Internet
technologies continue to transform the library profession and redefine how we
communicate with professional colleagues and peers. IP (Internet Protocol)
videoconferencing provides increased opportunities for librarians to engage in
virtual teamwork and e-collaborations. The use of video conferencing by a
consortium in Utah has revitalized committee work and continuing education
within this large western U.S. state. Academic libraries in Utah are separated
by hundreds of miles. With only thirteen higher education institutions in Utah,
the Utah Academic Library Consortium (UALC) has been extremely effective in
promoting valuable collaborations and cooperative resource sharing for decades.
Many libraries have consistently benefited from important cooperative efforts.
UALC librarians have worked together successfully in many areas including
interlibrary loan, collection management, information literacy programming1,
library services to distance learners, 2 and chat reference. The
collaborative library work environment in Utah requires librarians from St.
George (not far from Las Vegas) to serve on committees with librarians from
Logan (near Idaho). These cities are
nearly 400 miles apart. Recent budget
shrinkages have caused many libraries to cut or eliminate their travel budgets.
This makes committee work particularly challenging and threatens to discourage
participation in collaborative projects across the state. Imagine having the
choice between driving five hours one way to attend a one-hour committee
meeting and attending that same meeting in your own office. This is the choice
UALC librarians are now able to make when attending UALC committee meetings,
due to implementation of an IP videoconferencing network among UALC libraries.
Through the use of IP videoconferencing UALC committee members can effectively
meet with colleagues across the state without leaving their own library.
To alleviate the
time and cost of UALC committee work, the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences
Library proposed and received funding from the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation to
purchase 16 Polycom ViaVideo units for distribution to all Utah academic
libraries and the Utah State Library. The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences
Library also works in collaboration with the Utah Telehealth Network (UTN).
Through another Marriner S. Eccles Foundation gift, the Eccles Library
purchased a Polycom MG323 12 port IP videoconferencing card which expanded an
existing Accord MGC-100 multipoint bridge to 24 port capacity, allowing for
videoconferences with up to 24 participants. The cost of each Polycom ViaVideo
unit was approximately $500. Because Americans are less willing to travel by
air in the post-September 11th environment, videoconferencing has become much
more popular in many business and educational settings.3 There are
many vendors of videoconferencing equipment: among them are Clearphone, Sony,
Tandberg, and Polycom, supplier of the Utah equipment due to its high video
quality rating.4 Online startups, such as eYak and Eyeball Network
are also offering alternatives.
The Polycom video
units were sent to each academic library in Utah during the Fall of 2002.
Initially, one or two people in each institution experimented with the units by
communicating informally with the systems librarian at the Eccles Health
Sciences Library. Subsequent to this successful trial period, UALC committees
have been holding regular, virtual meetings as the Polycom units are available
in all academic libraries. While the videoconferencing process required some
education for users and the elimination of several minor technical barriers,
UALC committee members are enthusiastically embracing this technology as an
effective, efficient and fun way to continue long standing collaborations
without the costs and hassles of travel. The first committee to use the system
repeatedly was the UALC Professional Development Committee. The initial video
meeting for this group was a joint committee meeting with the UALC Systems
committee on November 7, 2002. Involving the Systems Committee from the start
was a very successful strategy because this ensured systems personnel from each
institution would be aware of the equipment and how it worked. The strategy
also ensured that in-house technical support would be present when needed at
each library.
The first meeting
required a significant amount of start-up time, during which each new
participant went through a predictable series of "Can your hear me?"
questions followed by adjustment of camera and audio settings. Overall,
participants encountered few difficulties, as the Polycom ViaVideo software and
hardware (video camera) were easy to install and use. The design incorporates a
multimedia processor and the camera into one unit, and the ViaVideo connects
easily to a desktop or laptop PC through the USB connection, using a standard
network connection. Although there were several recommendations for improvement
after the meeting, the first UALC Professional Development committee meeting
via video was deemed to be a success. Nine of eleven possible sites/libraries
participated, saving many hours of driving time for each committee member who
was able to participate fully without leaving his/her home institution. This
committee has continued to meet via video on several additional dates.
Hosting a
successful video committee meeting requires careful planning of step-by-step
procedures. Prior to any UALC meetings, each potential participant filled out a
profile data sheet that was stored in the UTN office. These profiles include
basic information such as name, contact information, and workstation IP address
to be used for meeting connections. Each library is allowed to have multiple
profiles. Some institutions have committee members "check-out" the
video unit on the day of their meeting and connect it to their own workstation,
making the meeting even more convenient and comfortable since participants can
then “meet” in their own offices. Other institutions have located the video
unit in a conference room that staff can schedule as needed. Prior to hosting a
videoconference, the UALC committee chair contacts one of the videoconference
coordinators at UTN or the Eccles Library and schedules a date when the bridge
is available. The UALC committee chair then contacts committee members to request
advance notice of who will be participating and which profiles will be in use.
The participants are entered into a meeting "table" on the bridge in
preparation for assembling virtually on the appointed day and time. On meeting
day, each participant "calls" the bridge by entering the bridge IP
into the Polycom interface. At most sites, the IP has been added to the address
book, so a single click of the mouse makes the connection. The video software
is voice activated, so the person who is speaking is the person who is seen by
all.
During the course
of initial meetings, participants discovered several technical and production
issues. Some sites experienced problems connecting due to firewall obstructions
at their location. Committee members worked with IT staff at these sites and
were able to open the necessary ports for successful two-way sharing of both
video and audio. (Ports required are: TCP 1720, TCP 3230-3231, and UDP
3230-3235.) Production issues involve adequate lighting and etiquette protocol.
Committee chairs conduct a role call at the start of each meeting so all
participants know who is in attendance. Because the units are voice activated,
committee members are asked to state their name and location, which gives all
participants a chance to see them in the display. As there is a very slight
delay, committee members are asked to state their name and location each time
they speak during the meeting. This gives the camera and bridge sufficient time
to bring the speaker's picture to the screen so everyone sees the new speaker
when he/she begins to comment about meeting issues.
The overarching
UALC representative group, as well as UALC subcommittees such as the
Professional Development Committee, Systems Committee, and
Reference/Instruction Committees have now held several successful meetings
using the videoconferencing equipment. The Professional Development Committee
has found that members from within the Salt Lake City metropolitan area often
prefer to gather at one location where they meet the more distant committee
members through the Polycom. For the most distant sites, such as Dixie College
Library in St. George, Utah (a five hour drive to Salt Lake City), Southern
Utah University in Cedar City, Utah (a four hour drive to Salt Lake City) and
Utah State University in Logan, Utah (a three hour drive to Salt Lake City) the
technology has been indispensable in allowing them to fully participate in UALC
committee work and collaborative projects without wasting hours on Interstate
15. To further facilitate participation, a UALC Web site page
(http://medstat.med.utah.edu/videoconference/ or http://www.ualc.net ) has been
created with Polycom video instructions for committee chairs and participants.
Although still a work in progress, the page provides committee chairs with
enough information to plan a meeting and provides participants with guidelines
about expected meeting structure, behaviors and etiquette. In addition, the
webpage outlines recommended specifications for workstations intended to run
the Polycom ViaVideo units. A list of committee profiles is available so
participants can determine whether they wish to use an existing location at
their institution, or submit a new profile for their preferred location.
The early success
of this videoconferencing system ensures its continuing use by Utah librarians.
As more of them have experience using the system they will gain greater comfort
with using this new style of communication and format. As the cost of this
equipment decreases, it is highly likely that within the next five years many
Utah academic library managers involved in collaborative activities will have a
video camera unit on their desktops. Not only has UALC used video systems to
plan professional development events, the Professional Development Committee
has presented these same events via live video Web broadcasts. Copies of these
video broadcasts, available through Web delivered video archives, are proving
useful to those unable to attend the actual event and for ongoing staff development
and continuing education. Two recent presentations - on large project planning,
and on copyright and the Technology, Education and
Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH Act)- are available for anyone to
view from the UALC Web site (http://www.ualc.net. (The TEACH
Act is recent U.S. legislation that has significant implications for U.S.
educational institutions due to its redefinition of the use of copyright
protected materials in distance education.)
This
collaborative statewide project using IP videoconferencing has been extremely
valuable and effective in promoting participation in UALC committee meetings
and in revitalizing the continuing education committee. Committee members, who
were previously unable to participate actively, due to constraints of time or
distance, are now regular and vital participants. Members of all UALC
committees have easily adapted to this new communication style and technology
that expands relationships and reduces or eliminates the barriers of time and
distance for academic librarians involved in statewide committee work. This IP
videoconferencing project is a model for many types of collaborative work
environments where participants are unable, or do not desire, to meet in a
traditional face-to-face settings. Saving time, particularly driving time,
greatly improves the productivity, efficiency and collegiality of academic
librarians. As academic librarians it is our role to share new Internet
technologies with our patrons. It makes perfect sense for us to use these
technologies to expand our own professional relationships and enhance our
collaborative work environment.
1. Hansen, C. and
Lombardo, N.T. (1997). Toward the Virtual University: Collaborative Development
of a Web-based course. Research
Strategies, 15, 68-79.
2. Brunvand, A.,
Hansen, C., Kochan, C., Lee, D., McCloskey, K., Morrison, R. (2001). Consortium
Solutions to Distance Education problems: Utah Academic Libraries Answer the
Challenges. Journal of Library
Administration 31, 75.
3. Alexander, S.
(2001, September 24). Getting the Picture. Minneapolis
Star Tribune, 10D.
4. Mr. Spacely is
coming to town: The tech isn't perfect, but video conferencing's day is near.
(2001). Fortune 142, 242.
Nancy Lombardo is
systems librarian at the Eccles Health Sciences Library and a coordinator for
the UALC videoconferencing system. Carol Hansen is instruction services
librarian at Stewart Library, Weber State University and chair of the UALC
professional development committee, email: nancyl@lib.med.utah.edu