May 2013

Dear Lehigh community,

This message is an update of recent Library and Technology Services (LTS) achievements and innovations over the past year and provides a roadmap of exciting developments for the 2013-2014 academic year. Some highlights:

Extending teaching and learning innovation: We continue to collaborate with faculty to integrate digital content and tablet technologies into the campus experience through our successful Documentary Video and iPad programs and through the expansion of streaming video into the learning experience. LTS has also facilitated an Online Learning Advisory Committee charged with exploring and assessing the future of distance learning at Lehigh.

Curating content and data: We are furthering our commitment to a wide-variety of data-driven services that span LTS functions: preservation and maintenance of Lehigh's digital assets through Lehigh Preserve; the addition of a Mellon-funded Data Curation Fellow who is working on scientific data curation emphasizing earth and environmental sciences; and the exploration of long-term storage to support the maturing digital library.

Enhancing e-security: In response to a growing number of e-security threats, LTS has formed an E-Security Team led by a newly appointed Chief Information Security Officer, Sara Rodgers. This team identifies and mitigates security incidents through the implementation of new software and tools, enhanced communication, and the integration of user-awareness training for the campus community. Recently, Lehigh been challenged with a high volume of spam and increasingly sophisticated phishing email messages. LTS appreciates your cooperation and patience as we work to reduce the disruption caused by these cyberattacks.

Creating collaborative space: In response to the evolving needs and expectations of students, we have transformed several spaces in the libraries and computing center with new technologies and furniture to enhance collaboration. By fall 2013, we will update EWFM 5th Floor South by adding study space, furniture, and increased access to power.

Improving service: With the creation of a Web and Mobile Services group, LTS expanded web development services on campus. This year, we increased personal network storage (H: Drive) to 5gb; by fall, we will double storage space on the common drive (I: Drive). We have enhanced software distribution and rolled out a virtual public site model allowing mobile access to campus software. To complement Lehigh's digital journal holdings, LTS has implemented RapdILL, a reciprocal borrowing program that delivers journal articles electronically within 14 hours.

Programming innovation: This year, LTS continued its run of successful programming intended to amplify hot topics and bridge diverse campus communities. Within the past two months, we hosted: the High Performance Computing Symposium, the Teaching and Learning Symposium, a THATCamp event intended to bridge technology and the humanities, and the Friends of Libraries keynote speaker, noted environmentalist Bill McKibben.

Improving infrastructure: We recently upgraded our campus backbone network to 40Gbps and expanded the capability of the data center to handle much faster connections. We will soon be using the new PennREN, of which Lehigh is a founding member, to expand commodity internet bandwidth by 60% to 5 gigabits of internet access. We are also evaluating alternatives to our legacy telecommunications system with the expectation of implementing a new unified communication system capable of integrating the use of smart phones and merging voice and email messaging.

Developing technology: The release of the LehighU Live mobile app provides access to a location-aware map of campus venues, sports scores, events, and GIS-enabled bus locations and schedules. We also continue our leadership role in the multi-institutional development of the Kuali Open Library Environment initiative, a Mellon Foundation funded community-source enterprise library management suite planned for go-live in summer 2014.

Enabling research productivity: LTS continues to modernize its research computing infrastructure, and has appointed a "campus champion" in the NSF XSEDE program to assist investigators migrating to national supercomputing platforms. LTS is implementing new high performance firewalls to enhance our data security and will start much-needed life cycle replacements of building network switches to enhance the reliability of the campus network.

Enjoy your summer!

Bruce M. Taggart, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Library and Technology Services