Dean Henshaw to Lead Statewide Initiative

The Iowa Private Academic Library (IPAL) consortium will continue to build on its program of inter-institutional collaboration during 2013.

Cowles Library Dean, Rod Henshaw, will be chairing a task force to examine the feasibility of shared library technology and discovery systems.  The overall goal is to enhance and broaden access to scholarly and information resources.

Integrated Library Systems (ILS) are the large databases that manage library collections and circulation while discovery systems (like SuperSearch) provide access into multiple sets of electronic resources and databases.

The initiative has four specific initial objectives:

• Inventory of IPAL member libraries for current systems, and life-cycle status;
• Assessment of needs and potential for receptivity to a collaborative model;
• Survey of best practice and models for shared ILS;
• Development of initial lead requirements.

IPAL was formed in 1977.