CBB Mellon Project for Library and Information Technology Working Groups

Working Groups

CBB Libraries

CBB Mellon Project for Library and Information

Technology Working Groups

Revised January

1998

GROUP COMPOSITION AND EXPECTATIONS

 

  1. Group composition

    • Groups should be as small as possible.

    • Every group needs someone from each school.

    • Each group needs a leader who is assigned to drive project

      and is charged with process and reporting.

    • There will be a steering committee for CBB project to provide

      overall coordination.

  1. Group expectations

    • There will be overlap of areas of activity. Groups will communicate

      with other groups, especially leaders will talk to leaders.

      Group members will communicate within their home colleges.

    • Groups will share minutes within the group, and send summaries

      to a listserve and to steering committee.

    • Agendas will go to group members and to the listserve in advance

      of meetings.

    • Groups will call in expertise as needed, get information from

      experts.

    • Groups will develop written proposals for action, including

      budget plans, for submission to steering committee.

  2. Communications

    • E-mail will be the norm for working groups. They will develop

      their own mechanisms to set up meetings and communicate about

      the details of what they are doing.

    • For posting agendas, minutes, summaries, Frances has set u

      p a listserve called cbb-info-coop. It is an unmoderated list

      with Janey Adams, Suanne's secretary, as the owner. Its stated

      purpose (in brief and long forms) is:

      Brief: CBB library and information technology cooperation.

      Long: The purpose of this listserve is to facilitate communication

      among the working groups of the Colby Bates Bowdoin library

      and information technology collaboration and between the working

      groups and concerned staff and faculty of the three institutio

      ns. Working groups may use t he list to post agendas, summaries

      of minutes, and documents. The list will provide an open forum

      for discussion of issues raised in the working groups and a

      convenient mechanism for all those interested to share ideas

      and information with the groups.

      The listserve is open to any individual within CBB interested

      in the progress of CBB cooperation in library and information

      technology. Sign up by e-mailing to: majordomo@colby.edu and

      entering in the body of the message: subscribe cbb-info-coop

    • Colby will also set up a web page for documents and information

      of a more permanent nature. The first page is set up at http://www.colby.edu/cbb/info-coop/

      . Over time, this will evolve as the work of the Project develops.

  3. Reporting

    • Recommendations for action will be made to Steering Committee

      in writing. This will include substantive recommendations and

      budget recommendations.

    • Groups will present periodic progress reports to Steering

      Committee. These communications will be available to all relevant

      staff on the listserve.

    • All groups will know who is on which groups, and what they

      are doing.

  4. Steering Committee

    • Steering Committee for Mellon project will be composed of

      library directors and assistant directors, and chairs of all

      groups. This includes Suanne Muehlner, Sherrie Bergman, Gene

      Wiemers, Frances Parker, Judy Montgomery, Paula Matthews, Lynda

      Kresge, Suzi Cole, Linda Spugnardi, and John Connell. Gene Wiemers

      will serve as leader.

    • Establishes budget guidelines for groups.

    • Reviews (and approves or amends) action plans and budget proposals

      from groups subject to guidelines established by Deans.

    • Coordinates work of groups.

    • Receives and pays attention to summaries of activity.

    • Plans for external communications about grant.

  5. Library Directors' Role

    • Take recommendations from steering committee.

    • Present plans to Deans.

    • Recommend actions to Deans.

  6. Executive Committee

    • The CBB academic deans form the executive committee of the

      Mellon project, with Martha Crunkleton (Bates) as Project Director.

      The deans and library directors will form a project committee,

      with the expectation that library directors will take a strong

      role in preparing recommendations for this decision-making function

      at regularly scheduled meetings. As the work of the grant is

      completed, library directors will continue to involve Deans

      in necessary decision making roles to make the consortium work.

GROUPS

  1. Library software infrastructure implementation

    Composition: Lynda Kresge (leader), Katherine Kott, Frances Parker,

    John Likens

    Deadlines: Mini RFP summer '97.

    Basic software choices Nov 97.

    Assumes "Webpac" installed at each library no later than Jan '98.

    Testing Winter for implementation Fall '98.

    Completion: Initial work completed, December 1997, subject to Circulation

    Implementation

    Tasks: Recommend best package of functionality .

    • Required:

      • Simultaneous search and display of three catalogs in public

        and staff mode.

      • Patron direct initiated borrowing.

    • Desired:

      • Search simultaneously other libraries

    • Other?

      • Assess available options.

      • Work with vendor to resolve function or product.

      • Work with software design group to explore options on

        the relationship between functionality and design.

      • Minimize amount or number of times to pay.

  1. Other Considerations:

    Expect discussion with vendor to go through group leader.

    Work should not preclude integration of catalog software with software

    currently in place or possible for future (e.g. Software that shows

    holding library with i ndexes, ERL). Software itself may not be

    III, but assume III continues to be the catalog software.

    Identify potential concerns for cataloging, indexing, and locating

    materials.

  2. Library software design

    Composition: Judy Montgomery (Leader), Shana Goodall, Sara Amato,

    Tom Hayward, Susan MacArthur, Frances Parker, Keith McGlauflin

    Deadlines: Assumes "Webpac" installed at each library no later than

    Jan '98.

    May 98 plan completed.

    Fall 98 plan implemented.

    Tasks:

    • Develop shared approach to electronic access to ca talogs

      and electronic resources.

    • Coordinate Webpac design & other CBB web development.

    • Recommend how to build CBB presence on web.

    • Develop plan for ongoing administration, update and coordination

      (web).

    • Recommend the level of uniformity needed.

    • Share expertise and reduce overhead to build and maintain.

    • Work with software infrastructure group to explore options

      on the relationship between functionality and design.

  3. Shared circulation policies

    Composition: Library Directors and Associate Directors. Sherrie

    will convene.

    Deadline: Jan 98.

    Completion: Work completed, December 1997

    Tasks:

    • Develop shared access policies for CBB. Borrowing, lending,

      fines, privileges e.g. for online searching, ILL, document delivery.

    • Review with each Library and College to identify problems

      and resolve them.

    • Get administrativeand faculty support/consent/information.

    • To what level do we expect things to be uniform?

      Other considerations:

      Directors and associate directors will establish basic framework

      for shared po licies, and assign staff from each library to

      work out details.

  4. Circulation Implementation

    Composition: Leanne Pander, Phyllis McQuaide, LaVerne Winn, Julie

    Retelle, Eileen Fredette, Frances Parker (Leader)

    Deadline: June 1998, with full implementation by Fall 1998

    Charge:

    1. Receive recommendations from Circulation Policies and Software

      Infrastructure Implementation Groups and work toward implementation

      of changes, with target of June 1998. This will allow sufficient

      time for ironing out difficultie s by beginning of school in

      Fall, 1998.

    2. Take necessary steps to implement recommended policies for

      borrowing functions:

      1. Acquire and install patron loader tables.

      2. Establish procedures for loading and maintaining patron

        records. Standardize fields as necessary.

      3. Analyze requestor function in detail an take steps to

        implement it so its functionality is consistent among the

        three colleges.

      4. Develop common notices for requests, paging and pickup.

      5. . Develop routines at each site fo r paging and pickup

        consistent with prompt response to user requests. A working

        target is to fill all requests, by sending the book or article,

        or by sending a response to the user that material can not

        be found, by the end of the next business day.

    2. Translate recommended circulation policies into

      functional and consistent loan rules.

      1. Identify any gaps or inconsistencies in policies

        and seek clarification from Steering Committee.

      2. Identify problems or obstacles in implementation and seek

        review by Steering Committee of policies when they can not

        be implemented as proposed.

      3. Develop common procedures, messages and steps to implement

        among the three sites for:

        renewals and self-renewals

        holds

        recalls

        notices

        bills

        item status

      4. Develop mechanisms for the system to accept request for

        journal articles in such a way as to implement the Circulation

        Group recommendation that article delivery be the preferred

        option for patron requests. This may or may not be in the

        requestor fun ction, but should guide the user clearly down

        the right path.

    3. Identify any obstacles impeding the proposed

      software linking the circulation systems, and call upon SIIG,

      as needed, to identify alternative approaches. Meet with SIIG

      to define all elements needed to make systems work. (A set of

      questions is attach ed). If software approach must be changed,

      please review any proposed changes with the Steering Committee.

    4. Work with Document Delivery group to establish

      a routine for collecting and analyzing statistics on performance

      in delivery and response to users, as well as impact on staffing.

      This should be done at least quarterly for the 1998/99 academic

      year so necessary adjustments can be made in expectations or

      staffing.

    5. The Leader of this group should be the high

      contact with III regarding this implementation, and should be

      the one that communicates with the III Help Desk. If routine

      Help Desk services do not suffice for the activity you propose,

      the Leader should wo rk with the group and others to develop

      a proposal for consulting services with III to meet CBB needs.

      Please coordinate any consulting requests with other groups

      so as not to overlap.

  5. Document delivery

    Composition: Suzi Cole (Leader), Peggy Menchen, Kathleen Kenny,

    LaVerne Winn, Elaine Ardia, Guy Saldanha

    Deadlines:

    Assess current status of delivery systems by Jan 98.

    Implement changes and improvements as identified.

    Tasks:

    • Assess current performance of delivery of materials among

      CBB libraries and make recommendations for needed improvements.

    • Explore and propose alternative ways to deliver information

      (e.g. use of commercial document delivery systems and electronic

      formats).

    • Make recommendations for needed changes.

  6. User education

    Composition: Bill Dennen, Toni Katz, Paula Matthews, Linda Spugnardi

    (Leader), Judy Montgomery, Peg Shultz.

    Deadlines:

    Develop goals and frameworks - May 98

    Develop and implement programs - May 99

    Work with faculty (no date)

    Other considerations:

    This may become an ongoing coo rdinated activity, so careful attention

    to successes/failures/learning will be needed.

    Tasks:

    • Identify common goals and objectives for joint user education/

      faculty development programs.

    • Look at other sites and get ideas.

    • Plan specific programs, workshops, content designed to help

      people learn how to use information and use information to learn.

    • Identify needed point of need documentation.

    • Develop programs for shared education with electronic and

      videoconferencing, and share expertise in building them.

    • Develop material to teach about new services developed as

      other components of the grant.

    • Facilitate faculty involvement and sharing among colleges

      and departments.

    • Build partnerships among library, IT/IS staff and faculty

      on each campus and among the campuses, and ensure coordination

      of the work with individual initiatives on each campus.

    • Link efforts with Mellon language grant.

  7. Videoconferencing and library telecommunications

    Composition: John Connell (Leader), Jim Bauer, Peg Schultz, Carmen

    Greenle e, Jackie Tanner, Sam Atmore

    Deadlines: Analysis documentation, October 1997.

    Logical and physical design, November 1997.

    Prototype system, January 1998.

    Assessment and refinement, January - July 1998.

    Functional system for initial use, September 1998.

    Tasks:

    • Develop three-way videoconferencing system to support course

      offerings for small courses when faculty expertise is only available

      from one faculty member.

    • Explore use of this technology to improve other face-to-face

      communication among campuses for faculty, student and administrative

      uses.

    • Provide high speed telecommunications capability that supports

      videoconferencing as well as expanded library functionality.

    • Visit sites with similar installations to gather information.

      Develop specific functional requirements, and design and implement

      accordingly.

    • Develop program for initial training, and work with user education

      group to identify programs that test capability and effectiveness.

    --------

    Two groups not directly related to Mellon grant, but which directly

    support the collaborative goals of the grant:

  8. Collection development

    Composition: To be named.

    Charge: Currently in discussion

  9. Off-site library storage

    Composition: Gene Wiemers, Sherrie Bergman

    Deadlines: Summer 1997

    Tasks:

    Develop shared off-site storage plan for CBB that addresses immediate

    needs of Bowdoin and Bates and eventual use by Colby.