DRA User’s Group

Technology Committee Meeting [Summary]

October 2nd

Rolling Prairie Library System

Present:  Pat Burg - ISM, Paul Johnson – RPLS, Tammy Schnell – LLCC, Shelley Koehler – SPL, Tim Schnabel – RPLS, Steve Craven – DPL, Ann Adkesson - Barclay PL/Warrensburg, Tim Childers – Lincoln Library, Chet Brandt - IECIC, Eileen Curry – Windsor, Helen Flynn – St. Teresa HS, Doris McKay – RPLS, Nancy Peterson – MacArthur HS, Scott Pointon – DPL, Junie Longbons – DPL, Harry Gaylord – State Supreme Court Library, Pam Bradford – CAM HS, Marlene Wirth - Sullivan HS, Matt Wilkerson – DPL

Tammy Schnell reported on her research of the standards from the Moen Study to include in the RPLS RFP. She handed out summary sheet with the URLs for the Websites with the appropriate information about the standards:

Z39.50
http://www.niso.org/standards/resource/Z39-50.html

Z39.50 Profile for Library Applications
http://www.niso.org/committees/committee_av.html
Note: Committee Chair – William Moen, NISP SDC liaison – Mark Needleman, SIRSI Corporation

ISO10160-10161
Likely the International Organization for Standards equivalent of NISO’s Z39.83 dealing with interlibrary loan and circulation protocols.

Z39.83
http://www.niso.org/committees/committee_at.html

MARC 21
http://lcweb.loc.gov/marc/

There was a general discussion on the concerns about barcodes, scanners, printer specifications. There was also a discussion about the importance of all hardware being newly manufactured, not used or reconditioned.

Committee members were given copies of the index of the RBLS RFP as a basis of discussion on points to include in the RPLS RFP.
http://www.rbls.lib.il.us/rbls/ql/rfp.html

There was a discussion about the number of simultaneous users in the RBLS RFP. RBLS requested 500 simultaneous users with a provision for 800 simultaneous users without additional hardware upgrades. It was stated that the RPLS system allows for 350-375 simultaneous users, and that the RFP should contain a provision similar to the RBLS RFP in order to accommodate future LLSAP expansion.

Members also indicated that they wanted the ability to maintain additional databases.

Paul was asked to check with Mary Lou Stewart near the October 15th deadline to see how many proposals RBLS had received from their very detailed RFP.

Training issues were discussed at length. Vendor provided training to selected individuals with a right to copy and distribute training materials was an important issue. Costs of vendor training were discussed as well as the problems associated in meeting the on-going training needs. There was concern that there needed to be someone trained who would then be a trainer. In the past, it was expected that the core group would be responsible for training the rest of the libraries and this did not work well. Some members would prefer to hire a person to fill this position rather than contract for services with Diane Kovacs. In the conversion to DRA the training of 8 people in Systems, Cataloguing, General use ran about $19,000. The Tech committee hopes to hear from the training committee before the October 24th meeting with Rob McGee.

There was discussion on the importance of an integrated approach. The availability of local customization with patron records to meet the needs of the different types of libraries within the LLSAP.

Functional Requirements: Customize patron records and allow for patron histories. A vendor who has developed integrated products for consortia of multi-type libraries. Proven record to serve complex consortia. Order in which items are displayed. Limiting searches before or after searches. History of searches.

Reference was made to the RBLS RFP pages 53-57, Searching, limiting scope, displays, reporting, local reporting (mirrored without degrading system operation.) A report writer with the ability to import statistics into an Excel file without retyping.  Flexibility of terminology for item location. Item functions within acquisitions. No vaporware. Column for status indicators for each requirement in the RFP.

Collection maintenance functions: ability to do batch updates, report writing (specific call number ranges for circulation reports, batch rotation for collection movement. Show local request only status, scanner use for inventories, collection maintenance and automated inventory, bibliographic reports on call number ranges, global changes, migration path, and serials function.

There was then a discussion about having individuals reviewing the RBLS RFP sections for the purpose of determining what points should be presented to Rob McGee on October 24th for inclusion in the RPLS RFP. Individuals agreed to review the following sections:

Section I.A – Paul, Tim & Doris
Section I.B – Paul
Section I.C – Paul
Section I.D – Paul
Section I.E – Paul
Section I.F – Paul
Section I.G – Paul
Section II – Everyone
Section III.A – Everyone
Section III.B – Everyone
Section III.C – Tammy, Marsha and Patsy
Section III.D – Steve and Tammy
Section III.E – Steve, Tammy and Specials (Pat)
Section III.F – Tammy and Cheryl
Section III.G – Everyone
Section IV – Matt, Tim and Tim
Section V – Paul, Matt, Tim and Tim
Section V.D – Training Committee
Section VI – Paul, Matt, Tim and Tim
Section VII – Paul, Matt, Tim and Tim
Appendix III – Tim, Helen, Ann, and specialist in the individual scenarios.

The bullet points at the end of the meeting were:

Technology Committee Recommendations