Cover Story

On the Road to the SUNYConnect LMS...Oswego

Features

HarpWeek's Use at Dutchess CC

In Her Own Words: Marlene Harris, Ex Libris

TC3's STP

Document Delivery RFP Released

ALEPH: An International Perspective

What the Working Groups are Working On

SLN Wins Educause Award

Welcome Clare

How to Contact Us

Linkable Links

Link to the SUNYConnect Committees List

Data Management
Ex Libris has proposed creating a SUNYConnect union catalog that includes all bibliographic records contributed by member libraries. These records will then be analyzed via an automated matching and merging process so that a single "virtual view" of any one particular bibliographic entity will be provided to the user of the union catalog.

The SUNYConnect Data Management Working Group's first assignment has been to develop this merging algorithm. The algorithm developed by the DMWG provides

• match points used to create a candidate pool;
• a method for selecting a base record from that pool to view;
• and a scheme to provide additional fields from the "pool" records to augment the base record.

This will create a virtual bibliographic record for SUNYConnect that will be used in the union catalog.

The WG has been on summer hiatus while awaiting Ex Libris' response to the latest version of the merging algorithim. We will be gearing up again soon to take on the issues related to the 856 tag (Electronic Location and Access). These issues include where the tag should be located and which 856s should not be part of the union catalog. We will also be investigating issues related to indexing specifications. And we are looking forward to testing the efficacy of the merging algorithm.

Members of the SUNYConnect Data Management Working Group are: John Edens (Buffalo); Nancy Hoshlyk (Plattsburgh); Jane Subramanian (Potsdam); Michael Thayer (HVCC); David Ritchie (Cortland); Michelle Eichelberger (Finger Lakes); Maggie Horn (OLIS).

Universal Borrowing Subgroup (Access Management)
The charge to the Universal Borrowing Subgroup is to "develop universal borrowing standards and guidelines within the context of the SUNYConnect Advisory Council policies". To that end we are establishing a set of assumptions that will be used as guidelines for all the sub-group's activities.

We are in Phase One of this process, which involves examining other consortia borrowing policies. Consortia policy sites that are being, or have been, examined are:

BorrowDirect (Columbia, University of Pennsylvania and Yale University) Galileo/University System of Georgia
NC Live
OhioLINK
Oklahoma Higher Education
Orbis Library Consortium
Tennessee Academic Library Collaborative
Virtual Library of Virginia

We have been examining these sites to determine whether or not they have universal borrowing policies that SUNYConnect might use as a basis in determining our own policies. We are also looking at meeting with participants in some of the consortia listed above to discuss their success in this area.

The next phases are as follows:

Phase Two. Determine universal borrowing guidelines -- Codes for SUNYConnect patron and item statuses; Standards across SUNY for students, faculty, staff.

Phase Three. Work with Union Catalog sub-group to test the prototype of the Union Catalog interface; Universal Borrowing - development and testing of components; Design and testing of patron empowerment features; Patron database authentication/authorization components.

Phase Four. Begin investigation and selection of specialized catalog content.

Phase Five. Develop operational guidelines for document delivery and remote storage.

Sub-group members are: Karen Carney (Ulster), Dan Kissane (Oneonta), Tom Larson (Oswego), Karen Senglaup (University at Buffalo), Karen Gardner-Athey (OLIS), Maureen Zajkowski (OLIS).

Union Catalog Web OPAC Subgroup
The charge to this subgroup is to customize the ALEPH500 Web OPAC so that it supports the policies and procedures of universal borrowing as defined by the SUNYConnect Advisory Council and the Access Management Working Group.

We are in Phase One of this process. This involves examining other ALEPH500 Web OPACs to analyse the customization process and to document what can and cannot be changed. Some of the customized Web OPACs under review are:

Boston College
Brandeis University
MIT
National Library of South Africa
Notre Dame University
University of Iowa
Utrecht University

What are we looking for?
We are looking for interface designs and functions that will serve the goal of universal borrowing. What does that mean? We are not quite sure, and that is why this subgroup exists. Our hope is that we can devise a customization plan that provides clean and simple screens that are both easy to use and offer immediate access to the union catalog representing all SUNY library collections. Subgroup members have made thoughtful lists of what they like and don't like in the OPACs listed above. We feel lucky that these libraries have devoted so much energy to customizing the ALEPH500 Web OPAC and that we have so many working examples to evaluate.

What is next?
Phase Two: Interpret the recommendations of the Universal Borrowing subgroup and translate them into concrete customization steps.

Phase Three: Create a prototype of the Union catalog interface and open it up to a testing group for evaluation and revision ideas. Choose a name for the interface.

Phase Four: Modify the prototype according to test group input and make the interface available to the entire SUNY community. Address issues of ADA compliance.

Phase Five: Open the prototype for regional testing and input. Institute a procedure for gathering and implementing enhancement / modification requests.

Subgroup Members:
Bill Drew (Morrisville)
Patricia LaCourse (Ceramics)
Bern Mulligan (Binghamton)
Laura Murray (OLIS)