Cover Story

Library Support for Distance Learners

Features

Resources for Distance Learners (Oswego)

Distance Learning at Monroe

Putting Metalib to Work

Additional SUNYConnect Updates

How to Contact Us

Linkable Links

Photo Gallery

Link to the SUNYConnect Committees List

While a prototype system is available, a number of technical questions and issues remain unanswered. These include issues raised by OLIS and the Data Management Working Group regarding the prototype as well as questions regarding the ongoing updating and maintenance of the union catalog. In addition, a number of issues related to authority control and a universal borrowing component of the SUNYConnect union catalog are also outstanding.

Part of the obstacle relates to significant shifting of Ex Libris personnel assigned to this project. A new Ex Libris project leader has been assigned to the union catalog initiative. Eva Krall has worked for Ex Libris for a number of years, primarily at their offices in Germany. Krall met with S.A.C. in mid- December. The Council indicated their expectation of seeing real progress on the union catalog from now on. Currently, there are thirty-four SUNYConnect institutions utilizing the ALEPH system.

Group4
In December, Monroe Community College became the thirty-fourth institution utilizing the SUNYConnect LMS. The other recent inductees to the "STP" (switch to production) Club are Buffalo State College, Erie, Finger Lakes, Genesee and Geneseo. The club includes half of the SUNY university centers, some of the largest four-year school library collections, two health science centers, a SUNY statutory college, and a prominent private university.

The OLIS wishes to thank the SUNYConnect librarians for their efforts in bringing the notion of a SUNY-wide library system closer to reality.

Group6
The university libraries of SUNY Albany comprise "Group6" implementing the SUNYConnect LMS. With a scheduled STP of next summer, they will join university center colleagues at Binghamton and Stony Brook in using the ALEPH500 system. Albany is working on implementing version 16 of the software on a "standalone server".

Working with staff from Ex Libris' Israel office, Albany has begun evaluating a test database and is well underway with their software training.

Group7
The OLIS and Ex Libris have begun working with Group7 campuses to assist them in implementing their new library management systems. The nine institutions have been placed in two sub- groups to facilitate training and implementation schedules. Group7a -- Downstate Medical Center, Fashion Institute, Maritime, Optometry and Westchester; Group7b -- Farmingdale, Nassau, Old Westbury and Suffolk.

Group7 is a great example for showing the wide breadth of institutional focus and diversity in the SUNY system. We look forward to their greater participation in this aspect of SUNYConnect.

The initial planning meetings with the group have nearly been completed. The first test database (for Optometry) is scheduled for the first part of February. Group7's production databases will be be hosted on the Oswego machine.

ALEPH Upgrades
The shared SUNYConnect LMS systems have been upgraded to version 14.2 patch 7. This was done via a combination of centralized activities for all of the campuses and campus- specific changes to previously identified ALEPH configuration tables. In addition, assistance for this latter step was provided during various regional workshops.

Resources for Developing an ALEPH Frameless OPAC
SUNYConnect LMS users now have access to an ALEPH OPAC that does not use HTML "frames." To assist in a campus' development of this resource, Laura Murray and Karen Coombs have put together information, resources, and lists of tips and techniques. The portal to this information also points you to various examples of the frameless OPAC.

SLiCAT
The S.A.C. has voted to disband the SUNY Library Contracts Advisory Team (SLiCAT). The consensus is that the group had fulfilled their charge, and that current budget constraints will prohibit additional SUNYConnect-wide database purchases in the near future.

S.A.C. may be forming a new committee to address issues such as evaluation of new information management/navigation tools and aspects of SUNY-wide collection management.

Thanks to all that have served on SLiCAT for their service to SUNY and SUNY's university-wide information needs.

New SUNYConnect Information Resources (from Gale)
SUNYConnect and Gale have reached agreement on the purchase of Gale's Literature Resource Center archive. The multi-year agreement results in cost savings for SUNY. Thanks to Nylink and the SUNY Finance Department for their efforts in this regard.

In addition, SUNYConnect participants have free trial access during the first half of 2004 to the Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL).

OLIS Staffing
Unfortunately, the OLIS lost two staff members last month. Clare Merrill Field had been conducting ALEPH training as well as developing SUNYConnect LMS training programs. Joe Thornton had system librarian and technical consultation duties related to SUNYConnect. Both will be missed. Our thanks to Joe and Clare for their efforts on behalf of SUNY and SUNYConnect libraries. The OLIS would like to wish both of them much success in their future endeavors.

Recently, the OLIS has received a go-ahead to fill these staff slots with a "Library Application Developer" and a "Library Systems - Project Manager." For more information please see http://www.suny.edu/SUNY_Employment/system_administration_employme.cfm.

Andy Perry
An arrangement has been made with Binghamton for Andy Perry (Assistant Director for Systems Management) to work half-time for OLIS. Welcome Andy!

Andy will focus on assisting SUNYConnect LMS users with various technical issues related to the ALEPH software. This includes the patron record loading procedures (PLIF) and new procedures from Ex Libris for removing personally-identifiable information from completed ALEPH circulation transactions.