process that their full impact on services was not known
until they were experienced when the building opened for
use.
Electronic access
The research register for this journal is available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregisters
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
Theme articles
47
Library Hi Tech
Volume 20 .Number 1 .2002 .pp. 47±57
#MCB UP Limited .ISSN 0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378830210420681
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