What’s New at the GSU Zach S. Henderson Library

Here’s an update from American Libraries about the impact of the economic climate upon academic libraries, including Emory and Georgia Tech.  Thanks to all the faculty who are helping us identify our essential subscriptions in the library budget review!

In the present economic climate, which has seen library budgets decrease, and South Carolina’s PASCAL (their counterpart to Georgia’s GALILEO) lose 90% of its funding, one thing remains steady:  the rising prices of periodical subscriptions and electronic resource licenses.  For the rundown, including tables with periodical costs by discipline, please visit this link to Library Journal’s annual Periodicals Price Survey.

As many of you are aware, the University System of Georgia announced in September that the GIL Express service (expedited shipments of books from other USG libraries) would be suspended.  Following expressions of support from the USG community (including our own students and faculty), the Board of Regents allocated the funds to keep it going through Fall 2008.

Now we have more good news!  According to Merryll Penson, Executive Director of Library Services at the University System of Georgia’s Office of Information and Instructional Technology:

“GIL Express will continue for the remainder of FY 2009.  During this
time, we will be actively seeking ways to control the increasing costs
of this service so that it remains a viable option for the future.

Thank you for your patience during these uncertain budget times.”

We will still have the normal holiday suspension of GIL Express until the service resumes on Jan. 2, 2009.  Details about our GIL Express, Interlibrary Loan (ILL), and Document Delivery services are available here.

A word from the Vice Chancellor:

We have received many concerns from faculty and administrators around
the System with respect to the negative impact a suspension of the GIL
Express service will have on core activities such as instruction and
research.  We want to be responsive to these concerns and so we are
continuing GIL Express through the end of Fall Semester with the
expressed intent of finding a way to support this service going
forward.  I believe that working in good faith with all areas of the
System Office and our campuses, we can find a way to address the
required budget cuts while maintaining this critical service. Please
share this information with your faculty.

Thanks to all who have voiced concerns about the loss of GIL Express.
We want to make the best decisions we can in these difficult times to
protect the viability of the very reasons we exist; teaching, learning,
and scholarship.
–
Dr. Tom Maier
Vice Chancellor/CIO
Board of Regents
University System of Georgia
270 Washington St.
Atlanta, GA 30334
V 404 657-1588
F 404 651-9497

Dear Georgia Southern University faculty, staff and students: Today we received the following announcement from Merryll Penson, Executive Director of Library Services at the University System of Georgia’s Office of Information and Instructional Technology, regarding how state budget cuts are leading to the October 1 suspension of the GIL Express Courier service and the cancellation of Cambridge Scientific Abstracts from the suite of GALILEO databases. Ms. Penson’s message follows.

Bede Mitchell, Dean of Henderson Library

>>> Merryll Penson <merryll.penson@USG.EDU> 9/18/2008 9:54 PM >>>
GIL Express Announcement

The recent decline in state tax revenue collections has forced the
University System of Georgia to plan for budget cuts for the current
fiscal year. Given the level of these cuts, there is insufficient
funding available to continue GIL Express operations, at least where
on-line requesting and delivery of books is concerned. The costs were
also increasing due to high fuel costs. Over 85,000 books were shared
among USG libraries during FY08. On-line requesting and delivery of GIL
Express books, therefore, will be suspended beginning October 1, 2008.
This suspension will allow continuation of most GALILEO electronic
resources for the current fiscal year.

Only on-line requesting that requires books to be shipped to another
library is being suspended. Patrons can still check out books from any
University System of Georgia library with a current and valid
institution issued-picture ID. A current and valid government issued
picture ID such as a driver’s license or a Georgia ID card, a US
passport or a US military ID are also acceptable. An example of a
walk-up request: A Georgia Tech student can walk into Georgia State’s
library and check out books from their collection as a walk-up (also
called on-site) transaction.

The CSA Illumina set of GALILEO databases/indexes will also be
cancelled effective November 1, 2008.

We hope this will be the end of any changes in the GALILEO/GIL
services for the remainder of the fiscal year. In the meantime, be
assured that our staff and the staff of other University System
libraries will continue to work with you to help you meet your
information needs.

Merryll S. Penson
Executive Director, Library Services
Office of Information and Instructional Technology
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
2500 Daniells Bridge Road
Building 300
Athens, GA 30606

706-583-2007 (voice)
706-583-2294 (fax)

Merryll.penson@usg.edu
http://www.galileo.usg.edu
http://gil.usg.edu

Please note: new address and new phone number