E-Journals and Long Term Availability:

UK LOCKSS Alliance

Adam Rusbridge

UK LOCKSS Alliance Coordinator

EDINA, University of Edinburgh

8th and 9th April 2013

UKSG Conference, Bournemouth

Summary

• Goal of LOCKSS program: to help libraries build local archives of web published content (journals, books)

• Trust in their own capacity to respond

• LOCKSS: Digital equivalent of the physical shelf

• UK LOCKSS Alliance: collaborative organisation to coordinate and support stewardship

www.flickr.com/photos/guitarlogy/5387073471/

Sustainable Electronic Access Policies

• Sustainable e-only collections allow libraries to discard print and free up space

• The library [can now] cancel or relegate print holdings that fit the definition of sustainable electronic content, when at least one of the following applies:

• The library has perpetual access rights to the content, via the web, including those titles archived by Portico and LOCKSS

• The journal is permanently open access for all years or certain years (Hybrid open access journals are not included in this category).

• The content is in one of the library's trusted services such a JISC-funded archive.

• http://www.hud.ac.uk/library/policy/collectionmanagementanddevelopmentpolicy/#appendix2

• Libraries have a role as memory organisations

• Each institution builds collections on a local LOCKSS box

• Library staff administration – a few hours a month • Periodically configure titles for collection in LOCKSS

• Consult with academics to determine priorities

• University has ownership of preserved content

• Library controls local access, even when they can’t access publisher copy

Background to the LOCKSS Program

The LOCKSS Program is an open-source, library-led digital preservation system built on the principle that “Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe.”

“The LOCKSS box is held locally and thus is under the control of the library. This involves some maintenance and administration but significantly it also means that the library decides what to archive”

– University of Warwick Case Study

Community Action for Assured Access

• JISC funded UK LOCKSS Pilot Programme: 06-08

• UK LOCKSS Alliance: 08 – Present

• EDINA and Stanford: responsible for support, coordination, and software development

• Libraries: responsible for local infrastructure, contributions to policy

• A co-operative organization to ensure continuing sustainable access to scholarly work over the long term.

15 member institutionsDe Montfort University

King’s College London

London School of Economics

Natural History Museum

Open University

Royal Holloway, University of London

University of Birmingham

University of Edinburgh

University of Glasgow

University of Huddersfield

University of Oxford

University of Salford

University of St. Andrews

University of Warwick

University of York

Steering Committee to direct activity

Phil Adams (De Montfort University)

Lisa Cardy (London School of Economics)

James Fisher (University of Warwick) 

William Nixon (University of Glasgow)

Liz Stevenson (University of Edinburgh)

Lorraine Estelle (JISC Collections)

Peter Burnhill (EDINA)

Adam Rusbridge (EDINA)

UKLA: Collaborate to Build Infrastructure

• Local: JISC-funded Community Development Activities (2010–13)

• Build sustainable collections into university infrastructure

• Develop well-defined policies and practices

• Share information and engage with others

• National: Governance with UKLA Steering Committee

• Coordinate community and infrastructure

• Develop country-specific expertise

• Tailor support to local needs

• Consortially Managed Service layer

• International: development, coordination and collaboration

• Build software

• Recruit publishers

• Learn from others

www.flickr.com/photos/camilla_c/4131654840/

“One of the keystones of the e-first policy is confidence in the preservation status of e-journals. [LOCKSS] contributes to that confidence.”

– London School of Economics Case Study

Technical Infrastructure

• Distributed LOCKSS Network

• Preserves content as published

• Preserves integrity • Audit protocol to prevent damage

• Avoids point of failure • Model on success of print collections • Trust success of the library

Technical Infrastructure

• Distributed LOCKSS Network

• Preserves content as published

• Preserves integrity • Audit protocol to prevent damage

• Avoids point of failure • Model on success of print collections • Trust success of the library

Why do we need e-Journal Preservation?

• Continued access in two specific scenarios:

• Library cancels subscription to (licensed) journal • Library needs post-cancellation access

• Publisher no longer supplies access • Library needs alternative source of supply

• Smaller publishers at greater risk: business model is less stable

• Build local collections to address both problems

www.flickr.com/photos/maistora/5446535870/

Accessing Content with LOCKSS

• LOCKSS integrates with link resolver software

• Support for: Ex Libris SFX, Serials Solutions 360Link, Innovative Interfaces WebBridge, OCLC WorldCat Local

• Library can provide access as and when needed

• By default, LOCKSS forwards requests to publishers before serving content

• Serve from publisher if newer, LOCKSS if identical or unavailable

• Publisher retains hits and responsibility as a primary source

• Generate LOCKSS-specific COUNTER statistics so library can report usage

www.flickr.com/photos/joeymade/3394428537

“LOCKSS addresses disruption to service in the short term as well as withdrawal of access in the long-term”

– De Montfort University Case Study

Principles of LOCKSS: Building Trusted Archives

• Assured and licensed access to important, at-risk content

• Spread responsibility across the community

• Libraries keep what they buy

• Publishers preserve what they publish

• Readers have continual access

www.flickr.com/photos/guitarlogy/5387073471/

Find out more…

https://www.jisc-collections.ac.uk/Catalogue/Overview/index/879

• Case Studies: http://www.lockssalliance.ac.uk/participating-institutions/case-studies

• Publishers and titles: http://www.lockss.org/community/publishers-titles-gln/

• Now over 500 publishers!

http://www.lockssalliance.ac.uk

a.rusbridge@ed.ac.uk

@EDINA_eJournals

A

B

C

D

E-F

£5,000

£3,750

£2,750

£2,250

£1,800

JISC Band Annual Fee

http://www.flickr.com/photos/codlibrary/2278168996/

Identifying Progress

1. How has the introduction of e-journal preservation services helped libraries withdraw print collections and focus on e-journals?

• Institutions:• Please describe the actions taken to address e-journal preservation and continuing

access concerns (including policy around sustainable e-collections)

• Community Bodies:• Please describe how your organization is contributing to and supporting e-journal

continuing access activity

Future Requirements

2. How can institutions, community bodies and service providers best work together to ensure sustainable, long-term initiatives?

• Sustainability: How can we collaborate to ensure long-term operations?

• Community Action and Support: How can services (e.g. Keepers Registry and UKLA) best support community needs?

• Measuring Success: How can we analyse the landscape to identify gaps and measure progress?

Institution A

Gold OAGreen

OA

Publisher Site Institutional Repository

Consortial Managed 5* Replicated LOCKSS Archive

EDINAEDINA Data CentreData

Centre

Institutional backup copyInstitutional backup copy

Institution B

Content

Service

Client

Archive service + local ownership

Archive service only

Business Continuity (Disaster Recovery) for Repository Content (UKRepNet)

Delivery

EDINA2or

Other

EDINA2or

Other

Data Centre2

or Other

Data Centre2

or Other

TDR1TDR1