In April 2009,
Alvin Hutchinson, Information Services Librarian, visited the Li Ka Shing Library at Singapore Management
University (SMU) to exchange ideas with the digital repository staff there. Alvin
frequently makes time to meet with research librarians.
The Li Ka Shing library opened its doors in 2005 and is naturally a
state-of-the-art building including spacious and comfortable reading and study
areas. Although the library print collect includes just 30,000 volumes, its
users have access to over 30,000 electronic journal subscriptions and 23,000 e-book
titles. The Li Ka Shing Library serves SMU’s six schools covering the
disciplines of business, accountancy, economics, social sciences and
information systems. These schools have established research centers in
collaboration with such well-known names in the business world as the Wharton School and BNP Paribas
The SMU repository uses a software platform by
well-known library vendor Innovative Interfaces, Inc., which also provides the
library's integrated management system and public catalog. The SMU digital
repository team consists of a full-time repository manager (Paolina Martin) and
a metadata librarian (Ryun Lee) who devotes approximately half of his time to
the repository. Repository staff expressed remarkably similar circumstances to
the Smithsonian Digital Repository including recognition of the likelihood that
library staff will ultimately be responsible for collecting and uploading
content created by researchers at the University. The SMU staff also indicated
that they may be called upon in the near future to assume the role of the
University's bibliographer. This is a service that the Libraries currently provides
and complements the Smithsonian Digital Repository. The conversation was lively
and quite informative.
Alvin
left the meeting with a sense of reassurance that there is at least one other organization
operating successfully with such a small staff yet accomplishing so much.—Alvin Hutchinson
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