MnPALS Reference Users Group:
Spring 2007

Attendees: Ruth Anderson (MHS), Theresa Borchert (TRC), Cathy Colby (PALS), Carrie Curie (MTC), Donna Davis (MDR), Jennifer DeJonghe (MTR), Keith Ewing (SCS), Molly Flaspohler (TRC), Polly Frank (MSU), Patricia Hoskins (HRL), Erin Johnson (BLC), Luda Lindahl (PALS), Perry Madden (PALS), Mark McCullough (MSU), Pete McDonnell (IHC), Jim Parsons (CSB), Melissa Prescott (SCS), Linda Richter (PALS), David Schmidtke (LRL), Barbara Tuttle (DCT), David Wuolu (SJU), Ruth Zietlow (MTR) 

1. Opening Remarks: Pete McDonnell (IHC) reminds the group that he is co-convener with Ruth Anderson (MHS)
   
   
2. Recorder: Barbara Tuttle (formerly Barbara Carroll) (DCT)
   
   
3. Additions/Changes to Agenda:
   Agenda items to notice.
   1. #5: We will be electing three new members to the steering committee, as three terms are currently ending.
   2. #7: Quick action is needed on the OPAC sort decision.
   3. #9: A free-ranging discussion on the MnPALS Strategic Action Plan, maybe focusing on a recommendation for the Discovery Tool Task Force. 30 minutes are set aside for this discussion, but if it spills over into time allotted for #10 (Electronic Resources discussion), that’s OK.
      
      
4. Approve Fall 2006 Minutes:
   No comments or changes.
   Move to approve minutes. Seconded.
   Minutes approved unanimously.
   
   
5. Steering Committee Elections:
   Listed below are the offices up for election and the person currently holding the position:
   • State Univ - Ruth Zietlow (MTR)
   • Private Colleges - Theresa Borchert (TRC)
   • Tech Colleges - Barbara Tuttle (DCT)
     
     
   Pete McDonnell asks if there are any nominations straightaway. Note: Steering Committee members are elected on staggered 2 years terms, running from April to May. Responsibilities of Steering Committees: Elect a Convener for User Groups (2 year term), Record minutes for Steering Committee and User Groups meetings, Assist in creating agenda for User Groups Meetings.
   1. Private colleges: Molly Flaspohler (TRC) nominates Amy Soma (TRC), who isn’t present but has indicated she would like the position.
      Nomination seconded. There are no other nominations for private colleges. Vote called. Amy Soma is unanimously elected.
   2. State universities: Ruth Zietlow nominates Jennifer DeJonghe (MTR) for the state university vacancy. Nomination seconded. Jennifer DeJonghe unanimously elected.
   3. Tech colleges: There are no nominations. Pete McDonnell suggests the possibility of reducing the steering committee to four members. Perry Madden (PALS) suggests that first a message be sent to the general PALS listserv asking for nominations. Pete agrees to send a message to the PALS listserv, on Perry’s recommendation, seeking volunteers to serve as tech college representative on the steering committee.
      
      
6. PALS Report:
   1. Perry Madden refers the group to the PALS Strategic Plan that was provided electronically, specifically the Support Services report, and wishes to point out a couple of highlights:
      • The ILL link has been moved from the top of the OPAC. It has been moved for all libraries except those who asked for it to be kept by the link that describes ILL. For everyone else, the ILL link is now under the "You are searching" bar.
      • One item not in the report because it was only changed last Friday (4/13/07), is on the Union View. Previously if someone looked for a NetLibrary record, the catalog displayed every library that had that record. Perry has cleaned that up, and the link will only be displayed one time.
      • The Systems User Group proposed that the number of records retrieved be adjusted upward to 9,999. (Previously it was only 1,000. Now it is 5,000.) What does the group think?
        
        Theresa Borchert (TRC) asked whether searches are slowing down since results have been increased to 5,000. Perry says no one reports that it’s causing any slow-down.
        
        Perry agrees to do some testing on that issue (whether searches are slower with the higher number of records retrieved) and will report back at the next meeting.
      • Perry has cleaned up some of the filter pages. Now instead of "Filter" and "Refine," the terms are "Modify" and "Limit."
      • Problems with date-limiting were discussed at the joint meeting today. When using the Advanced Search page limit options, it takes a long time, even times out and gives a blank screen. However, if you limit your search with the Limits (Filters), it doesn’t usually take that long. (Go to "Limit," then "Date.")
        
        
7. OPAC Results List - Sort for Year(a) / Author (Action)
   1. In the "sort options" line, there is a Sort for Year descending (d) / Author. An option for Year descending(d) / Author has been proposed. Do we want to add that?
      • Pete McDonnell asks for discussion. Should we automatically say yes? Perry Madden says the change would be easy to make and would involve only adding a line to a table. (To clarify, the "descending" sort would just be an option on the sort line, not the default.)
      • Molly Flaspohler (TRC) asks if the option can be indicated with an icon (like the little up-or-down arrows on CQ) rather than putting more text in the bar - or whether we can do away with text altogether and replace it with icons.
      • Perry Madden says it would take some work on the part of PALS staff, but they could look into it.
      • Discussion about the clutter in the sort bar. Some people think "year" isn’t a useful option and suggest leaving it at "author" only. Ruth Anderson (MHS) says their library finds year important, and "descending" would be a useful feature.
      • Perry says this feature can’t be chosen by some libraries and not others. It’s set in SYS01. We can, however, change the wording that displays for a particular library, as long as it’s 20 characters or less.
      • Pete asks if we want to make a recommendation about adding the descending sort.
      • Orrin Ausen (BLC) asks, if there’s a task force looking at the Discovery Tool, how much time do we want to put into this (which students probably don’t use that much) vs. putting that time into the Discovery Tool. Keith Ewing (SCS) says that many schools have taken out the sort options entirely. Perry believes there will not be a discovery tool anytime soon. It could easily be a year down the line.
      • Discussion about whether library users even are aware of the various sort options. Some librarians were only recently aware of them. Keith Ewing expresses an interest in looking at the log files to see how much some of the clutter on the page is actually used. He is interested in finding out how we can improve the OPAC rather than investing that energy into the discovery tool. There are many ways to improve the ALEPH interface.
      • Pete suggests that the discussion is moving towards the future direction of the OPAC, which is agenda item #9 and that we move on from the "sort item" discussion. We don’t need to take an action on this matter.
      • Theresa Borchert (TRC) moves that we forward the agenda item #7 question to the MATF to investigate. Orrin Ausen seconds the motion, and it is approved. Pete will forward the "sort" question to the MATF. He asks Theresa how to best word the question. She clarifies that the MATF should look at the feasibility of various wording options in the sort line of the OPAC and how we can clean up the line, so it has fewer words.
        
        
8. MnPALS Access Task Force (Update) - Keith Ewing/Perry Madden
   • Perry Madden serves as the PALS member of MATF. He and Keith Ewing report that they are meeting more frequently as of late. They are setting priorities re: the web OPAC and what changes need to be addressed.
   • Sheila Hatchell (MHS) and Kathleen Nelson (RVL) have resigned, leaving the MATF heavy on state university and private college representation. They welcome anyone interested in volunteering, especially Community, Technical, Consolidated Libraries and State Agency Libraries.
   • In the last three months the MATF has gone through a spreadsheet of all suggestions from 2003 to the present. At the last meeting they asked members to prioritize the top five issues for Perry to address. A priority to address is the color palette issue to improve usability and obtain a cleaner look. Testing script needs to be created, so this is a ways off.
   • The Top 5 List is on the MATF Web board (http://boards.pals.msus.edu/fusetalk/forum/index.cfm?forumid=16). The Web board is also used for posting links to ALEPH catalogs that provide good examples, such as the University of Huddersfield in England.
   • Some of the top issues:
     1. Electronic link and related, such as serial titles
     2. Phrase searching
     3. Better wording for Location/Available
     4. Saving Search: to be able to set date range, etc., without having to re-enter search terms
     5. Color scheme: better color scheme for union view, possibly also let libraries use own colors for their catalogs
     6. Bypass of pop-up window
        
        
9. MnPALS Strategic Action Plans: Where do we go from here? (Discussion)
   • Question: what have people been thinking regarding the plan? Are there recommendations to forward from the Reference User Group to the Task Force?
   • Linda Richter (PALS) mentions the discovery tool survey in the conference packets. Many of these issues were discussed in the first meeting of the Discovery Tool Task Force (DTTF). Many of those things can be applied to our OPACs. Several members of the DTTF are here. Asks, regarding the Discovery Tool Survey, would we apply the results short-term to the OPAC or wait for a new tool, new interface? Where do we apply those things that could go either place?
   • Discussion:
     1. Keith Ewing (SCS): This was discussed in MATF. A discovery tool does not necessarily obviate the need for the OPAC. In Primo, there are some things you can’t do that you can do in the OPAC. Most legislative agencies may not need Primo. One tool doesn’t necessarily fit all. Places such as Huddersfield have enhanced Aleph by adding tools.
     2. Jennifer DeJonghe (MTR): There are next-generation OPACs, like what Hennepin Co. PL has, that puts another level on top of the OPAC. Primo is a third level.
     3. Discussion of how to better involve the users of the catalog: e.g., tag clouds, making the union catalog function more like WorldCat, results being returned geographically, based on where you are, etc. Importance of surveying wide variety of people (not just faculty), so that results aren’t skewed. Jennifer mentions blogs and RSS feeds. Discussion of interactivity and ownership, of users feeling involved. We’ve gotten behind; students don’t feel the library and catalog are user-friendly. Discussion of how we "got behind" in implementing Library 2.0 features because of Aleph implementation, lack of time and personnel. It’s a resources and budget question.
     4. Theresa Borchert suggests the different types of libraries state the Top 5 Things they must have for the OPAC. Discussion of usability survey and how we should survey the users as well as librarians.
     5. Discussion of implementing suggestions, changes: Should we change something in the short term through the OPAC while the discovery tool is being studied for the longer term? Linda Richter suggests picking out a few priorities that are not high cost and see how they work in the OPAC. Putting off needs till the discovery tool is implemented doesn’t seem feasible, as that will be a while. Maybe we can all figure out one clean OPAC interface we can all work with.
     6. Discussion of Aleph versions: Survey results need to be studied. Will we be implementing v.18? If so, that will take staff and resources. Jennifer DeJonghe: should the fact that Ex Libris won’t support Aleph after v.20 factor into this? Al Rhykus (PALS): I don’t they’ll ever not support it; they just won’t enhance it. Perry Madden: Another product like Primo will take the place of what would have been put into the newer OPAC versions.
     7. Ruth Zietlow (MTR) moves that we separate the question of cleaning up the OPAC pages from the longer-term discovery tool project - that we move forward with the OPAC project. Seconded by Donna Davis (Dept. of Revenue.) Pete McDonnell states the motion: that we simultaneously work on two tracks: that the MATF focus on changing and enhancing the catalog while the DTTF works on investigating a discovery tool. The motion passes unanimously.

AGENDA

1. 1:15 Opening Remarks – Pete McDonnell
   
   
2. Recorder
   Please identify yourself when speaking at the meeting to ease the recorder’s job. As the recorder you may ask someone to repeat their comment or verify your notes.
   
   
3. Additions / Changes to Agenda
   
   
4. Approve Fall 2006 Minutes
   
   
5. Steering Committee Elections – Listed below are the offices up for election and the person currently holding the position:
   • State Univ – Ruth Zietlow (MTR)
   • Private Colleges – Theresa Borchert (TRC)
   • Tech Colleges – Barbara Carroll (DCT)
     
     
6. 1:30 PALS Report – Perry Madden
   
   
7. 1:40 OPAC Results List – Sort for Year(a) / Author (Action)
   
   
8. 1:50 MnPALS Access Task Force (Update) – Keith Ewing/Perry Madden
   
   
9. 2:00 MnPALS Strategic Action Plans: Where do we go from here? (Discussion)
   
   
10. 2:30 Electronic Resources (Discussion)
    
    
11. 2:55 Workflow Tips
    
    
12. 3:05 Other business?
    
    
13. 3:10 ELUNA Call for Participation
    Please consider attending the 2007 annual ELUNA (Ex Libris Users of North America) meeting in Spearfish, South Dakota, June 5 to June 8, 2007. Conference details are at: http://www.sdln.net/eluna2007/?mode=eluna2007.
    
    

Discussion Notes for Agenda Items:

7. The sort for Year(a) / Author is one that could be implemented fairly easily. Reference group can vote to recommend the change; results of vote will be communicated to MnPALS User Council for implementation by PALS office.
   
   
8. Report from MnPALS Access Task Force on Web OPAC implementations.
   
   
9. Please come with questions or recommendations about the MnPALS Strategic Action Plans in general, and recommendations for the Discovery Tool Task Force in particular. Copies of the Action Plans were sent to the MnSCU-PALS listserv on January 17, 2007. Other possible items for discussion: Aleph OPAC and ILS functionality, other options for ILS vendors, where do we go from here? How does Aleph impact Reference workflows?
   
   
10. Some ideas to stimulate discussion of electronic resources: When and why would you add an electronic resource like an online database to the library catalog?
    Workflow issues with online resources (print mailers, registration, licensing, linking); LibProxy; Library OPAC links.
    
    
11. In the call for agenda items to the Reference list, group members were encouraged to share information or practical advice for reference workflows (including but not limited to Aleph ILS) during today’s meeting.