Seafood Technology Collection: A Final Report

Abstract

Diminishing access to seafood technology literature, both the published and the unpublished “gray” literature, is perceived, due to closures of labs and libraries, and loss of expertise by retirement and funding reductions. Our response in 1998 was to initiate a project that would measure interest and need, while demonstrating a process to create Web-based searchable collections. Industry became the primary target audience. Although the authors received salary support from home departments, fund-raising for project activities proved difficult. We raised $30,000 over 5 years in the form of small gifts and grants from Industry and agencies. With involvement of a Library Science graduate student and other library assistants, we created three collections designed to have value for the Industry and to test and demonstrate the information delivery process. Collections of “Seafood Wastewater”, “Seafood Byproducts” (including composting), and “Seafood Thawing Technologies” are now listed and searchable on the Web <http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/guin/seafood/index.html>. Each entry includes bibliographic information and an abstract. Information on how to get a copy is available with all the references available either through the Guin Library at OSU, or when possible, the World Wide Web. Throughout the project, we communicated progress and results while soliciting advice and information. Press releases, letters, articles, presentations and posters all sought to keep Industry and academic colleagues apprised of our results. This final report covers major outcomes and contains a tentative list of collections at risk, a draft “Collection Policy”, and a “Handbook” describing the detailed steps required to create future collections. We end this project phase with reflections on the things that worked, the things that did not work, and criteria needed to pursue future efforts. We also make a recommendation to create a regional information delivery system to fill current and future needs for information in the seafood technology field.