December 19, 2023, LEHI, UT—When Mississippi State University (MSU) Libraries discovered SirsiDynix’s CloudSource, they were in the midst of overhauling their e-resource management strategy. Six months after adopting the new content and discovery services platform, MSU Libraries are providing their researchers, students, and community scholars with seamless access to high-quality academic e-resources—and revitalizing their budget along the way.
The library first recognized CloudSource’s potential in February 2023, after receiving a requested complimentary collection analysis. The service—which compared MSU Libraries’ database holdings against CloudSource’s index of 60 million open access (OA) articles, eBooks, eTextbooks, and open educational resources (OER)—revealed an average of 50% overlap between resources.
“I knew [CloudSource] would act as a safety net for us—adding layers of innovation and interdisciplinarity as well as a very large suite of open access, refereed, academic-quality online resources,” says Raymond Uzwyshyn, Associate Dean of Collection Management and Strategy at MSU Libraries.
He was right. Through collection analysis and implementation, “We were able to accomplish our goal of identifying $200,000 and more in subscriptions to discontinue,” reports Cathy Austin, Interim Director for Resource Management.
And MSU Libraries’ successes with CloudSource don’t end there. With many eyes on the library as it ushers in exciting changes, Ray, Cathy, and colleagues are finding fresh ways to deepen conversations with faculty and educate users. Through the rollout process, they’ve opened several lines of communication, connecting with academic departments via meetings, group library presentations, feedback forms, and an online information portal dedicated specifically to new technologies.
Now, Austin explains, “It seems like we’re really moving forward with research and innovative ways of doing things—and I think our faculty are taking notice.”
The recent implementation also opens doors for the entire campus community. In fact, as a crucial discovery hub for the University—the leading research institution in the state—MSU Libraries serves more than 300,000 visitors each year. With CloudSource in place, undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, researchers, and scholars now have access to millions of high-impact OA research materials, including e-books and online, research-level journal articles.
“I feel CloudSource is setting a new paradigm and the first in its class of these types of increasingly vital applications,” says Uzwyshyn. “The landscape is quickly changing, and the momentum is very much towards open access. We wished to be part of that paradigm shift and we are now.”
To learn more about CloudSource, the only content and discovery services platform that aggregates and fully exposes the global body of open access and open educational resources, visit https://www.cloudsource.net.
About Mississippi State University Libraries
Mississippi State University Libraries serve as a hub for research, resources, community building, learning, and study for students, faculty, staff, and community members. MSU Libraries have an innovation-driven presence as part of the state’s leading research institution. World-class research collections, technology-infused learning labs, and user-driven centers make the Libraries inviting and exciting for our wide patron base. Our talented faculty and staff provide expertise across a variety of areas, including information and digital literacy, archives and special collections, research modalities and new forms of scholarly communication.
About SirsiDynix
SirsiDynix believes in the power of libraries. Transforming and shaping their communities every day, that power inspires us to connect people with knowledge at more than 23,000 libraries worldwide. SirsiDynix technology combines relevant resources with the Best Library User Experience (BLUE). With our Best-of-Breed approach, SirsiDynix gives libraries the greatest and most expansive range of options for their software. Complemented by the most experienced training, consulting, and support staff in the industry, SirsiDynix helps libraries to reach their highest potential while serving their communities. To find out more, visit www.sirsidynix.com.
