Cover Story
Implementing ALEPH

Features
'Tis a New Millennium

The OLIS is Moving

Internet2 for SUNY

SUNYConnect Database Survey

May I Get a Virtual Coffee with That? SUNY and netLibrary

From the Press

Distinguished Librarian

How to Contact Us

Linkable Links

Link to the SUNYConnect Committees List

Or ask Mark Ludwig of University at Buffalo. Mark, and others at Binghamton, Oswego and Stony Brook, have been busy setting up Sun computers for use by some of the SUNYConnect LMS participants. Or ask Marlene Harris, Ex Libris Project Leader for SUNYConnect. Marlene and other Ex Libris staffers have been traveling the state of New York with some of the stops also in, seemingly, the snow capitals of the world (Chicago and Buffalo).

SUNYergistically Speaking
The SUNYConnect LMS pilot sites include three of SUNY's four university centers. Each of these three center's libraries have principals that served SUNY during the software selection process:

Mark Ludwig (Buffalo)
Andy Perry (Binghamton)
Charlie Simpson (Stony Brook)

Oswego is a pilot site and a LAIP library. Their System Librarian, Natalie Sturr, has a great deal of experience working together with colleagues from around SUNY to achieve a common goal. Natalie is carrying that model into her work on the SUNYConnect LMS. For example, the day that Ex Libris announced the availability of Oswego's first test database, Natalie sent around a very helpful document that she had put together describing the details needed to configure the software "clients" properly. Since then, Natalie has revised, supplemented and re-distributed that document.

More and more examples of these shared efforts assisting the university community towards a shared goal are becoming evident. As others get their SUNYConnect LMS "legs" such group efforts across and among SUNY institutions will occur.

Progress Report
Fredonia -- They are live! "STP" was January 31, 2001. Congratulations Fredonia...take a deep breath...

Vince Courtney is the Project Leader at Fredonia. This is what Vince had to say about the migration process,

"Don't let all the details stress you out or make you crazy. Aleph is an incredibly flexible product, and along with that flexibility comes complexity. Do try to have local decisions made by groups, if possible, because the more brains and viewpoints that have input, the better the results! Terminology can be tricky, so be extra careful in interpreting if things are not clear.

"Use your Ex Libris contact people. We have found them to be A) incredibly knowledgeable about the product, B) incredibly helpful, no matter how many times a day we call or email, C) incredibly reassuring when we were a bit panicked, D) incredibly capable of working with our data to make it come out as good as possible, and E) incredibly good humored. ...

May the force be with you!"

Buffalo -- Sun computer (in use by Fredonia) installed and configured with ALEPH software. Initial configuration discussions for Buffalo's implementation have been conducted.

Binghamton -- Hardware installed and configured; test database available soon; receiving training; reviewing configuration and indexing decisions.

Oswego -- Hardware installed and configured; evaluating test databases; receiving training; reviewing configuration and indexing decisions

Stony Brook -- hardware installed and configured; receiving training; reviewing configuration and indexing decisions.

Tompkins Cortland -- Evaluating test databases; receiving training; reviewing configuration and indexing decisions.

Ex Libris already had considerable experience migrating NOTIS customers to their ALEPH500 system. Now they are gaining important skills regarding Multilis and PALS data. Thanks to Mr. Galen Charlton (Ex Libris) especially for all of his efforts.

Additional hardware, to be used for production systems, training and software demonstrations, is on order. The SUNYConnect Advisory Council is scheduled to announce the next list of ALEPH implementers by mid-April of this year.

Many, many people create the progress in this project. Only a handful of those people are mentioned here in this article. SUNY OLIS extends its thanks to all concerned (from SUNY and from Ex Libris, in particular) for your efforts to date. A successful project of this sort creates more than a workable automation system. It creates a community. Welcome to the new millennium.