B. Finance - Nancy Huntley/LL - deferred her report until later in the meeting.

C. Policy - Linda Shaw/RO -

Most of the committee’s activity has been related to generating a "best seller list" (heavily

requested items). Sue has been working with and without DRA to produce this list. She has

had some success and is still working on the mechanics of the program. A draft of the

"current" list was circulated and members were asked to add their suggestions. Linda

suggested using the list in conjunction with the "purchase one copy per every seven requests"

rule, and asked for additional input and suggestions for how best to proceed. Mfalinda

Evans/CW read a statement of her concerns/objections to the way the request system is/is

not working. Quite a bit of discussion followed, including the following points:

· Only four months into the trial period of this new policy, but does not seem to work

properly.

· Too many creative ways around the request system.

· Propose going to a three-month trial period where locals deem what is popular and how

to fill.

· Would like to give original plan a better chance - four months too short to determine if

working or not, considering the work that went in to selling Boards and patrons on the

original plan.

· Would like everyone to be honest about what they are doing to give the plan a fair

chance.

Linda at lindas@rpls.lib.il.us, fax to 217-498-8455 or call Rochester’s main number at 217-

· incorporating all destinations; DRA, system and state-wide

· asked for input - return to Linda before Monday.

D. Technology - Cheryl Bushnell/LLCC -

· Recently met for two hours with 20 public libraries at Decatur Public Library (copies of the presentation and current version of the application were available as handouts).

· Recommends each public library complete an application and send to Paul’s attention at RPLS; he will then pass on to Lighthouse Technologies, who has contracted with the State Library.

· Completed application does not obligate membership.

· Membership agreements will be sent to each location later, which will include type of connection.

· Once membership agreement is returned, then will become a member of ICN.

· RPLS currently paying $40,000 a year for T1 circuit and other services provided by DRA as our Internet Service Provider (ISP). Fax received yesterday quoted ICN’s T1 connection at a monthly cost of $280 (the first year may be paid for by ICN). Still lots of questions, but preliminary figures are encouraging.

· If a library joins, but is unhappy with service, they would have ten days to cancel.

· Currently addressing the public libraries only. Any type of library can join, but the special offers are for publics only, at least initially.

· Top of application asks for typical directory information.

· When answering "How connecting to ICN?", ask for direct connection to network.

· When answering "Type of connection requested?", check the box "Will need assistance in selection process."

· Indicate "Will require help in choosing correct router".

· When answering "How many IP addresses needed" be sure to count terminal servers, all PCs, printer, print server, router, then add one or two to total for future growth.

· When answering "Project needs in future", be sure to project high.

· Each building will have to complete an application; e.g. Lincoln Library would have to complete one for each branch. For those libraries that piggy-back off another site, each site should complete an application.

· If returned agreement does not include costs, ask ICN or RPLS for information.

· Copy agreements to RPLS, to Paul’s attention.

· Length of process is suppose to be quick. Not sure, but hope to have circuits installed six to eight weeks once agreement is signed and returned to ICN.

· Should decision to join be based on economics only? Should be concerned not only about economics, but also quality of service. A T1 circuit is great, but if you are a 56k site that will be bundled with schools or other participants, be sure to question all participants.

· Recommend keeping old circuit and associated costs until happy with new circuit. If not happy, have ten days to drop out.

· Some features like Web pages, email, etc. will probably come from a third-party vendor. ICN does not provide those.

· IP addresses currently provided by DRA. Will have to re-address equipment with new addresses if joining ICN.

· Still a lot of unkowns/questions.

· Do not fill out an application if positively not joining; if not sure, fill one out.

· This is not the only opportunity to join, but the clock is ticking - the closer to the 6/30/01 deadline, the less chance to taking advantage of the free services.

B. RPLS Board approved a pager for system computer room staff, effective 7/1/00. Four

people will take turns carrying the pager. We will no longer have in-house computer room

coverage on Saturdays and holidays, but we will be on-call evenings and weekends.

C. The State Library approved our Live & Learn grant application. Initial work has already

started on the addition of the following libraries to the LLSAP: Findlay High School, Lincoln

College in Lincoln, Lincoln Jr. High School in Lincoln, Lincoln Elementary District 27

Processing Center in Lincoln, Mt. Pulaski Grade School, Neoga High School, Memorial

Medical Center in Springfield, Springfield Art Association, Illinois Environmental Protection

Agency and Windsor Elementary School. The grant monies will also include additional

memory to the Alpha server and the purchase of MFHL software. MFHL is the MARC format

for holdings and will be a piece of Taos.

D. Web2 training was held at RPLS on April 4th and 5th, and included eight people: Carmen

Epstein/Chatham, Helen Flynn/St. Teresa High School, Shelley Koehler/Shelbyville, Tim

Childers/Lincoln Library, and Matt, Sue, Paul and Terry/RPLS staff. A Web2 Committee was

formed and they will meet again on April 26. Web2 is based on HTML and can be used to

create local Web pages, which is not feasible for a consortium our size. The committee

recommends creating four or five types of interfaces, to be maintained at the central site, to

be used to search the DRA database and possibly link to other databases. One interface may

be used by academics providing access to their Reserve Book Room, another interface may

give patrons access to their own patron accounts, and so on.

E. An expenditure of money was approved at a previous User’s Group meeting to send Patsy

Walters and Pam Ewing to DRA for additional training in their respective areas. We are

waiting for DRA’s new training schedule before registering for classes.

 

money left over (projected cost of move is $180,000 to $250,000). There would be an

increase in the database manager’s fee from $350 to $400 and approximately 5% for each

username. Currently a full username is $500, a PAC is $375 and a search is $50. With the

increases a full would be $525, a PAC would be $395 and a search would be $55. Betty

Lou Hicks made a motion to accept the fee increases as reported; Nancy Peterson/MR

seconded; the motion carried. Nancy also gave an overview of the Computer Development

Fund Projections to 7/01/2001 handout. Paul reported two things that would deplete the

projected 2000/2001 carryover by about $5,000:

· OBC - DRA’s offline backup circulation program can be loaded on PCs locally and can be used for basic circulation functions, and then merged into the database. The cost is $2,800 for the licensing fee and one cd for up to 280 simultaneous users, and an increase of $28 a month in maintenance. If purchased now, we could have it in one to two weeks. Nancy Huntley motioned to approve the expenditure; Libby Letterly/Williamsville Schools seconded; the motion carried.

· Central Site equipment - purchase of a PC and printer to be used as the console in the computer room at a cost of around $2,000. Theresa Cripe/CE motioned to purchase the equipment; Gisa Power/MS seconded; the motion carried.

· The merge of the Museum’s bib records finished successfully.

· Gave an overview of the overnight batch jobs. Some libraries are open until 10:00 p.m., so jobs are not submitted to start until 10:15 p.m., and have hopefully finished by 7:30 a.m. the next morning.

1. Request Batch submitted at 10:15, runs about ½ hour - creates the send item list

and the Request Expired Report.

2. Fine Notices submitted at 11:00 p.m., runs anywhere from two to five hours -

creates sorted fine notices.

3. Overdue Lost Notice Extract submitted at 1:30 a.m., runs about 45 minutes -

extracts all overdue notice information.

4. Notices submitted at 2:30 a.m., runs about ½ hour - pulls all types of patron

notices together into one file by library.

5. Backups submitted at 3:45 a.m., runs about 3 ¼ hours - crucial for restoring

information, recovery, etc.

bumped for the night.

· Summarized file converts - a file convert creates a new version of the file with everything in its proper place, no extra space for deleted records but plenty of room to grow. Two main reasons for doing file converts: 1.) to increase response time, minimizing the time it takes for the computer to find or update information, and 2.) to speed the backup process. System has grown so quickly and gotten so large that we went from backups taking two hours onto one tape to as much as 4 ½ hours onto two tapes. DRA has a highly recommended list (file reorganization chart) of what files need to be converted and their conversion frequency. There are 23 files on this chart, four of which must be done monthly, taking approximately two hours; four that need to be done bi-monthly, taking approximately two hours; ten that need to be done every three months, taking approximately 14 hours; and three that need to be done every six months, taking less than a minute. These times reflect the actual file converts only. An additional 1 to 1 ½ hours is needed for preparation and cleanup work. Two of the 23 files requires an additional four to five hours to run another program call Index Link, which links everything to the new version of these two files. All file converts must be done with no users on the system and the various databases down. RPLS will continue to keep the converts on a regular rotating schedule as recommended by DRA, will continue to do as much of the work as possible in off-hours, and will do their best to keep any downtime to an absolute minimum. F.Y.I. - backups are now taking 3 ¼ hours onto one tape.

C. Linda report all four committees are looking for new members; Linda Shaw will be taking

over for Linda in July; looking for other ideas for brief meetings after each User’s Group

meeting like today’s Tips and Tricks being presented by Linda Shaw.