The Evolution and Solution:AFREL

Peter W. Perschbacher, PhD

Activity Director AFRELTitle III Workshop 9/28/11

The Gold Standard Research Library-UAMS

• UAMS provides our gold standard for the aqfi doctoral program, in all areas.

• UAMS library was designed preadvent cyberlibrary: large stacks for journals and computers added to the quiet room.

• AFREL needed to combine the access to literature focus of UAMS with cyberlibrary realities.

Aquaculture/Fisheries LibraryPre-2005

• Prior to AFREL, which was created with a capacity building grant in 2005, the aqfi library was housed in the documents room of 1890 Extension.

• No librarian and walking books (1/2 lost).

• No climate control and green fuzzy hell.

• No online journals, with Watson providing the handful of hardcopy journal access.

AFREL Post-2005

• The capacity building grant converted a faculty conference room in Woodward to AFREL: the Aquaculture Fisheries Research and Educational Library.

• Furnishings, security, librarian, limited book budget, and substantial online journal and database budget were provided for the 3 year duration of the grant. And Watson converted their journals and databases to online.

• Title III maintained and expanded the journals- the lifeblood of AFREL during the doctoral reviews.

AFREL Reality - a Cyberlibrary

• Currently approximately 1000 fisheries books, 45 fisheries online journals, and 3000 visits/yr. (2500 online and 500 physical).

• Grad students and faculty access from offices, with inhouse use of reference books, course reserved materials, and ILL.

• Undergrads and the public (incl. stakeholders) access inhouse, and from 5 AFREL computers and aqfi labs, use copying and librarian services, and study areas.

• Staff are able to respond to faculty needs/requests effectively and quickly.

AFREL Post-2012 ?

• AFREL meets current needs, but is cramped.

• Physical growth potential is thus limited and study rooms impossible.

• Library functions must expand beyond stacks and computers to include latest IT-trained personnel and equipment, distance conferencing and study/pp practice rooms.

• Future Title III assistance?