Consortium of MnPALS Libraries Annual Meeting 2005

1. Welcome, Executive Committee report, and report on morning planning meeting (Kristi Tornquist, DDC/EC Co-Chairperson)
   • Christine Clements is no longer associated with the Winona State University Library, so she will no longer be present at meetings.
   • The executive committee met 4 times this year
   • The executive committee charged a small group to draft a mission statement for review. The morning session reviewed the statement, spent time in small groups to review, formulate goals & strategies. A preliminary statement was produced.
     
     
2. Executive Director's report (Linda Richter, PALS Interim Executive Director) Reports:
   1. Executive Director's Report
   2. Technical Services Report
   3. Support and Training Services Report
      • Michael Fox will begin his term as chair of the Executive Committee in May.
      • Both public lib systems are moving from PALS, Traverse de Sioux and Pioneerland.
      • Participant library charges will go into effect July 1st.
      • 33 libraries are on MNPALS now.
      • 2 priorities: the migration of the remaining libraries in PALS, and testing the Aleph software.
      • Purchased new hardware, processors, and new disk system in order to have enough disk space and performance for Aleph. Cost was about $440,000 -we are expecting some reimbursement from the MnLINK appropriation.
      • In NAAUG, 5 groups are set up to take enhancement requests. All of our representatives who applied were accepted. Our consortium has representatives on 4 of the 5 groups, and Dee Nolan of the PALS staff is chair of the Serials/Acquisitions group.
      • Annual fees for 2006 have been set. MNSCU fees need to remain flat for 2006 because of funding issues. Total MNSCU amount will remain equal to what it is this year.
      • Worldwide PALS libraries are gone except for North Dakota which is month by month.
      • Payments to Ex Libris will start after the warranty period.
      • The Services Task Force recommended distribution of some fees, such as OCLC charges and BIP.
      • Staffing levels will not be reduced while migration is going on, but a 30% reduction from 1999 to 2009 planned.
      • Non MNSCU consortium members and other PALS sites have decreased.
      • Projections assume: we will not lose anymore libraries, PALS will continue the same services, MNSCU and other parent organizations will have funds to supply the increases in user fees.
      • Deficit spending projected by 2006. An 18% increase in user fees will balance budget; 4% is more realistic, but will not balance the budget.
      • The surplus is earmarked for migration and to level out the next 2 years of deficits.
      • Two areas to improve on savings: either reduce central staff or increase income.
        
        
3. MnLINK update (Joyce Hommel, Executive Director)
   • The current initiative is in 4 categories to complete Aleph contract. 1) Finish MNLINK gateway.
   • Planning transition of MNLINK and MINITEX:
     • MNLINK will become part of MINITEX as of June 30, 2005
     • The technology advisory group will no longer be MNLINK but will be MINITEX.
   • We are entering into the last quarter of Ex Libris contract funding. There are 3 outstanding functionality issues: ILL, booking and media management, and the Aleph reporting center.
   • Increasing the server size will help installation.
   • We agreed to sign off on the specifications for the booking and media management.
   • Aleph ILL not working to our satisfaction after installation on 2 servers. Probably won't have ILL fully installed by the time we come to the end of the MNLINK funding. Met with MNLink executive committee to decide what to do with the outstanding money - yet to be determined.
   • An acceptance testing message was sent out in February. 3 people from MNSCU and 3 from MNLink have been identified for each group.
   • Fretwell Downing ZPORTAL software is on track to be completed. Testing has been done; not fully in compliance on working with Netscape browsers. The acceptance testing committee will meet in late May.
   • Revised mission statement.
   • Looking for ISO compliance for aleph both in state and outstate, and in connection with the VDX project.
   • Interface design and testing is done. Currently reviewing server site management to see if it is still price competitive.
   • Focused on research, long-term planning, and increased integration of K-12 institutions.
   • We are currently working with the state librarian to see if there are any products we can provide an information forum to the rest of the state on and a variety of educational efforts to bring up the level of technology across state.
     
     
4. MINITEX update (Bill DeJohn, Director)
   • Our delivery project continues to be successful for overnight materials, especially on the east side of the state. The project is only for the academic year, not summer.
   • MEDD usage is increasing.
   • We are instructing administrators about the importance of ILLs.
   • Electronic resources like online audiobooks and Overdrive are being considered.
   • Copyright website by U of M now available. Especially important is study of fair use.
   • The current appropriation continues to be in the state budget . 2006 will be a tight year and 2007 will be tighter.
   • The standards taskforce hopes to get a draft of indexing guidelines out. They currently have a group working on the terminology.
   • Magnolia, a group of library directors and deans that have been meeting for years instituted a group of librarians to meet about instruction as it relates to end users of Aleph.
   • Currently looking for interest in academic technologies contracted or developed by the University of Minnesota staff.
   • Hoping libraries will educate their users about WorldCat and Deeplink while enabling a way back to their own library page.
     
     
5. MHESO update (Emily Kissane)
   • HESO became a cabinet agency two sessions ago - director is now appointed by the governor. Also is the primary advisor to the governor on matters of higher education. The governor's budget is now the agency budget.
   • The governor's budget recommendations are for flat funding.
   • By June 30 the integrated library funding should be used or else contract will be canceled (refer to Joyce's section), including acceptance testing on booking and media management and ILL. The legislature's goal was to have common system for the University of Minnesota and PALS libraries.
     
     
6. MnSCU update (Gary Langer, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Programs)
   • Formed a new PALS Study Group consisting of 2 MNSCU librarians, 1 CFO from a campus, 1 fiscal person from office of chancellor, the system director of libraries, 1 CIO from a campus, 1 PALS staff member, 1 academic officer, and 1 private colleges member.
   • The system director for libraries is a brand new position, approved by the cabinet to make sure libraries get the attention they deserve. Interviews scheduled next week for Monday-Wednesday.
   • We are working the pros and cons into the maintenance agreement. Working closer, like D2L, will bring more positive changes. Working with Bill Walston to collaborate, like sharing courses.
   • MNonline is slated to get $14 million, bringing things like the e-reference desk.
   • The MNLINK executive committee met goals to get through acceptance testing. We had 3 contractual areas ILL, Aleph reporting center, and item booking and media management. We need to focus on things that have financial benefit for the state (the 3 areas) and not on ones we already have. Both server sites need to get version 17 up and running before full functionality.
   • The 3 candidates for systems librarian will be in an email going out today. The position is intended as a MNSCU position, so non-MNSCU libraries will not have sway in the decision.
   • MNSCU is determining funding for campuses, and it is possible, although unlikely, that an 18% raise will go through.
     
     
7. User council report (Carol Johnson, User Council Convener)
   • We had 4 meetings.
   • We recommended a name change from MNSCUPALS to MNPALS user groups.
   • Privacy policy recommended. Recommended that social security number data be removed and to stop loading it in Aleph and to find another unique ID.
   • Looked at definitions of consortium.
   • Spring meeting planned for April 26th at St. Cloud.
     
     
8. Break
   
   
9. Caucus by type of library to vote and discuss future directions for the consortium - * One person to be elected for three-year term as representative to the Executive Committee. All groups should elect or re-elect an alternate to the Executive Committee.
   • State Universities *
     • Elected Sandra Fuhr with David Barton as the alternate
     • Recommending switching "cost efficient" and "reliable". Word shared should be replaced with access to.
   • Technical Colleges
     • No elections, no comment
   • Community Colleges *
     • Julie Benolken was reelected. Dale Pederson is stepping down, Kathleen Nelson will fill out the remainder of his term. Adam replaced Kathleen as the 2nd alternate. Support state university changes.
   • Private Colleges
     • No elections, no comment
   • Special Libraries *
     • Reelected Michael Fox. Alternate stays the same. No comment on mission
   • State Government Libraries *
     • Donna Davis becomes the rep, Pat Fenton the alternate
   • Public and School Libraries
     • Not present.
       
       
10. Report on election results, other caucus discussion items
    • The small group met and fleshed out mission statement with 5 goals, small group will meet again to go over goals. Will see the mission statement at the next meeting in May.
      
      
11. Aleph implementation update (Becky Bell, Implementation Manager)
    • The focus is on version 17 of Aleph.
    • ILL development is progressing slowly, not production ready.
    • MNLINK ILL testing group met to discuss current status of ILL with Ex Libris. They identified several broad categories of outstanding issues.
    • They agreed to an action plan of: Ex Libris to identify different categories and propose a detailed plan for the next 8 weeks. Software additions and fixes will be installed on both servers, testing will begin and bugs will be reported immediately and turned around to fix. No production date for ILL. Contract over in June.
    • The first response from the action plan is due by the end of next week. They are already preparing service packs to that effect.
    • Enhance and revise OPAC forms.
    • The staff has been working on testing version 17 since mid February. The recommendation of when to switch to version 17 is that all PALS libraries migrate to Aleph first.
    • Ex Libris did a lot of manual updating of tables. Once the version is done we will work on production server.
    • Attempting to put version 17 into production sooner will affect the migration of libraries to Aleph. Half of the libraries are still on PALS.
    • Data conversion scripts are written to version 15.5. Oracle data changes will affect the scripts, and it could take up to 10 weeks to work with.
    • If we upgrade to 17 before migration is done, too many staff will be diverted.
    • The best time for downtime on the system so that we could move to version 17 is during summer or December semester breaks, the same time that is best for migrations. These two activities will compete for resources.
    • Production date of December 2006 for the Eta group probably unwise, because the consortium cannot afford to extend the PALS server past the current contract.
      
      
    Comments from attendees:
    • There is a problem with a delay in the migration of the Eta libraries. December 2006 is not feasible.
    • The goal is to have the MnPALS server on same version as the University of Minnesota.
    • There is interest in being on same version as the University because of collaboration and to maximize use of the system, also reducing overall costs.
    • There is legislative intent to get both systems (MNPALS and the University) aligned.
    • Ex Libris will only support 2 versions back.
      
      
    Answers to questions:
    • Aleph Reporting Center is not dependent on certain aleph versions.
    • We will consider switching to version 18 once we know more about it.
    • ILL is version independent. Media booking is dependent
    • PALS ILL will continue until February 2007, so we will not be without an ILL system if Aleph ILL is not running yet.
    • We hope to get all the libraries migrated by August 2006 to version 17. Version 18 might be December of 2006. Conversion and upgrading to new versions takes time.
    • We will work with Ex Libris to ensure support of version 15 until we are able to move to version 17.
    • Ex Libris plans to release new versions on January 31st. If we went to version 17 this year we would have to get everything done much sooner. The NAAUG group has indicated they want to reduce downtime, and Ex Libris has said future versions can be done over a weekend.
    • During the change from version 15 to 17 there are changes in the tables that need to be reviewed.
    • Ex Libris has stated we could not use version 16.
      
      
12. Closing comments (Kristi Tornquist, DDC/EC Co-Chairperson)
    Suggestions for next time:
    • Small groups should be at round tables.
    • Sound was awful.
    • Liked the fruit and cheese.
    • Timing of the meeting is good.
      
      
13. Adjourn