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July 1999 Volume 1 Number 3 Page 2 |
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 FeatureSLAM Evaluation Team Lauded |
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Cover Story Features The SUNYCONNECTion: All the SUNYConnect NewsThat's Fit to Print In Her Own Words Link to the OLIS Committees List
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The Evaluation Team has been actively investigating the bid responses to the SLAM RFP. The Team's recommendation is expected by mid-summer. A general announcement regarding the recommendation will be made after the selection has been approved by Provost Salins. This evaluation process is the last phase of the Committee's work. After the recommendation for the LMS has been made the charge of the SLAM committee will be complete. Significant contributions to SUNY have been made by the committee. The summary of SLAM's work found here and in previous issues of SUNYergy is an acknowledgment of the considerable time and effort that committee members devoted to the selection of a SUNY-wide library management system. The April 1998 SUNY Council of Library Directors' resolution to move quickly to a common library management system strongly influenced the decisions made at the July 1998 SLAM Retreat. As a result, the committee decided to expedite the schedule and make a recommendation for an LMS by May 1999. This change would also enable libraries, with local campus needs, to move ahead with the migration to a common SUNY system. The committee was increased by two voting members to provide representation from all four University Centers and a Steering Group was appointed to aid the Project Manager. Ms. Pat Onsi, SLAM Chair and member of the Steering Group, has arranged bi-weekly conference calls since early fall 1998. These conference calls provided ideas and recommendations for the range of activities that the SLAM committee has been involved in over the course of this past academic year. By September 1998 it was determined, with input from the Office of General Services, that the SLAM committee would need to prepare a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a library management system in order to accommodate the committee's May 1999 date for a recommendation. Taskforces for Circulation, Evaluation Methodology, OPAC, Systems, and Technical Services (covering acquisitions, serials, cataloging, and authorities) were established to review specifications for the RFP. Library software demonstrations were scheduled with Ameritech, DRA, Endeavor, and SIRSI to highlight the functionality of library management systems currently on the market. An emphasis was placed on patron empowerment developments and the capabilities of graphical user interfaces in both staff and public functions. Joseph Ford, the SLAM consultant, began work with the Systems taskforce to outline issues related to sample cluster configurations, network performance, the union catalog, and data migration. Maureen Zajkowski, the Project Manager, began drafting a RFP with input from the taskforce members, the steering group, OLIS staff, and Mary Ann Corsetti from the SUNY Contracts section of Advanced Learning and Information Services (ALIS). A draft RFP was made available to SLAM for review in December 1998. The final RFP was released to the vendors in January 1999. Due to the time needed to prepare the RFP, to allow vendors sufficient time to reply, and to allow sufficient time for the evaluation process, the proposed recommendation date for the library management system was changed to July 1999. The RFP is available at http://olis.sysadm.suny.edu/projects/slam/slamover.htm An Evaluation Team was established to develop and participate in a formal selection process for the LMS in accordance with New York State, Office of General Services Procurement guidelines. Working closely with Joseph Ford, Mary Ann Corsetti, and staff from OLIS, the Team finalized the evaluation process before the RFP response deadline of March 30, 1999. In early April, the Team began the evaluation of bid responses from Ameritech, DRA, Endeavor, Ex Libris, SIRSI, and VTLS. Following the formal process Endeavor, Ex Libris, and SIRSI were selected for further review. Customer contacts and vendor sessions were conducted during May 1999. At the vendor sessions the Team requested additional information from each of the vendors. During June, Team members reviewed the vendor responses to the requested information and made follow-up contacts with customers. In early July site visits were conducted. The Team is now in the process of finalizing scoring and preparing documentation that will be included in the formal recommendation. Regional meetings will be scheduled to share more information and insights with the SUNY community after the vendor recommendation is made. A videoconference, to be scheduled in early fall, is designed for the SLAM
membership to formally end the work of the committee. This meeting will also provide the
opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of the SLAM membership and to review the next
steps in the implementation of the SUNY wide library management system. SUNY/OLIS extends thanks to the committee members. Your service to SUNY has been significant.
Steering Group
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