Volume 18; Number 1 | April 2020
Stronger Together
In the face of COVID-19, BC ELN partner libraries have adjusted rapidly to remote delivery of services and leaned into the online services that were already in place. In this issue of Connect we highlight how BC ELN services remain available through the disruption and share some timely announcements.
Continuity through COVID-19
Post-secondary libraries have long offered online resources and services to support students, educators, and researchers in the province. As institutions shift to fully-online modes to cope with COVID-19, these digital services are more important than ever. BC ELN is committed to maintaining its services through the crisis; BC ELN staff are working remotely to ensure key services remain available.
Wooden blocks with letters arranged to say "we are here for you"
Summary of BC ELN Service Provision Through COVID-19

Licensing work at BC ELN continues apace, ensuring that renewals of online resources are on time. A number of publishers have temporarily opened access to their resources to assist students through the COVID-19 crisis, and where appropriate, BC ELN has facilitated licence upgrades for institutions.

Both AskAway and WriteAway have extended their terms to provide additional support: AskAway will be open during the semester break from April 14 to May 15th, and WriteAway will be open an extra two weeks, until April 24th. Arca remains online and accessible with over 80,000 digital items to search from 26 GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) organizations.

While interlibrary loans of materials have largely been suspended (with the exception of digital items), the Illume Administrative Centre remains available to support institutions with digital resource sharing and infrastructure needs.

We continue to set up electronic funds transfers for institutions. This is a quick and secure online method to make payments and is particularly useful in our current situation with COVID-19. We encourage any institution that has not yet set up EFT to contact office@bceln.ca.

BC ELN is nimble. We will support and adjust to the needs of partner libraries to get through this current disruption. If you have questions we are available as usual through phone and email.

Innovation & Success 2019
BC ELN is proud to share its 2019 annual report.

In these challenging times, we think it's as important as ever to emphasize the power of collaboration. This year's Innovation & Success report celebrates cooperation, our BC ELN community, and how we work together.

cover image of Innovation and Success 2019 report: shows a woman reading a book while also working on her laptop in the Capilano University Library
BC ELN Receives Core Funding
The Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training has confirmed 2020/21 funding for BC ELN.

Core funding from the Ministry, combined with additional project funding and staff time contributed by partner libraries, supports system-wide services and initiatives that help post-secondary libraries meet expanding information needs at the lowest possible cost. We are thankful for this support.

Staffing Hellos and Goodbyes
It is certainly an interesting time to onboard a new staff member, but we are no less delighted to welcome Reba Ouimet (pictured) as our new BC ELN Librarian. Reba joins us from University Canada West where she was a liaison librarian. She will coordinate and promote BC ELN and Electronic Health Library of BC (eHLbc) licensing services, and will play a role in supporting other consortial initiatives.
New BC ELN Librarian Reba Ouimet smiles in front of a body of water
BC ELN has been very fortunate to have licensing support from Caroline Daniels, Web & Interlibrary Loan Librarian at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, on a temporary basis through this transition. Caroline will carry on in a part-time capacity until the end of June.

And last but certainly not least, BC ELN staff are preparing to say goodbye to Co-op Librarians Sophie Armond and Prubjot Gill. Both are completing their studies, and their time at BC ELN, this Spring. We wish them all the best in their bright futures!
Improving BC's interlibrary loan system
Elimination of ILL Transaction Fees
In 2020 BC ELN partner libraries eliminated interlibrary loan transaction fees for non-returnables between BC ELN partner libraries. This seemingly simple decision is actually the culmination of years of deliberation and careful consultation. It was a team effort to get here.
Woman sits on her couch, smiling at the screen of her laptop computer
Doing away with these transaction fees:
 
  • Leverages collective investment in resources;
  • Reduces barriers to resource sharing;
  • Saves administrative time and costs; and
  • Aligns with consortial trends
 
As the transaction fee elimination is implemented over the next year, BCELN will attend to additional considerations raised by partner libraries.

Read more about the planned activities at our webpage: Elimination of ILL Fees.