Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section
Strategic Plan
2008-2009
Mission
The Serials and Other Continuing Resources Section concerns itself with all issues that make continuing resources unique in both the print and electronic environments. These include: bibliographic standards and control; holdings information; national and international library co-operation; access and availability; conservation and archiving; collection development and management; pricing issues; copyright and licensing issues; resource discovery; and, relationships with the publishers and suppliers of continuing resources, as well as other related organizations. The accelerating impact of technological developments on library continuing resources producers, liaison with suppliers, and the continuing resources publishing industry also fall within the remit of the Section. As access rather than ownership becomes an increasingly important issue, the Section is committed to working closely with the appropriate Core Activities and Standing Committees within IFLA.
Goals
1. Promote the importance of best practices of continuing resources in libraries, encourage access for all readers, and provide for the impact of new technology.
(Professional priorities: (a) Supporting the role of libraries in society; (b) Defending the principle of freedom of information; (d) Providing unrestricted access to information; (f) Promoting resource sharing; (h) Developing library professionals; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices; (k) Representing libraries in the technological marketplace)
Actions:
1.1 Investigate liaison with appropriate groups within IFLA and outside of IFLA to develop a syllabus for education about continuing resources.
1.2 Plan a programme for the Quebec City WLIC about the latest standards that have been developed with respect to Serials and Other Continuing Resources.
1.3 Publish the proceedings of the Cape Town 2007 ERM Satellite Conference on the Web and promote its contents.
1.4 Develop and maintain a Continuing Resources List (i.e., a list of useful continuing resources links) on the Section's Web site on IFLANET.
2. Promote the importance of, and improvement to, national and international standards for continuing resources.
(Professional priorities: (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices)
Actions:
2.1 Continue close liaison with the ISSN International Centre, e.g., cooperate in the revision of ISO 3297 and report as appropriate within IFLA.
2.2 Monitor and report on key developments such as:
2.2.1 The development and application of national and international standards, including Serial Item Contribution Identifier (SICI), Digital Object Identifier (DOI), and UNIMARC for holdings, by involvement in relevant working groups. 2.2.2 The development and application of the Open URL Resolver including any revisions to ANSI/NISO Z39.88 - 2004: The OpenURL Framework for Context-Sensitive Services.
2.2.3 The development of Resource Description and Access (RDA) as it relates to serials and other continuing resources and changes in CONSER cataloging standards.
2.2.4 Developments in Electronic Resource Management Systems and relevant standards and initiatives such as the Digital Library Federation's Electronic Resource Management Initiative (DLF-ERMI).
2.3 Work with IFLA Statistics and Evaluation Section on development and revision of definitions for statistical reporting relating to continuing resources such as COUNTER and SUSHI.
2.4 Explore development of a list of multilingual standardized equivalences for terms related to continuing resources, possibly in coordination with the work being done by the Cataloguing Section on a multilingual dictionary of cataloguing terms.
2.5 Explore developments with regard to third-party access management services and handling large bundles of electronic journals packages and records.
3. Work with a variety of groups outside IFLA (e.g., publishers, authors, suppliers, serials interest groups) and IFLA sections to promote co-operation within the serials information chain
(Professional priorities: (a) Supporting the role of libraries in society; (b) Defending the principle of freedom of information; (d) Providing unrestricted access to information; (f) Promoting resource sharing; (g) Preserving our intellectual heritage)
Actions:
3.1 Plan and present at the Milan Conference, in conjunction with the Acquisitions and Collection Development Section, a follow-up programme to the 2006 programme on business and/or preservation models for serials.
3.2 Continue participation in meetings and activities towards closer co-operation with publishers, subscription agents and third-party access management services.
3.3 Continue close liaison with other serials-related organizations such as the UK Serials Group, the North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG), and German Serials Interest Group (GeSIG).
3.4 Monitor work of and collaborate with the Copyright and Other Legal Matters Committee in providing unrestricted access to information.
4. Raise the profile of the Section by improving dissemination of information about the programmes, publications, and activities of the Section and by attracting and involving new members
(Professional priorities: (a) Supporting the role of libraries in society; (b) Defending the principle of freedom of information; (d) Providing unrestricted access to information; (f) Promoting resource sharing; (g) Preserving our intellectual heritage); (h) Developing library professionals)
Actions:
4.1 Publish a SOCRS newsletter twice a year, January and July, and continue the inclusion of reports on appropriate programmes and other activities in the Section's Newsletter.
4.2 Distribute to appropriate electronic groups notice of the availability of the Section's Newsletter on IFLANET.
4.3 Continue to ensure that the Section's Information Coordinator maintains currency of information about the Section and its activities on IFLANET.
4.4 Work with the chairs of national and multi-national serials interest groups to promote the Section and attract new members.
4.5 Promote continuing resources aspect to library and information science students through various outreach efforts.
4.6 Revise and update the Section's brochure in bookmark form before 2008 WLIC.
