Memorial Library Staff Information

Marshall Breeding's Library Technology Guides provide a wealth of current data on ILS, discovery system options, and more.

Links to recordings of previously attended WMS webinars as well as upcoming events

Upcoming WMS Webinars

Brief Notes from May 23 GALILEO-sponsored webinar (presenters: Merryll Penson & Lauren Fancher) on EDS: "GALILEO Update & Discovery Options for GPALS Members" (all WIG group members participating):

• EBSCO Proposal to GALILEO includes EDS for all of GALILEO
• Timeline: by 9/12, replace current federated search box with single EDS search box capable of searching against EDS index for most GALILEO resources
• By 1/13: added content discoverable, including library catalog records and digital collections
• Feb - June '13: cutomizable opportunities made available for 'other user communities' - (remark by Merryll Penson : initial pricing proposal 'way more' than Meryll was envisioning)
• July 2013: EBSCO Link Source open url linking replaces SFX for most institutions
• No additional costs for GPALS members for FY 13
• private institutions would need to pay beginning FY 14; estimated cost $1.50 per FTE + costs for adding __??
• GALILEO Steering Committee meeting scheduled for June 15; user communities will report back; idea is to give people a year to ponder this direction
• After a year you can opt out if you choose to
• Lauren Fancher: demo of UGA's multi-search EDS implementation currently running
• Lauren Fancher: proof of concept, i.e., successfully linking EDS to the search box-- buildout EDS in existing environment

Brief Notes from Serials Solutions webinar Imagine the Future of Managing Resources & Improving Workflows - September 6, 2012.  Jeremy Worsham & Maureen Morgan in attendance.

Assesment is a major component of the product. 

Builds in management tools for local digital content; May be able to replace CONTENTdm

Cloud based solution

Within cataloging, you can make local holdings notes for each item. 

Locally created authority records can be shared with the community

Acquisitions

• Building a unified selection list that can automatically recommendations
• Can automatically place orders based on a profile definition
• Supports multiple record definitions
• Built on the RDA toolkit

Architecture -  multi-tenant SaaS - With this model, a single version of the application, with a single configuration (hardware, network, operating system), is used for all customers ("tenants"). (Wikipedia)

Pricing - Subscription model.  No upfront cost

Release 2014

Recommends using 360 Resource Manager and Counter to make the transition smoother

Recording Link (this one is from July and is not the one that we attended.  I could not find a link to our session.)

There have been 2 additional updated release of WMS since our visit to Covenant

Additional functionality on tech svs side includes easier record loading, more automated workflows, progress in reporting* functionality

Lots of libraries still consider themselves in ‘evaluation’ stages

Some vendors who are part of this ‘evaluation’ process are describing themselves as offering cloud services, but in fact, that’s not actually the case – they are offering ‘hosted’ version of their product, but each installation remains a separate instance that must be upgraded separately, one-by-one

Some WMS competitors are not offering true, multi-tenancy types of software; Exlibris, Innovative have web-based applications ‘pointing to the cloud’ , but these are not true cloud solutions

CM points to UNC-G as example of a campus that has developers on lib staff or available to library staff able to take advantage of some of WMS capabilities – library has taken over campus mapping function – they are thinking of ways to expose the library’s collections- contact = Tim Bucknell

Opportunity for collaboration in problem solving coming from multiple campuses – CM continues to regard this as one of WMS’ greatest strengths

Recommended we look at  recent LJ article on libraries as platform

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2012/09/future-of-libraries/by-david-weinberger/

*regarding the topic of “reporting”:  the longer we chatted, the clearer it became that CM and I were not necessarily talking about the same issues – but here’s what I did learn: 

Access to WorldCat Collection Analysis tool will now be included at no additional charge to all WMS subscribers

He was more interested in highlighting purpose-specific kind of data analysis reporting; not just reporting statistics, but moving to technologies built to undergird decision-making

CM described a 3-phase approach: 1) existing WMS canned reports; 2) access to WCA as part of WMS 3) further development of an analytical module projected for May 2013

When I inquired about the type of reporting I think Jeremy and Maureen have been concerned about as not yet being robust enough in WMS environment to replace existing ex libris functionalities, CM’s response (I think) was that we should be able to use OCLC’s connexion technology to perform those tasks if we are talking about batch processes, batch record updates, etc –need to revisit next time we’re talking with him as a group, and I’m happy to arrange a conf call if you think that would be helpful

Moving Your Library to the Cloud - EDUCAUSE 2012

• Is this disruptive Innovation?
• Merged IT and Library
• 85%-90% Shelf ready acquisition
• Were a Circe ILS
• User positive experience
• Savings – a lot of $, staff time, less duplicated work/effort
• Closer to a one stop discovery
• One stream patron-driven acquisition/ILL (GIST)
• Used Summon – dropped it for OCLC
• Didn’t fill Systems Librarian position after retirement
• Problems
• Can only call vendor
• can’t customize much
• if you don’t lie the features, tough
• Data out of our hands
• Shelf-ready library, using GIST on WMS (why isn’t it working for us?)
• Don’t use Serials module, because they don’t do serials checkin and haven’t for a while
• Data feeds from campus for personal data – found there was no reason any longer to input a lot of personal data
• Preserve local subject headings
• Lack of reporting module (2013 expected)
• Big benefits
• PDA
• Knowledge base (eBooks, govdocs, etc.)
• Happy w/ knowledge base
• Circulation
• No collection analysis or complex reports
• Fairly basic
• Circ folks less able to let go
• Routine checkout “okay”
• Fewer than ten user types
• Reserves works well
• Can’t search by call #
• Can’t delete users (not sure if this was just patrons or student work accounts)
• Reporting not sufficient for inventory, patron accounts, collection management
• No date of last checkin
• Acquisition
• Only used for rush orders that they can’t get through YBP
• Catalogers don’t do anything
• Do everything in one workflow (works from home)
• No approval plan, everyone can order
• Cataloging
• Less than 600 books for original cataloging
• Can add local notes to existing items
• No local authority
• Cataloging DVDs more work (don’t come through YBP)
• Letting go of control of local data
• Catalogers now work enhancing existing records or cataloging rare materials
• Looking forward
• Call number lists coming son
• Self-checkout
• Reports
• Eliminated Serials solutions A-Z list and Summon discovery service
• ILLiad possibly on the chopping block
• They don’t check in serials
• WMS is slow on occasion, but has improved recently