Name:
Browzine
FiscalYear:
2014
Audience:
University Libraries
Submitter:
Kornblau, Amy
Budget Manager:
Lynch, Beth
Project Manager:
Strudwick, Jane A.
Dept. Chair:
Miller, William
Local IT:
N/A
Dean:
Miller, William
Facilities:
N/A
OIT:
Bagdonas, Joseph A.
Year 1:
$ 6,295.00
Year 2:
$ 6,295.00
Year 3:
$ 6,295.00
Total:
$ 18,885.00
?
The FAU Libraries are requesting $18,885 for a three-year subscription to BrowZine.
The FAU Libraries support the FAU community’s evolving needs and expectations by making library content more accessible to users. After migrating almost all journal content to online, the Libraries would now like to better deliver the content to all devices used by faculty and students, without losing the authentic library experience. BrowZine is an application for mobile devices and PCs that allows users to virtually browse much of FAU’s scholarly journal content, mimicking the shelf-browsing experience and promoting serendipitous discovery.
BrowZine arranges the Libraries’ subscribed journal content on a common newsstand, then delivers these journals to users in an easy to use format optimized for the iPad or Android tablet computers. The result is an intuitive way for users to browse journals by subject, discover new titles, and easily read articles.
The application displays as a virtual bookshelf, exhibiting the journal covers by subject area. Once a journal title is chosen, the user can browse the table of contents and access articles. Users can also create a personal bookshelf of favorite journals and sign up for notifications of newly published materials.
Target
student population to be served by the project
Undergraduate and
graduate students in all majors and areas of study will benefit from this
resource. BrowZine will give access to many of the over 80,000 online journals
provided by the Libraries, covering all areas of FAU’s curriculum and research.
As there has been a steady increase in the use of smartphones and tablets in the general population, the Libraries hope to serve students using mobile devices by providing this content in a mobile friendly format. In the 2013/14 academic year, 19% of the FAU website user sessions came from mobile devices (including tablets), a 7% increase from the 2012/13 academic year. The Libraries also have tablets available for students to check out.
Benefit to Student Learning
Searching an online library can be daunting to new students. BrowZine’s visually friendly presentation of research articles can transition undergraduates from Google searching to academic research, and introduce library and peer-reviewed resources into their study and research routines. Since BrowZine brings together journals by research areas, students can easily find the research they need in one place, rather than searching various platforms.
Space Administration
No physical space is needed for BrowZine. This resource would be accessible 24/7 to current students, faculty, and staff on campus and remotely through EZproxy.
BrowZine is priced as a subscription for $6,295.00 per year. The requested funds will cover the cost of a three-year subscription BrowZine for a total of $18,885.00.
When the subscription ends in June 2018, designated library staff will review the usage statistics and assess whether or not the subscription should continue with library funds.
FAU Libraries Electronic Resources
| Fiscal Year 1 | Fiscal Year 2 | Fiscal Year 3 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware One-Time | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Hardware Recurring | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Software One-time | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Software Recurring | $ 6,295.00 | $ 6,295.00 | $ 6,295.00 | $ 18,885.00 |
| Personnel One-time | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Personnel Recurring | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Other One-time | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Other Recurring | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| Totals | $ 6,295.00 | $ 6,295.00 | $ 6,295.00 | $ 18,885.00 |
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