The ASVIN Project commenced during a period when veterinary research was becoming increasingly important with a growing awareness of food and animal health issues. Public concern was never higher over issues related to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), new variant Creuzfeld Jacob disease, and food borne pathogens such as Salmonella, E coli, and Listeria. All of these attracted widespread media attention generating high levels of public anxiety, as indeed has the recent foot and mouth epidemic.
The ‘Selborne Report 1 (1997)’ was commissioned by the Wellcome Trust and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to examine the state of veterinary research in the UK. The report urged the veterinary schools, and other organisations involved in animal health research to co-operate and collaborate further. It did not specifically discuss the information needs of veterinary, or animal health researchers. The ASVIN project (Assessing and Supporting Veterinary Information Needs) sought to take up this issue.
The ASVIN project was an eighteen-month project based at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) that commenced at the beginning of November 1999. The £147,100 project was the result of a successful bid made by the Royal College Of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the RVC. ASVIN was a collaborative, cross-sectoral project under the Collaborative Collection Management Projects section of the RSLP. The Project partners included
The aim of ASVIN was to enhance support to veterinary and animal health researchers in UK higher education by developing a range of services to improve access to information in the following areas.
All of these areas have been thoroughly investigated with partner libraries, and the main achievements of the project are summarised below.
Shortly after the project began the NESLI deals for HE institutions became available and many HE libraries bought into the range of “bundles” that were being made available. Subject specific bundles were not available initially although NESLI is beginning to address this issue. The ASVI N team negotiated access to Blackwell Science’s Synergy package for a three month period, although most of the HE institutions subscribed via the NESLI arrangement. Blackwell Science then offered the same terms to the remaining ASVIN partners. During this aspect of the project a major analysis of the journals collection (both print and electronic) was undertaken, resulting in a union list of journals of the partner libraries which is hosted on the ASVIN web-site (www.asvin.ac.uk).
A facility has been developed that allows ASVIN library catalogues to be searched simultaneously. Using the WebClarity software three libraries are already searchable, and it is expected a further three libraries will be added shortly. The Project is also working closely with SIRSI to ensure the long term viability of this aspect of the project.
Eight of the partner libraries are equipped with scanners and the Ariel Software. After some technical difficulties most libraries are now in a position to be scanning documents electronically to each other.
Although there was no enthusiasm for an ASVIN Collection Development Policy, a template has been developed that assists libraries to write their own policies. This will shortly be added to the ASVIN web-site.
These developments have improved information services to animal health researchers, and will continue to do so for many years to come. As Selborne indicated, research in this field “enhances the health, welfare and usefulness of both production and companion animals. It safeguards the public from diseases spread from these animals and by other means”. In the long term it will be society as a whole that should reap the benefits of the improved collaboration and co-operation.
Mr Simon Jackson
Tel: 01707 666514
E-mail: sjackson@rvc.ac.uk
Content: Gill Davenport
Last updated 5 July 2002