GALILEO Interconnected Libraries
Minutes for August 29, 2000
Macon State College
Building K Room 105
Macon, GA
9:30 a.m.
Attendance: Bill Clayton, Bill Nelson, Callie McGinnis, Phil Williams, Roger
Presley, Eva Lauteman, Betty Childress, Ray Calvert, Tom Freiling, Crit
Stuart, Bede Mitchell, Jayne Williams, Merryll Penson and Claire Colombo,
Chair of the UB Task Force
1) UB Task Force Report. Claire Colombo reported on the work of the UB Task
Force and presented policy recommendations and key definitions. She
discussed the beta test plan. There was discussion about the policies,
particularly the limits. The Steering Committee recommended that the limits
be increased from 50 to 200 and recommended that individual libraries not
automatically place limits, but make determinations based on a case by
case basis. The policy/procedure recommendations are subject to change
as libraries learn more about how Universal Borrowing will actually work.
The policies will be forwarded to RACL for approval, but the UB beta sites
will begin using the policies. The UB Task Force will hold meetings across
the state beginning in November to share the policies and to discuss how
UB will work. Training for UB by Endeavor is tentatively scheduled for
September 25-26. [A draft of the policies and key points governing UB are
available on the GIL Website. Merryll thanked Claire and the other
members of the Task Force for their work.
2) Enhancements. Merryll reported that she had sent the Circulation Committee's
recommended enhancements to Endeavor for information (without approval
from the Steering Committee) following the GIL User Group Meeting since
Endeavor had established a Circulation Task Force to provide input to
Endeavor. She suggested that the Steering Committee formally
recommend that Endeavor strongly provides a discharge function in offline
circulation and patron validation and that Endeavor considers the other
recommendations which were listed in three priority groupings. This
feature, along with continuous opac, would give the hub sites more
flexibility in the timing for upgrades. The Steering Committee accepted that
suggestion. Merryll will inform Endeavor of the recommendation.
Claire Colombo discussed the enhancement process the Circulation
Committee used. Most of the other committees have not submitted
enhancements. Future enhancement recommendations should include
enhancements that will help the state consortium operate more effectively
together; items that will help all of the libraries; enhancements for the
smaller libraries; enhancements for the mid-size libraries; and those for the
larger research libraries. The Circulation Enhancements will be available at
the GIL Website.
3) Budget . Jayne Williams presented the GIL FY2001 budget. Redirection
dollars provided the project with some ongoing funding that will pay for
ongoing authority control processing, support and maintenance of the
Union Catalog Server, support of the Director of Virtual Library Support,
support of the GIL User Group Meeting and some limited training. Library
payments support the Endeavor maintenance costs, library server
maintenance and support. The Steering Committee recommended
providing some support for the DRA phase three libraries if they could not
work out arrangements with DRA which would require the libraries the
make full double payments.
4) Report of the Director of Virtual Library Support. Server Upgrades.
Phil Williams reported that server upgrades had allowed for the mirroring of
databases. In additional a server was purchased and the E10K segmented
to provide for Continuous OPAC. This allows public access to the catalog
during a software upgrade, while no updates may be made to the system
during this time.
Phase 3 Update. Phil reported that Georgia Southern is the only school
that hasn't had orientation of the Phase 3 libraries. Shamima Amin has left
Savannah State and is now the Assistant Library Director at Atlanta
University. Savannah is short-staffed and may need support to complete
the implementation of Voyager.
Merryll is investigating. All libraries are expected to be in production by the
end of January 2001. Release 2000.1 Phil reported that the upgrade to
2000.1 itself went smoothly and the system's first experience with the
Continuous OPAC went very well. However because of the short window
between summer term and fall term, inexperience with the Continuous
OPAC, the desire to be prepared for the UB and UC beta test, the system
agreed to accept an early release version of 2000.1. The expectation was
that early release would be on the tail end of all of the beta testing and that
the production software would be available in a couple of weeks. At the
USG/Endeavor Quarterly Meeting in Jane Burke told us that 2000 would be
ready and was already in beta testing. We upgraded to what was really a
beta 10 version of 2000.1 and were now on beta 13 and we knew a beta 16
was being considered. This meant instead of being at the tail end of a
process where problems had been resolved, we were in the middle. In
addition because we were in early release we were not getting support from
the developers that one would get if the library was truly beta, nor could
Endeavor's Support help because they are working with 99.1. In addition,
the libraries were concerned that the functionality would not be significantly
better in acquisitions, yet this is where major work was to have been
done. After considerable discussion, the Steering Committee
recommended that Merryll express our concerns to Jane Burke.
Service Site Coordinators Meetings. The Service Site Coordinators had a
meeting on August 28 and agreed to meet quarterly. The group discussed
communications, hardware, software, and training needs. The group spent
considerable time discussing Release 2000.1. The group also discussed
the issue of reports for the libraries. The recommendation was that the
Technical Committee make a list of generic reports that all libraries could
use and that the service site coordinators would look at how to make these
easily available to libraries without their need to learn Microsoft Access.
Following that there would be some training for libraries on Reports. The
Steering Committee accepted that recommendation. The group would meet
at Rock Eagle and report to the Steering Committee by December 7.
5) WebVoyage/Reference Committee. Merryll reported that Phil and Judy had
been working on some changes with the input of the Reference Committee
via listserv. She had asked the Reference Committee to meet and reach
consensus. Phil would be available to show the committee the various
options. Merryll also recommended that rather than continue to use the
GALILEO Reference Committee as the GIL Reference/OPAC committee,
that we have a separate committee. This would reduce the burden of work
particularly for the smaller libraries' representatives. The Steering
Committee accepted this recommendation to begin in January 2001. The
Steering Committee should send recommendations for the new committee
to Merryll.
6) Usability Study Grant Proposal. Bede said that at Georgia Southern they had
conducted usability studies for their web page following similar methods to
the University of Arizona Libraries' process. He and Laura would be
looking for grant opportunities to do this for GIL and they would be talking
to the reference committee and coming back to the Steering Committee at
a later time. The Steering Committee discussed the need for user
feedback and commended Bede. A suggestion was that maybe GALILEO
and GIL could find some dollars to support usability studies.
7) UC Update. There was discussion about the use of the 099 and the location of
the LC Call# in various records. Callie McGinnis and Bill Clayton felt
catalogers know better how they have used those tags. The Cataloging
Committee will be asked to review this issue and to make
recommendations by October 1.
8) Criteria for Participation in the UC. Phil presented a matrix for discussion:
One Statewide Library
Library Type
Non-profit academic (USG, DTAE, Emory, etc.)
Special (w/educational mission)
Public libraries
Others
Conditions to be met
GALILEO Member
Cooperation, Collaboration
ILL
Open Collection (if non-circulating, visitors allowed)
MARC Format
Regular Updates (quarterly minimum)
Relationships
Georgia Libraries
UC
UC Plus (USG plus others whose data would be loaded on server)
Z39.50 (Emory, PINES, Atlanta University Center, etc.)
Voyager (Berry, Oglethorpe, etc.)
Other Libraries
Voyager (Auburn, others on GA borders)
Z39.50 (on GA borders)
There was discussion about the meaning of non-profit academic libraries.
Bill Nelson will work with Phil on this and look at the GPALS by-laws, SACS
accreditation as a criteria., etc. The Steering Committee recommended
asking the Reference Committee to provide feedback on what to call UC
and UC Plus and how to define the possible simultaneous search
capabilities in the UC context.
9)
GIL Users Group Meeting
2000 Feedback. A summary of the evaluations was previously distributed
to the Steering Committee. Results were very positive. Opportunities for
small library and large library discussions should be considered. A more
central location was requested. Andrea Wilson is currently looking to see if
for 2002 a more central location with internet connections, inexpensive
lodging and registration. She had not been able to find such a location for
2001.
2001 Plan. The GIL User Group Meeting will be held June 4-5, 2000 at the
Georgia Center. The costs will be a little higher, but the project will pay two
registrations for each institution. Callie and George will help with plans for
the User Group Meeting. Other volunteers will be sought.
10) Training Issues. Merryll is working on setting up training sessions with
Endeavor. Other issues will be discussed at future meetings. Media
Scheduling at GPC went well. Bill Nelson reported that Rose Axton, CoChair of the Media Booking Committee attended and was very positive.
11) Non-USG participation in GIL: Update. A business plan has been approved
at the USG System Office and the DTAE Council of Presidents have
approved the request from the Technical Schools and Colleges to
particpate in GIL. A formal presentation will be made to Commissioner
Ken Breeden.
12) Accountability. Merryll wanted to remind people that we have to be certain
when libraries sign up for training, they must attend and then implement
what they have learned. This had sometimes been a problem with the
GALILEO training.
The meeting adjourned at 2:40 p.m.