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Taking your library on the road: I had to create a way that I could answer questions and refer to the library's collection without worrying about any special connections to a specific database or network.

Article Excerpt
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Why I Needed a Mobilized Library

As a researcher/librarian, I have to take my library collection with me wherever I go. Before becoming lead researcher for Weldon Researchers, I served as the director of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges' (AGB) Zwingle Library and Resource Center. As an association librarian, I found that customers wanted answers to questions all day long and every day of the week. This job also called for me to attend two conferences every year. I was a solo librarian without full-time help, so I had to create a way that I could answer questions and refer to the library's collection without worrying about any special connections to a specific database or network.

In Computers in Libraries' November/ December 2007 issue, I described a virtual assistant that I created by using Microsoft SharePoint. It helped me maintain contacts, web links, a library collection, discussion lists, and document sharing with customers who had research to share. It worked, but it was costly to the library's budget. The library's collection grew from 120MB to 20GB, which would cost $3,059.49 annually to be maintained by Apptix, a Microsoft SharePoint partner. I needed a cheaper approach with a powerful search engine.

My Cheap, Powerful Answer

In order to implement such an undertaking, I had to find a "free" tool that would allow me to continue my 24/7 availability, the 24/7 availability of the library collection's documents, and the ability to conduct online sharing/discussions at specific time periods.

My answer? I created an electronic library...

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