Electronic Data Service (EDS) Program Study

Table of Contents

• Introduction• General Trends in Data Service• EDS Collections• EDS Services• Points of Service• Staffing• Space and Equipment

Introduction

The Electronic Data Service (EDS) is operated jointly by the Columbia University Libraries and Academic Information Systems (AcIS) to support instruction and research that involve numeric data resources. The following is a program document that describes the collections and services to be provided by EDS in a new facility, IAB 215. The plan will consider the trends EDS staff have identified in both the EDS collections and services in order to greatly enhance the provision of existing services as well as anticipate the needs of EDS in the future.

The assessment of our future needs was done by first examining the general trends in data services and then by reviewing developments in our current operation (collections, software support, consulting services). We've also included detailed information about GIS services, which we would like to better serve with the new resources available in IAB 215. We've provided some information on other GIS service operations based on interviews with libraries and data centers providing GIS support.

A summary of the resulting basic requirements for an EDS facility is listed here, followed by the full report which details the findings from our assessment process.

Public space should provide for:

• A growing demand for existing EDS services that require computer workstations which are designed so they can be used by individuals, groups working in consultation, and students in a hands-on teaching setting (a minimum of seven desktops). Most patrons require a hands-on consultation in getting started at EDS, and many patrons require ongoing assistance in completing their task(s). Generally, even the more independent users require sporadic assistance throughout their time in EDS;

• Growth space for 5 years within the EDS facility, should additional workstations be necessary to continue to accommodate users. We anticipate requiring at least three additional desktops in the immediate future to address a new demand for GIS services;

• Ongoing demand for worktables adjacent to the computer workstations as well as a table set apart from the computers to be used for reference consultations;

• A networked laser black and white printer suitable for general printing for patrons as well as the printing of documentation and codebooks;

• A networked large format color printer or plotter suitable for GIS applications;• A large format scanner to accommodate GIS and paper map users;• Shelving for the codebooks that are a vital part of our collection of data studies, programming

manuals for analysis software, application software manuals, and reference books;• Display racks for our user guides and publications received from our data suppliers;• A phone line with the EDS number (854-6012);• Layout designed to accommodate a projector so that we can provide instructional support.

Staff space should provide for:

• A minimum of four desks, four computers, shelving, and a work table for staff (to accommodate the data services librarian, the GIS/map librarian, an AcIS consultant, and part-time consultant);

• Secure space for the network server, office supplies, staff coat closet, and the CD-ROM collection;

• Network wiring and a phone line.

General Trends in Data Service

Two documents were used to examine general trends for how data services are being provided at other academic institutions. The first is the Association for Research Libraries Spec Kit 263, Numeric Data Products and Services. It summarizes the results of a survey of 66 institutions conducted in August 2001. EDS provides most of the services mentioned in the survey, with the exception of data analysis and instruction, each of which was provided by only 31% of respondents. In terms of data formats, memberships in consortia, and types of data providers, EDS used all the alternatives that were reported as being used by at least one respondent.

EDS does not assist with statistical analysis but does specialize in helping users with the tasks of subsetting, merging, and converting between file formats; tasks we consider part of the retrieval process but tasks that were not mentioned in the report. The terms used in the survey about assisting users "to retrieve data" and do "data analysis" are not clearly defined so the counts for those doing "data analysis" may be overstated based on how EDS would report its activities.

EDS does not do formal instruction beyond class presentations about our services, and in its preparation of user guides covering both the use of statistical and GIS software and the use of specific data products. EDS has the expertise and interest in providing basic instruction for the software packages we support but we do not have the space and equipment to do this.

The second document was "Data Basics: An Introductory Text", a booklet prepared for the August 2002 ICPSR workshop, Providing Social Sciences Data Services. It gives a much more in-depth description of the range of tasks that can be included within a data service operation, and the document separates the

services of "identifying", "extracting", "data analysis," and "delivery, copying, and subsetting". Again, with the exception of data analysis, EDS provides most types of service. In fact, EDS was used as an example of one model for service at the workshop.

The booklet also describes "statistical reference" as a task that may or may not be included when defining a data service model. Statistical reference is presented as being different from traditional data service and one that should be viewed as a potential addition to traditional services rather than a substitute. They make the point that, with the trend to publish statistical tables on the Internet or on CD-ROM/DVD rather than in print, the distinction between users of statistics and users of data is blurring.

The impact of that blurring on service mentioned is occurring here at Columbia. As recently as five years ago when most statistical tables were published in print, someone coming to EDS seeking such information would have been referred to the Lehman Reference desk. Today it is likely for the reverse to happen because statistical tables published on the Internet and on CD-ROM/DVD are easily accessible to users and their electronic format serves as an added bonus. This means the users can simply import the tables into their papers, spreadsheets, or even statistical software, providing them with an excellent time saving device. Additionally, the details within some of these tables have grown beyond what was possible in a print publication, with some sites being interactive allowing users to generate custom tables.

Statistical reference represents a significant portion of the walk-in traffic in EDS. The mix of statistical products has been changing with some switching to the Internet while other popular ones continue to be published on disc. This is because these products come with powerful software that web interfaces cannot match. The Census 2000 Summary File 3 product, the most popular of all Census products, has just been released. The DVD version of this file will be not only the most powerful way to access this data, but the simplest. EDS expects a surge in demand when it becomes available, and will be prepared to demonstrate to statistical users how to use the product to retrieve a few rows of numbers as well as prepared to advise serious users as to when it is appropriate to use the DVD version as opposed to the raw data files available in EDS or via the Internet.

EDS Collections

EDS's core function is to provide access to datasets in a number of ways, including the maintenance of a large library of data files and their relevant documentation. The current inventory includes data files from well over a thousand studies, comprising thousands of data files. Our collections are mostly electronic and will continue to grow as our major providers expand their holdings. The general trends are:

Fewer files must be FTP'd by EDS staff and stored on the Cunix cluster as our primary data providers make access and downloading by IP address directly available to users. EDS offers remote user assistance in downloading via telephone or email should users encounter difficulty.

Increasingly, data once available only on CD-ROM are now accessible in other formats, including DVD, remote FTP, or by downloading either entire datasets or subsets of desired data through web-based extraction programs.

Data are increasingly distributed with value-added software that may either allow the user to perform extractions or produce extraction code to be used in a statistical package (SAS, SPSS, or Stata). In some cases, value-added software includes data analysis functionality.

Codebooks and other study documentation once distributed on paper are now being published electronically.

Some survey data are no longer being made available to data libraries and archives due to the inability of data providers to ensure the confidentiality of survey participants.

These trends can be seen by looking at our major data providers.

ICPSR

Traditionally, the EDS DataGate has contained entries for the entire collection of ICPSR studies, some of which were available to the Columbia community via access to the Cunix cluster. If a user needed a study not available on Cunix, he or she had to put in a request to EDS staff to FTP the data from ICPSR to Cunix, where it then became a part of our permanent collection.

As of August, 2001, ICPSR made its IP-based download direct program available to end-users. As a result, Columbia affiliates with access to the Columbia network are now able to download studies without requesting the study through EDS. EDS does still fulfill user requests to add ICPSR data to the EDS collection on an ad hoc basis. As an additional service, EDS automatically places large, popular datasets in the DataGate collection. The availability of such data on the local network is especially useful should either the Columbia or ICPSR network be sluggish during times of high traffic.

Also during this time, the quality of data documentation has and continues to improve. The adoption of standard XML tags for this documentation has given EDS the flexibility to add products in a variety of formats from many providers to DataGate. On a related note, the majority of ICPSR studies now come with electronic codebooks and more studies now come with program code to read the data into a statistical package. ICPSR will cease publishing print codebooks in the fall of 2002, but continue to publish a small number of CD-ROM products which are compilations of studies dealing with a single topic.

Sociometrics

As of last year (2001), we subscribed to the Sociometrics archive product SSEDL. This archive has given us access to products originally available only on CD-ROM such as NATASHA as well as many other

datasets. Like our ICPSR studies, a description of SSEDL studies have been placed in DataGate with links to the SSEDL archive where users on the campus network are free to download on their own. Although SSEDL studies cannot be copied to Cunix and made a part of our collection, EDS received archive copies on CD-ROM.

SSEDL studies include online documentation and both SAS and SPSS program code. The site also includes an online data analysis feature, although we have elected not to promote it as we did not think the quality of the software was satisfactory. SSEDL has been especially popular among our Health Sciences campus users.

Roper

Unlike ICPSR and SSEDL, the Roper archive is a password-protected FTP site that only EDS staff can access. Studies can be identified using the public Roper Catalog or by subscription indexes to opinion poll results (Lexis-Nexis, IPoll, Polling the Nation). When a user requests a Roper study, the files are put on the Cunix server and made permanently available to users through an entry in DataGate. Study descriptions are minimal so the descriptive information in DataGate is often limited to the study title. Documentation often consists simply of a copy of the survey. We continue receive some of these in print, but now many are received as PDF files. Because of their size, print copies of the documentation are stored in a file cabinet instead of being bound.

Federal Depository Library Program

In the 1990's many agencies published their data on CD-ROM. The trend now is for agencies to use their web sites, often with the result that their data products are no longer part of the FDPL program and thus do not show up in our collection. This means sources can be harder to identify but may or may not be easier to obtain. With the exception of for products from the Bureau of the Census and the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of data products we receive through this program is declining.

Census Bureau

We receive our Census data sets from the FDLP and smaller number from the State Data Center Program (SDC). SDC products are either copies of full FDPL products or portions of FDPL products containing New York State information.

Products for the decennial census are one of our most important resources. In 1990 the Bureau used CD-ROM's for FDPL distribution. For the summary files of tabulated data, the Bureau used two formats for distributing the data: raw data files with no accompanying software; and structured data files for use with PC-based software that comes with the data. Raw data files were distributed via FTP but the size of

the files and state of technology dictated that they were accessible only to experienced data users with access to mainframe computers. The structured files were distributed on CD-ROM and the software could accommodate only small extractions. Access improved during the 1990's when a commercial firm developed a CD-ROM product with software capable of more powerful extractions. In the late 1990's PC technology improved enough that PCs in EDS could be used for reading the raw data files. All these alternatives generated traffic in EDS. The microdata files, which require users to be knowledgeable in statistical methods, were published as raw data both on CD-ROM and via FTP. In the late 1990's a web interface to microdata was also developed.

For the 2000 Census, the Bureau is distributing data using both the Internet and DVD's (CD versions are still available but the product design works better with DVD's). Although American Factfinder, the Bureau's web-based application, allows very basic extractions of the summary files in tabulated format, the PC-based software which accompanies the DVD's is necessarily more powerful to accommodate larger, more complex extractions. Although raw data files for the tabulated summary files are available using FTP, the file structure is so fragmented that the DVD application is easier to use for most applications. Raw data files of the microdata will be published by the end of the year, and a web interface is planned.

Economic Census

The data from the Economic Census is published on CD-ROM together with some Internet access. The Census Bureau plans to make the 2002 Economic Census available via American Factfinder. Although demand for these products is not high due to the difficulty in using the data, consultations concerning the Economic Census are generally quite involved and time-consuming.

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)

We receive our NCHS data products from two sources, the FDPL and the NCHS Data Dissemination Program. The NCHS uses two formats for its products, raw data files with no accompanying software and, for some products, structured data files for use with PC-based software that comes with the data. The raw data files are published on the Internet and on CD-ROM, and the structured files only on CD-ROM. Although the CD-ROM software makes extractions easier, most users of this data rely on the raw data files that, for recent years, are mostly easily obtained from the NCHS web site. During the past year, the NCHS has been releasing files from its data archive on CD-ROM. Since this archive contains some annual surveys that go back to the early 1960s, EDS has received a large number of CD-ROMs from this program. While this wide distribution of their data products proceeded, NCHS removed from public distribution a few series that contain particularly detailed information due to confidentiality concerns.

Other Commercial Vendors

This group includes international organizations such as the World Bank, the United Nations (UN), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The majority of these vendors are moving their data distributions to web interfaces with one exception, the IMF's International Financial Statistics (IFS). IFS is the most complex of the products available from these vendors, and therefore requires greater staff assistance.

Lastly, some other popular commercial products that impact our level of traffic are CPS Utilities, WRDS, and Datastream. Although the data CPS Utilities covers (the Current Population Survey) is available on the Internet both in the form of raw data and with an data extraction interface, the design of this product keeps it popular. Datastream and WRDS will also continue to bring in traffic, as both are remote access sources available only within EDS and the Business and Economics Library. WRDS has just been made available in EDS while Datastream has long been one of our popular network products.

EDS Services

As a result of combining the AcIS statistical package expertise with the library's data access services, EDS Services include data consulting, data access, and instructional support beyond the acquisition and storage of data files. Data consulting includes advising users on the extraction, merging, converting, transferring, and compressing of data. Our service model empowers users to perform tasks themselves whenever feasible, which can happen in many different ways.

When a user enters EDS, the consultant firsts ask the user a series of questions we refer to as the data interview, which helps us ascertain which product is appropriate to the user. In some cases, the user knows right away which dataset they've come in to access, and we are able to get them started very quickly. If they've never used the software which accesses the before, we show them how to open the program they need and either provide them with an EDS User Guide which explains how to use the product step-by-step, or we provide them with a few verbal cues in order for them to begin. In this case the consultant then will go back to their other work, allowing the user to work independently until he or she has another question.

Users that do not already have in mind what it is they are looking for require a much more comprehensive data interview, so that the consultant can understand what research question the user needs to answer in order to help them locate applicable data. When neither the consultant nor the user know what data would be appropriate, the two will generally begin searching DataGate and our other Internet catalogs. If nothing appears fruitful, the consultant and user will browse the web together in an attempt to turn up more leads.

Tasks such as converting, transferring, or compressing data may also require greater levels of assistance. Again, whenever possible, the user performs these tasks on their own under the direct supervision of the consultant. The users are responsible for performing all the steps on the computer themselves, although in some instances the consultant may demonstrate a step for the user to help the user

understand what he or she is about to do. We find that many users do not require our direct assistance on return visits to EDS due to this thorough orientation to the processes required for these operations.

We advise on five major categories of software:

Statistical Software

These applications include SAS, SPSS, and Stata. The application interfaces for these packages have become increasingly more user friendly. Many applications once only available via the mainframe or the Cunix cluster are now available on our PC desktops. These packages are now being designed to run in a Windows-based environment, and are generally powerful enough to facilitate the majority of tasks our users present us with.

Additionally, software site licensing agreements have made PC software more accessible to the Columbia community. Site licensing has enabled software to be distributed beyond EDS to all AcIS labs and many departmental labs. For some packages, affordable student licensing is also available. Because of enhanced accessibility, the use of such products has increased over the last several years. We anticipate a continued increase in this kind of support in the future as people less experienced with the software are now able to access it.

Finally, two trends mentioned earlier in regards to our collection increase our likelihood in assisting users directly with statistical packages. The first is the fact the data sources such as ICPSR and SSEDL are increasingly including statistical package programs alongside their data, and some users may not understand how to modify these programs so that they work on their local machine. Secondly, because users are more often than not electing to take advantage of download-direct rather than requesting data through EDS, they are more likely to come into EDS to transfer or convert their data to another statistical package format. This is a service EDS consultants often performed before users accessed the data.

EDS tracking records between 9/23/99 and 8/23/02 documents an increase in the percentage of EDS consultations which are devoted to assistance with statistical packages (Table 1). While only 2.04% of EDS consultations involved assisting users with SAS in the fall of 1999, that percentage rose steadily in 2000 and 2001, with 2.74% and 2.98% respectively. However, SAS consultations have accounted for 5.26% of our consultations so far this year.

During the aforementioned time period, EDS consultations involving SPSS assistance also increased, with the largest increase occurring between the fall of 1999 (3.67%) and the following year (5.04%) with smaller but steady increases in 2001 and 2002.

We only began tracking specific assistance with Stata during 2001, so our numbers regarding Stata assistance may be somewhat less reliable. Surprisingly, assistance with Stata accounted for 4.78% of our consultations in 2001 despite being tracked only part of the year. In addition, help with Stata has surpassed assistance with both SAS and SPSS at 7.22% so far in 2002. During that same time, help with

other statistical packages has decreased (2.17% in 2001 and .21% in 2002), which suggests that much of the assistance with other statistical packages in 2001 was actually assistance with Stata before help with Stata was awarded its own category.

Table 1: EDS Statistical Package Consultations by Year

(Partial Year Data for Both 1999 and 2002)

Year SAS SPSS Stata Other

1999 2.04% (5) 3.67% (9) N/A 2.86% (7)

2000 2.74% (37) 5.04% (68) N/A 2.74% (37)

2001 2.98% (48) 5.59% (90) 4.78% (77) 2.17% (35)

2002 5.26% (51) 5.77% (56) 7.22% (70) 0.21% (2)

GIS and Mapping Software

Like all the AcIS labs, EDS now has MapInfo, ArcView, and ArcGIS software. It also has Geolytics software that can be used to create thematic maps of Census data and files that can be imported in to GIS software. In its collection of data files, EDS has many products that have a spatial component plus a small number of map shape files. The staff has developed some expertise in using the software, has prepared some basic guides for users, and is working with CIESIN to distribute the online courses available to Columbia from ESRI, the developer for ArcView and ArcGIS. Plans to add a GIS/map librarian to the Lehman staff and the proximity of the Map Room to 215 make EDS a logical place in the Libraries to provide computing capacity for GIS.

To anticipate the impact of EDS becoming known as a lab that supports GIS users, we identified three institutions equal to Columbia in stature that have public GIS labs to review their services: Yale, Princeton, and MIT.

The GIS facility at Yale is offered in the Social Sciences Statistical Lab (StatLab), and is promoted as a GIS site to the Yale community. Their staff includes a person well trained in GIS software who can provide one-on-one support in addition to group instruction in using the software. Although not part of the Libraries, Statlab staff work closely with both the data librarian and the GIS/map librarian. In addition to GIS support, Statlab staff work closely with the Yale data librarian in the development and maintenance of a data catalog called StatCat, and will assist with adding spatial data to StatCat.

Until recently at Yale, GIS software was available only in selected labs. Now more available, the Statlab staff feels that awareness of GIS as an analytic tool is low, although they report their GIS traffic reaching as many as twenty users a week. Although the number of GIS users per week varies according to course demands, GIS users frequently spend an hour or more working at a computer. In addition to Statlab, the

GIS librarian also has three workstations, a large format printer, and a small scanner. We may contact them at a later point for further information about the GIS librarian's role at Yale.

Public GIS support has been provided by the GIS/map librarian at Princeton University for five years now. Since GIS software is widely available in public labs, users rely on the library only when they need support. The GIS librarian feels this reliance is just beginning to take hold, estimating traffic to be between 15-20 users per week with variable session lengths. The Princeton GIS lab has seven networked workstations, CD-ROM read-write capability, a large-scale printer, and a scanner. Though this facility is operated separately from their data services, access to both geospatial boundary files and statistical information is provided.

GIS workstations and a GIS librarian were added at MIT just over a year ago, and are separate from both their data service area and their map library. Instead, the location of GIS service at MIT was based on the availability of space and the desire for proximity to their Census collection. GIS software is widely available on the MIT campus, and the GIS librarian's primary role at MIT is assisting users who need help identifying geospatial data. These patron interactions tend to be lengthy with users staying at the terminal over an hour, and are often done by appointment. Demand for this service increased during the year from over 15 appointments to over 20 per week. The GIS librarian anticipates demand will continue to grow as the service becomes more known among the MIT community. The GIS services at MIT have yet to be promoted beyond their description on easy-to-find MIT Library web pages and classroom presentations given by the GIS librarian upon request.

At this point in planning, what was learned from looking at these operations is that there is no one model for where libraries have chosen to place their GIS service within the libraries or how they support a GIS service, although the amount of GIS traffic and consultation length was consistent among the three universities. With the combination of EDS being a collaborative effort of the Libraries and AcIS, the adjacency of IAB 215 to the map library, and the plan to add a GIS/map librarian to the Lehman staff, we hope to incorporate the best features of each of the above models into the services we provide in EDS.

The EDS facility in IAB 215 should start with an increased number of public workstations (10 as opposed to seven), and accommodate in its staff space the needs of a GIS librarian and needs of our AcIS staff person who is now providing our GIS support (four staff workstations as opposed to two). Our decision to arrange the workstations in IAB 215 to support group work will be well suited for GIS users. When a GIS/Map librarian is hired that person can step in to an environment that offers hardware and software support for GIS, office space near where patrons come to use both GIS and maps, and a fully supported data library. His or her expertise in building and maintaining a geospatial data collection will complete the service model.

Dataset-specific Software

Much of the data we receive comes with its own extraction software, and often this is the only source of this data. We provide assistance with using these various programs in EDS, and make EDS User Guides available for those that are the most popular.

Even when data is available through another source such as the Internet, the software available on the CD or DVD version is often much more powerful than the web version. Because of this, it is essential EDS continue to make these products available. Providing these products requires EDS consultants to be learning new products or new versions of existing products at all times. When products are available in multiple versions or from multiple sources, consultants convey that knowledge to users so that ultimately they can decide what will best serve their needs.

Conversion Software

One of the more valuable resources available in EDS is assistance in converting, compressing, and decompressing data. The EDS workstations are the only Windows machines on campus equipped with special data conversion applications designed to convert data stored in one software format to another format the user may prefer. EDS has several statistical software conversion packages available, including Stat/Transfer and DBMS/Copy on the Windows workstations in EDS, and Stat/Transfer and DBMS/Engines on the Cunix cluster. Although the packages on Cunix are accessible to users remotely, typically users come into EDS for this service to take advantage of the staff's expertise, as converting data can be a difficult process. To our knowledge, EDS is the only facility on campus capable of providing this type of data conversion support.

Compression Software

When working with large datasets, it is often necessary to compress the files, especially when moving them from one computer to another. WinZip is available on all the EDS workstations to either compress or decompress files as needed.

Points of Service

Currently, EDS patrons have the following point of service options to choose from when requesting EDS services:

• Appointment• Electronic Mail• Telephone• Walk-in

Of those options, the majority of assistance with EDS services serves walk-in traffic.

Because Columbia affiliates have greater and greater access to computers and, consequently, electronic mail, it is important to gauge whether or not EDS has been experiencing a decline in foot traffic. In examining the EDS tracking data from 9/23/99 to 8/23/02, we find that EDS did in fact, experience a decline in walk-in use of EDS between the fall of 1999 through 2001. However, that number has picked up again in 2002 to the rate that it was in the fall of 1999, and we have reason to believe that trend will continue as we provide greater support for statistical packages and begin support for GIS assistance.

Table 2: EDS Point of Service Entry Types by Year

(Partial Year Data for Both 1999 and 2002)

Year Appointments Electronic Mail Telephone Walk-in

1999 - 07.41% (16) 01.39% (3) 89.35% (193)

2000 00.24% (3) 14.48% (180) 02.49% (31) 80.13% (996)

2001 00.06% (1) 15.81% (247) 02.75% (43) 77.40% (1209)

2002 - 07.44% (63) 02.48% (12) 88.67% (751)

Consultations in EDS vary in length of time (see table below for reference statistics). Most commonly, users make contact with the consultants when they first enter EDS to gain some assistance getting started with their work. They then begin working on their own, asking consultants for further help as the need arises throughout their session. For example, a user may come in and sit down to work for a two hour period, perhaps asking three or four short questions of the consultant. This type of interaction is reflected in our relatively higher number of less than fifteen minute consultations, as the same user is sometimes recorded several times over a single visit to EDS.

Alternatively, users may come in for intensive consultations that may last several hours. Moreover, users requiring lengthy consultations often require several consultations depending on what kind of task it is they're attempting, which may happen over a week or sometimes a more drawn out period of time.

Table 3: EDS Reference Stats For Walk-in Transactions

Week <15 Minutes 15-30 Minutes >30 Minutes

02/11/02 45 8 -

03/25/02 63 12 5

04/15/02 62 14 3

06/10/02 15 5 1

Staffing

Staffing is provided jointly by the Libraries and AcIS. None of the EDS staff work there full time. The data librarian oversees the day-to-day operation, manages the collection development, and provides reference service. There are three AcIS staff members who each provide general software consulting plus the following: one serves as the GIS specialist and maintains the software on the network, one provides SPSS consulting and maintains the Cunix-based DataGate catalog, and one serves as the SAS consultant. Two other AcIS members contribute to the tasks of long term planning and network design but are not involved in the daily routine. Graduate students complete the staffing, and their assistance enables us to ensure that there are at least staff two persons in EDS during the hours it is open. The number of graduate students on staff varies between two and four depending on the time of year.

The data librarian has a desk and computer in EDS. All other staff share a desk and computer. This computer is also used for consultations that involve special software installation or writing to a CD-ROM. With the move to IAB 215 plans should include the addition of a workstation for AcIS staff and one for a GIS/map librarian.

Space and Equipment

Flooring and Furniture Layout

Both the open staff area and the public areas in 215 are carpeted. The carpet is shabby, worn bare in spots, stained, and fraying along its seams. It is glued to the floor. Two metal power strips extend out from the north wall to at least two thirds of the way across the room. These strips now sit under two long rows of closely packed computer tables. This configuration will need to be changed, as EDS workstations need to accommodate more than one user. These strips will have to be removed. Once they are moved, the carpet will have a large gap, making it dangerous for people walking around.

The north wall is better suited for shelving and seating for using the manuals and consultations rather than workstations since there is electro-magnetic interference coming from beyond the north wall. It currently causes flickering on the screens of the AcIS computers. The east and south walls are better locations for workstations.

In terms of furniture, we are fortunate to be able to use some of the existing furniture in IAB 215. Because we wish to provide users with workstations which accommodate multiple users or users sitting down with consultants, each workstation will consist of two tables and two chairs, but only one computer. We will also continue to provide a few empty tables with chairs for laptop users. Any remaining tables will be used in the staff areas as desks and work tables.

Our recommendation is that in the public area the carpet be removed and tile put down. Because the flooring under the carpet in the staff area is probably wood and not concrete like under the carpet in the pubic area, we are not asking that the carpet in the staff area be changed. Because the expenses for furniture will be low, there should be room in the budget for the cost of this improvement.

Finally, we will need to have both a coat closet for staff working in EDS and a supply shelf located in the staff area. We should be able to use furniture from our current facility to meet those needs.

Shelving

Based on measurements of our existing shelving which includes print codebooks, manuals, documentation, and CD-ROM booklets, we will need nine single-sided wall units of library shelving, which includes room for anticipated growth. The units are 36"w x 9"d x 84"h and will be set up for 6 shelves each with canopies.

We plan on using available shelving from Lehman. It will need to be determined if all the parts required are available in Lehman, or if we will need to order some pieces. Also, we plan on removing and re-assembling 2 units which are currently in 312 Lehman. This should be included in the expense for constructing the shelving in EDS.

Hot Slots

We require wall mounted hot slots with capacity to house at least forty EDS User Guides. Currently, we have only one wall mounted unit which stores only 10 guides.

CD-ROM Storage

We have an 8 drawer CD cabinet that has 840 slots and is approximately 80% full. With the empty space spread throughout the portion of the collection that is growing, growth space is quite tight. We also have over 300 CDs that are stored elsewhere. The trade collection, which is not in the cabinet, is growing at a rate of 2 CDs per month. EDS needs one more CD cabinet to store our collection.

Computers and Related Equipment

Under our current operation, we maintain 11 computers and also house one AcIS lab machine. Of those 11, nine are physically located in EDS. Seven of those are public workstations, one is reserved for staff to install special datasets and their software on an ad hoc basis upon user request, and one is for the use of the data librarian. The remaining two machines are located in Watson Hall. The first computer serves as

a way for AcIS staff to provide remote support to EDS from Watson Hall, while the second is for development purposes only.

These machines are nearing the end of their life cycle. They will need to be replaced with machines which feature GIS capability, large flat-screen monitors (17" viewable), and CD writing capability. Additionally, we require an additional three public workstations and two additional staff machines to accommodate an increase in traffic to EDS with adding GIS support to our repertoire of services. Of the two additional staff machines, one would be set aside for the GIS/map librarian. Because equipment in EDS is standardized to provide optimal performance for our users, it is essential these additional computers are included when our current machines are necessarily replaced. We are not recommending replacing our EDS server at this time.

In addition to the computers, EDS currently has its own black-and-white laserjet printer which is used by EDS staff to print codebooks and documentation as well as by patrons. We would like to include with our GIS/map services a large format printer or plotter and a large format scanner. The availability of a scanner is certain to be an invaluable asset in Lehman library, and would help integrate new GIS services with the existing map collection. Issues of cost recovery for large scale printing and scanning are open for discussion.