| USMAI Consortium of Libraries |
| University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions |
Attending: Celia Rabinowitz, Charles Lowry, Deborah Nolan, Alice Bahr, David Gillespie, MJ Tooey, Carlen Ruschoff; Guest: Stephen Miller, Larry Wilt
Tooey called the meeting to order.
TOPIC: Study Group Reports
Leader: Tooey, Ruschoff
Prework: Study Group Reports (previously distributed)
Web Presence Study Group: The recommendation is for USMAI to provide a more user-friendly and feature-rich web presence. An approach should be chosen that will provide access to sources in addition to the online catalog, such as local digital collections and licensed content including databases, e-books, electronic journals and the open web. In the discussion that followed, one CLD member suggested that the information on pp. 2-3 of the report could become evaluation criteria for a discovery tool. Another member posited that we should be thinking in terms of multiple discovery tools, not just one. Another member asked if USMAI should continue to consider the "single sign-on" and PPH functionality as primary criteria. The Exec Committee agreed that the concept of single sign-on and PPH services, (not necessarily the way they function now), should continue to be decisive factors. CLD Exec commended the Study Group for its work. The report is thorough and well done.
Actions: Charge a task group to develop discovery tool evaluation criteria in from the report and include the following additions made by CLD Exec:
CLD Exec would like the criteria by April 11th so that they may be discussed at the April 17 meeting. Once CLD has approved the criteria, the study group will be asked to evaluate selected discovery tools. The study group can be the entire Web Presence Study Group or a subset of that group.
Serial Records Study Group. This report addresses the multiple versions of legacy serial records in the OPAC. The recommendation is to merge all duplicate legacy serials records. CLD acknowledged that the legacy records pose a problem to catalog searchers and asked Rabinowitz to thank the group for bringing the issue to CLD's attention. However, the size of the problem and the actual challenge to researchers/catalog users) is not addressed in the report. It was pointed out that when this study group was formed, the OPAC was considered to be the only public discovery tool available to users. Since that time, CLD has begun to discuss commercial and open source discovery tools, which may address the problem in screen displays. There was also some discussion about the recommendation that CPC organize the merging project and a desire for more information on the work plan for the project.
Actions: Rabinowitz will talk with the CPC to determine whether it is best to wait for a discovery tool to address the duplicate record problem or if there is some task that should be done to address the issue. The CLD Exec asks CPC to consider a path that will require minimal effort for the maximum impact. The CLD Exec also agreed that the Study Group's observation about duplicate records and the difficulty these records present to users is a serious one. Therefore, a bullet was added to the list of evaluation criteria for discovery tools to require an evaluation of the virtual merge of duplicate records.
Shady Grove Study Group. The CLD Exec considered the short term recommendations made in the Shady Grove Study Group report. The Exec Committee agreed that whatever is done for Shady Grove, will serve as a model for other USM initiatives, particularly Hagarstown The following actions were approved or approved as amended:
1. Create a Shady Grove Library filter in catalogUSMAI to enable SG Library users to more easily identify the resources of the SG Library.
Action: Ruschoff will look into alternatives for providing a default at Shady Grove to scope in on materials owned by the library.
2. To facilitate access to the home library's electronic collections, home campus libraries must ensure users are provided library barcodes at the beginning of their enrollments at USG. Additionally, an instructor barcode that allows access to each participating institution's databases should be provided to the SG Library staff.
Action: Ruschoff will look into providing barcodes that will allow Shady Grove librarians to access each home campus library's electronic resources.
3. Bowie State University and University of Baltimore patron loaders should be established. Frequent automated patron loaders should be established for all campuses.
Action: Rabinowitz will talk with Don Spicer to determine the best strategy for placing patron loaders on each campuses' OIT priority list.
4. Provide comprehensive, seamless and standardized interlibrary loan and document delivery services to all USG students, faculty and staff, including delivery of in-house materials from the home campus and direct-to-patron or SG Library delivery for ILL materials.
Action: Rabinowitz will ask the SG Study Group to suggest a mechanism to address ILL service. Solutions may include mediation by librarians at SG.
5. Have the SG Library coordinate an initiative to involve home campus librarians in library instruction and offer collection development guidance to the SG Librarians to augment their subject expertise.
Action: Change recommendation to: "The SG Librarians should collaborate with the home campus librarians with expertise which complements the SG librarians' subject expertise."
6. Make E-reserves services available, whether offered through the SG Library or home campuses. Similarly, access to USG course materials via home campus course management systems is needed.
Action: Accepted.
7. Have the SG Library create a webpage that shows users the circulation services available via the home library, including links to circulation policies and procedures at all USMAI home libraries.
Action: Accepted.
8. Provide the SG Library with access to tutorials and research guides available at home libraries.
Action: Change recommendation: "To provide equivalent reference services, the SG Library should provide links to access home campus libraries web-based tutorials and research guides and home campus chat reference."
9. Create a standing committee/task group with representation from the SG Library and all home campus libraries to ensure communication among the libraries and review services annually. Include user input in the annual service review. Group members should have a broad view of the library services offered by the SG Library as well as the home campus libraries.
Action: It is not necessary to establish a committee. Leadership in communication with home campuses must come from the Shady Grove Librarians. Home campuses should designate a liaison to communicate with Shady Campus.
Action: Rabinowitz will convey the decisions to the Shady Grove Study Group and to the Shady Grove Staff.
ID cards (from long term). One long term recommendation was considered: "Facilitate SG Library users getting their identification cards and library barcodes at USG while USMAI establishes USG patron loaders for all campuses with programs at USG."
Action: CLD Exec agreed that it is not feasible to consider a full scale ID distribution program at Shady Grove in the short term.
All other long term recommendations were tabled.
TOPIC : ITD Update
Leader: Ruschoff
The report below was sent out via e-mail after the meeting.
Linda Seguin joined the staff temporarily on March 19. She will be with us for the next 14 weeks. We are training her in the basics of ALEPH. The work she will be doing will be in the area of some acquisitions and in database support.
The first service pack for ALEPH 18 is being installed in test. Hans just finished the manual updates that needed to be made. The staff will prepare the clients over the next few working days. We anticipate that the test will be ready the week of March 24th and we will ask the USMAI Library staff to test in 3 working days so that are able to load the service pack in live within the next two weeks.
Routine Rx's are being addressed. Those that require development are being redirected to Task Groups for review, discussion, and prioritization. We have not yet come up with a good mechanism for incorporating these into the workflow. In some cases, task groups are requesting changes that are medium to high in effort and appear to be low pay-off. The technical term is "tinkering."
A number of libraries with the consortial ILLiad installation have been having difficulties in sending digital requests through Odyssey. We have been working with OCLC to determine the problem. One problem found so far has to do with set-up issues. We hope to have it resolved over the next two weeks.
Ruschoff is reviewing the ExLibris contract in preparation for the annual maintenance renewal. The number of licenses maintained is a targeted investigation. Use Statistics collected throughout the fall semester show that a fraction of the licenses are being used.
Campus Contacts meeting will be scheduled for early May. (Problem with conflicts with the ILS Manager Interviews.)
Shared the top 5 initiatives identified at the retreat that are relevant to ITD work. ITD's top priority is to create a work plan for the Patron Privacy suite of tasks.
High level discussion with OCLC regarding WorldCat Local. We have made clear the requirements that must be in place in order for USMAI to consider WCL as a discovery tool. The single sign-on and PPH functions are on top. We are discussing the connectors between WCL and ALEPH.
We are receiving applications for the ILS Manager position.
TOPIC: Overseas circulation to UMUC's faculty in Europe and Asia
Topic discussion was postponed to the April meeting.
Action: Ruschoff and Miller will discuss the topic before the April CLD meeting.
TOPIC: Announcements, New Business
Charles and MJ will be attending the Provosts meeting on April 17 and will be meeting ahead of time to discuss strategies and topics.
All USMAI library staff are invited to the HS/HSL's free, one-day symposium, "are you connect-ed?" which will explore social networking tools for collaborating, teaching and learning. For more information visit the symposium web site.
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