Volume 17.3 | December 2019
A collage of BC ELN Staff photos interspersed with photos of holiday items. Text overlay reads "Happy Holidays!"
Best wishes for the season from BC ELN!
We wish all our partner library colleagues a safe and restful break over the holidays.
BC ELN All Partner Meeting 2019
On December 5 th representatives from BC ELN’s 33 partner libraries joined one another in Vancouver for the annual All Partner Meeting. The meeting is a wonderful opportunity for BC ELN partners to catch up with one another, and to discuss issues of relevance for the consortium.  

The day started with updates about BC ELN staffing, services, and priorities (you can read about service news below). After this, the group focused on a review of the Steering Committee Terms of Reference (TOR).
A group of people sit at a round table, smiling at the camera. In the background are other meeting attendees.
A Deep Dive into Terms of Reference and Governance

Attendees reviewed several suggested changes to the TOR, then dove deep into a facilitated discussion of governance and representation. Attendees identified pros and cons of the current governance structure, and discussed potential improvements - a fascinating discussion with multiple viewpoints. The many perspectives and suggestions were collected and will be brought forward to the Steering Committee for further exploration.

ILL Transaction Fee Discussion
 
Next up was a facilitated session to discuss eliminating interlibrary loan (ILL) fees for non-returnables – a topic of conversation around BC ELN circles for almost a decade. Previous to the meeting, the BC ELN Office shared a backgrounder to prepare meeting attendees. Ultimately, attendees chose to recommend that ILL transaction fees be removed, with suggested considerations. Further communication about the Steering Committee’s decision on ILL transaction fees and resulting changes will be coming in the new year.

Pitches for BC ELN's 'Back Pocket'

The day ended with a highly engaging activity where attendees developed “back pocket pitches” – compelling proposals for BC ELN to have at the ready should the Ministry approach us with additional funding opportunities.
 
As with every year, the day was full of interesting talk, good food, and lots of creative thinking. BC ELN is a fortunate group to have such active participation in these meetings!
BC ELN Service Updates

Arca

An interface refresh is on the horizon for Arca. The interface has remained the same since first being implemented, and there are now many more partners with a widening range of needs and requirements. We look forward in the coming year to a collaborative process of developing a revitalized interface.
Woman on sofa working on laptop computer.
AskAway

AskAway has expanded to 73 hours of service per week, providing a strong return on investment for participating institutions. To manage the increase in service usage, the Administrative Centre will be doing a focused look at staffing levels in the new year.
 
Illume

A frequently requested feature has just been addeds to Illume! The “Borrowing Policy” allows libraries to hide the "Request this Item" button based on the material format, thus saving ILL staff time cancelling patron-created requests for formats the library ILL Policy does not allow.
 
Licensing

The BC ELN Permissions Project is wrapping up… Soon partner libraries will have at-a-glance information about key permitted uses (e.g. on fair dealing, walk-in users) relating to resource licenses. Stay tuned for an announcement in the new year.
 
WriteAway

WriteAway continues to grow! College of New Caledonia is the latest BC ELN partner to join, bringing the total to 17 participating, with another two institutions in conversation with the WriteAway Admin Centre.
A BC ELN Office Tradition
Students in Uganda stand outside a pre-renovated school room.
DreamShare Uganda
In keeping with a long-standing Office tradition of supporting a charitable group with a holiday donation, this season BC ELN staff made a collective contribution to DreamShare Uganda, a charity aimed at advancing education in Uganda.