Research Port and SFX:

• V.3 of SFX arrived and has been installed on the test server. The two versions will be maintained in parallel on the server.
• Work has started with the screen group to adapt the SFX menu in light of the new options with v.3 of SFX.
• Further exploration of the ALEPH plug–in for SFX to try to fix the way title searches are conducted in the catalog.
• Assisted UB in setting up ILLiad in their SFX menu.

Aleph Version 16:

• Developed the Count of Loans by Institution statistic report that will be run on a monthly basis. This report is a snapshot of intercampus activity.
• Ad Hoc Report requests: Report requests were up to date as of 04/12/05. There have been some requests for reports that require tools that Aleph doesn't offer or that we haven't developed ourselves. It is possible that some of these will be delivered or developed via the Aleph Reporting Center, but in the interim it would be best if these requests were included in the next version of the campus priority lists.
• Aleph Desktop presentation: Fahnbulleh Zarzar and Jamie Bush are working on a presentation and documentation concerning the setup and configuration of the Aleph Desktop clients. They have completed two trial presentations to ITD staff. We will be announcing our plans for USMAI sessions in the next couple of weeks.
• Investigated problem with the "View titles" feature in OPAC. Rebuilt appropriate index in the test database. Further investigating possible changes to tables to address related issues. Once all this is settled will reindex and fix in live.
• Automated cleanup of mai02 staging database.
• Produced statistic on number of bibliographic records by encoding level for Authorities Task Group.
• Working on client crashing problem; specifically affecting UMBC.

E-Resources in the Catalog (2): setup demonstration of Union View in internal ITD development environment. Task Group had first meeting. Minutes and a new web site should be available soon.

Electronic Resource Licensing: Renewal worksheets with prices (or at least most prices) were distributed to all USMAI and MDL libraries by March 15. We've sent out updated prices as they have arrived.

Personnel:

• E-content Team:With Gretchen's departure for Cambridge Scientific, the E-Content Team spent quite a bit of time reviewing current work and planning for reassignment of tasks. Laura will take on a major role with Research Port/SFX work continuing her work with interface design. She will take Gretchen's place at the Ex Libris seminar in April to assist with her training. Kari will assume more responsibilities assisting Betty with electronic resource negotiations and licensing. She started the ARL online licensing seminar in early April.
• Betty attended the ICOLC meeting in Boston.
• Aleph and ResearchPort/SFX staff prepared to attend the Ex Libris Systems Seminar in Greece. Last seminar was 3 years ago, staff who attended found it extremely helpful in understanding the Ex Libris products and in developing working relationships with Ex Libris technical staff. We will be publishing trip reports on the USMAI web site within the next month.
• Continued search for Systems Administrator position.
• Began working on a job description for a search to fill the open Aleph Team Systems Librarian position.

Patron Loader: Please see the Patron Loader status page for up-to-date information. We are getting close to having a file ready to be loaded for UM. UM has decided to postpone implementation of email notices until late summer. Added and tested an additional "local i.d." number with St. Mary's. Each campus can use this field for local reasons, such as PeopleSoft numbers, as long as there is a campus prefix before the number. Added Patron Loader Implementation Steps document on the Circulation "Area of Interest" on the USMAI web site to help campuses beginning to work on their first load. We are working with UMES on their final patron file format and SU and TU on email notices.

EDI Loader: Load of serials invoices: continued to work with UMBC, UB, FSU, and SU on cleanup. Worked on problem with loading credit lines for UM due to Swets incorrect data segment in the incoming data file; waiting for vendor to correct two files. See the EDI Loader status page. Load of order records: began investigation of requirements for ordering via Blackwell's Collection Manager) for UM and Yankee Book Peddlar for St. Mary's. Initially we are working on understanding the options for workflow of data. Investigating the need to include bibliographic loading into the process such as is done for the PromptCat records for UM.

Authentication: Continued investigation of Shibboleth. Experimenting with Single Sign–on for Aleph authentication. Increased security on the authentication server (LDAP) used to access the Aleph patron database due to expanding use of this server by Illiad institutions. Assisted UB in setting up Illiad to authenticate against Aleph.

National Trust Library Database: converted from Procite format into MARC and loaded records into the Aleph test database (MAI03).

Prange Education project: Continued the investigation of creating a Japanese catalog, currently working on the proper sorting of Japanese headings.

Aleph Report Writing: Continued to prepare for installation of ARC software and comb through documentation.

Infrastructure: Began investigation of hardware replacement for live Aleph server. Working on cleaning up the computer room. Have disconnected the Tandem, working on paperwork to get a truck to haul it away. Destroyed old CARL tapes.

NAAUG: Jamie Bush worked with the Circulation Enhancements group on understanding the Ex Libris specifications for an upcoming V. 18 enhancement. Yalan Qi and the COI for Serials and Acquisitions worked together on submitting enhancements for the next version (V. 19). ITD is working on an open house during the upcoming NAAUG/SMUG meetings.

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Content questions should be directed to <Jamie Bush.