As
was reported at the October 1 Users Group meeting, DYNIX Corporation
of Provo, Utah has been selected as the vendor for our Next Generation
Library System. Dynix was selected after a long period of evaluation
that began last fall and included the assistance of a professional
consultant, detailed written proposals, demonstrations of
their product by selected vendors, and visits to existing customers.
We anticipate that we will go "live" on our
new shared automation system on April 22, 2004. The product
name for the new system is HORIZON and everyone that was involved
in the selection process looks forward to working with our new automation
partner. HORIZON is a powerful new product that will offer many attractive
features to all our LLSAP libraries. The
migration of 142 libraries from our current product to a new vendor
and new technology is a complex process and involves many steps along
the way. I want to tell you in general about the areas we
will be focused on for the rest of this year and what you
can be doing to get ready for the transition next spring. There are four
main areas that RPLS staff and Users group committees are working
on in the next two months:
- Extracting test data.- We are working with Dynix to send them copies
of our bibliographic, patron, and item files. Dynix will use
these files to create a test database of our own records that will
be available to all of us early next year and that will allow us to
see our records in the Horizon system for several months before
we actually go live. This will allow us to modify any profiling
choices we may want to change and will provide a powerful training
tool.
- Planning a
training program.
(New!) - Automation Trainer, Jo McLain, is working
closely with DYNIX and the Users Group Governing Board to develop
a comprehensive Training Plan for our movement to HORIZON. The
plan will be made up of many different elements including the test
database, computer based training CDs (CBTs) distributed to our libraries
for practicing basic functions in their own location, and classroom
sessions. The
application is now available for the individuals
wishing to apply for the "Train the Trainers" training.
(December 20, 2003 is the deadline for application.) The Plan will probably be in its final format by the end
of November and will be shared with all LLSAP libraries.
- Profiling
our libraries - RPLS staff and volunteers from the Users Group have received extensive training from DYNIX on the entry of profiling
information for our libraries into the Horizon system. This is the
type of information that Sirsi refers to as policy files and includes
elements like location codes, circulation rules, library calendars,
cataloging defaults, and the like. As you can imagine this is an enormous
task. Our timetable calls for all of this data to be entered onto
a Horizon server by mid-January.
- Installing client
software - The Horizon system uses a fundamentally different
technology than our current system. Instead of everything being done
on the central computer at RPLS, processes are distributed between
the central computer and PCs at the local library. Terminals can no
longer be used. This means that PCs used for staff functions such as
circulation and cataloging must be powerful enough to run the
Horizon software and that software must be loaded on each of those
machines (see below for what you need for staff PCs). RPLS staff are
working on a plan to distribute by mid-January the client software
to all staff PCs that are capable of running it. The client software
will have to be in place for you to use the test database referred
to earlier.
We will use these web pages to keep you informed of the progress on the
migration and what you need to be doing locally. For now there are several
important things you should be doing.
- Watch the dra listserv. This is the best way for us to distribute information
to all the LLSAP libraries at one time.
- Be sure your governing bodies or administrators are aware of the change
that is coming.
- Look at the Horizon product as used at some other sites.
Two sites you can visit are
http://pclc.lib.fl.us/ (a
consortia in Florida) and http://librarycatalog.st-johns.org/#focus (St.
John's Hospital in Springfield).
Keep in mind that the exact look of our site will be different because of individual choices we make. In a future message we will tell you how to go to a site
that has links to all Dynix customers.
- UPGRADE
OR REPLACE ANY PCs that will be used for staff functions and
that do not meet the specifications below. Steve Look whom many of
you have worked with in the past has these specs and is putting
together a group order for any libraries that are interested. His
offer will include the loading by him of the HORIZON client
software. We will have more information on this option in a future
listserv message. The specifications required for Horizon 7.3 are
available through the Specifications link
on the menu bar.
Paul Johnson Assistant Executive Director Rolling
Prairie Library System
345 W. Eldorado St.
Decatur, IL. 62522
Ph.
(217) 429-2586 Ext.19
Fax. (217) 429-2588
www.rpls.ws
If you have any questions about the migration in general, please contact
Paul Johnson, paulj@rpls.ws. |
