Maine InfoNet Board Meetings, January 31, 2007

Maine State Library Conference Room
1:30 – 3:30

Agenda

January 31, 2006 1:30pm
Maine State Library Studio, Augusta

Approval of December minutes
Report of Meeting with Minerva Board: Gary Nichols
Status report on communication with all libraries and website/brochure
CEO Report
Status/Demonstration of Project Espresso
Statewide Cooperative Collection Development; URSUS/MSL; Public Libraries; MIN role
Serials; e-Serials; Monographs; Last Copy Center
Legislative Update; how can MIN assist?
ALA Midwinter Observations relevant to MIN
URSUS Libraries administrating LibQUAL March/April
Other new business; future agenda items

Minutes

Members Present:; John McManus, Director Millinocket Public Library; Judy Frost, CMCC; David Nutty – Director of Libraries at USM; Sue Jagels, Eastern Maine Medical Center Health Science Library Director; Barbara McDade, Director, Bangor Public Library; Clem Guthro, Director Miller Library, Colby College;; Karl Beiser, InfoNet CEO; Richard Thompson, CIO for the State of Maine; Gary Nichols, Maine State Librarian; Joyce Rumery, Dean of Libraries at UM Linda Lord (non member – recording secretary).

Members Absent: Ralph Caruso, CIO University of Maine System;; Steve Podgajny Director, Portland Public Library; Elizabeth Reiss, Library Supervisor York School Department

Minutes from past meetings

Minutes from the Dec 13, 2006 meeting were unanimously approved after a motion from Clem, seconded by Gary

Report of Meeting with Minerva Board

A subset of the Minerva Planning Committee (Judy Frost, Betsy Pohl and Cora Damon) met with Gary, Karl and Arnold Hirshon of Nelinet who served as facilitator. One result of this meeting is that LR0490 “An Act to Provide Essential Library Resources to All Maine Communities” was amend to add Section F which states: Minerva Consortium: Improve the Ability of this 62 multi-type library consortium to provide services ($125,008 - $132,177). Legislation will provide one full-time position for ongoing training for member library staff. The second full-time position will manage and provide oversight of database quality, cataloging standards and staff training in these areas. The Minerva Planning Committee is meeting on Feb. 1, 2007 and will put the results of this meeting in writing to present to the full Users’ Council.

Status Report on Communication With all Libraries and Website/brochure

The brochure as edited at the Dec. 13, 2006 meeting is at the printers. The website has seen functional improvements as well as content improvements. This site must follow Maine.Gov web policies so is a bit restricted by the form and structure required. Karl and David will edit a letter for mailing to libraries in the next week or two.

CEO Report

Report to the Maine Info Net Board
Karl Beiser, Executive Director
January 31, 2007
Italics added by recording secretary Linda Lord reflecting comments, questions, etc. during Jan. 31, 2007 Board meeting.

Staff

Bonnie Collin is retiring as ½ time Cataloging and Data Quality Consultant March 31. I am exploring options for a replacement.
Training ongoing for Jon Forest

IUG for 3 staffers (Jon Forest; Jonathan Williams and Deborah Hensler)
Will use some prepaid Innovative onsite training

Finances

Article Linker has been licensed for 1 year through one-time rescheduling of payment of MSL MaineCat invoice.

Current Services Commitments

SOLAR re-launch in February

New loading methodology is being tested and is nearly ready
Utilizes LC subject headings: loading to begin in next few days
Introduction of SOLAR Express (Is a dedicated staff person for SOLAR?)

Need to discuss one last time with ARRC contacts
Hope for February launch
Download, install and go approach

New features to be spotlighted

Graphical DCB interface for operations
Stats and management at library, not system level
Local scope for each participant
Optional patron requesting
Real local checkout and checkin functions for MaineCat materials

Minerva Relations

Working on new application process with Minerva planning group
Consists of application form, detailed list of requirements and obligations to which library must be committed, implementation plan that specifies how library will meet its obligations and successfully implement Minerva.
Minerva Executive Cmte to set maximum number of new libraries for next 12 months.
FYI: Currently very interested are: Porter Memorial Library in Machias, Wilton Public Library, Kennebunk Free Library, Graves Memorial Library in Kennebunkport, Scarborough Public Library,

Minerva Authority Processing

Sample data records are being examined
Go ahead to complete processing will be given in next day or so
Bonnie Collins has been assisting in review

The URSUS upgrade to and Intel / Linux server platform and implementation of enterprise disk-based backup system has been rescheduled for Feb 9.
Major upcoming MaineCat activities

Initiate and coordinate review of online requesting and lending policies
Encourage greater openness in lending more varied materials
Define, execute settle-up procedure for long-lost materials

Major upcoming Minerva activities

Reload of authorized bibliographic records and authority records
Implementation of ongoing maintenance routines associated with authority control
Migration of Minerva to Intel / Linux platform with enterprise disk backup
Implementation of children’s scopes for all public libraries that request one
Development of new load processing methodology
Development of database quality control and data fix-up strategies
Annual “settle-up” for long-lost materials.

Intra-Minerva lending exceeds 200,000 for 2006. See stats on web site.

(and attached)

Pilots

“Test page” is being used for, well, testing and experimentation. See
Google Scholar interface to Marvel is partially implemented. Article Linker link resolver software is in place and working. It will be another week or two before Serials Solutions and Google have properly referenced this linkage in their respective configurations. Direct journal access an unintended by-product of Article Linker with Marvel. Work remains to be done on customization of page seen when no full text is available.
Espresso: We expect to have a prototype for public use sometime in March. Initial databases will include: URSUS, Windows on Maine, Indexes and Databases, Marvel, Serial holdings title list. We are also researching faceted search/browse in anticipation of a potential enhancement to Espresso, once the basic database is implemented and debugged. This is not a federated search engine.
Google Books Lashup: Our Google contact has expressed optimism that we can implement a Google Books interface to MaineCat, based on a commitment to develop the requisite data export capability given to him in a meeting with Innovative staff.

Other Matters

Article Reach is the name given to the non-returnables module for INN-Reach. The NETpress group, which includes Bates, Bowdoin and Colby among its members, beta tested the module. It enables streamlined electronic requesting and fulfillment of requests for journal articles. Pricing is $13,000 per library per year. A minimum of 5 libraries would have to join to implement Article Reach on MaineCat. Karl has seen a demo of this.
Delivery Service: Last year we said that if delivery service was not fully satisfactory by January-February 2007 we would start discussions among major participants as to whether and how to approach putting delivery service out to bid again. Where we go with this is to be determined. The state is now using Velocity. How can user-satisfaction feedbacks be obtained – an online survey?
NELINET is having a problem implementing OAI-PMH (Open Archives Initiative – Protocol Metadata Harvesting) harvesting on the databases we suggested they include in their digital collection: Maine Music Box, Windows on Maine, Cohen papers, Fogler Special Collections Finding aids, Carr collection, Palmer Collection. Last discussed the issue with them January 11; time to give them another nudge. OAI-PMH was implemented on these databases for this purpose.
Digital Repository: With regard to digital repository work, Marilyn suggests, “A prototype might be a more systematic approach to understanding the implications of repositories for the future of libraries. We could start with the University System collections that are appropriate, and maybe one other partner (I might be able to convince Northeast Historic Film Archive) to pilot a project with us. Setting up this repository will enable us to design an open source architecture into which we could gradually evolve.” This dovetails with ongoing concerns about digital preservation. Marilyn says, “I would like to bring together an appropriate group of individuals to begin the discussion about a preservation system and how it will be integrated with a Repository system.” I support work in this direction.

Discussion ensued: Does the Board want to move forward with this?

David N – Marilyn should do an investigation of what is available for digitization and think about priorities. Judy F – We should be conscious of the political reality around Maine Historical Society’s “Maine Memory Network.” Clem G – We are talking about a catalog of metadata about digitized collections. Judy – Can this be incorporated into MECAT?

Minerva Borrowing and Lending Report 2006

Minerva libraries loaned more than 200,000 items to one another during calendar year 2006. This is up from an estimated 130,000 transactions in 2005 and 30,000 in 2004. The advent of the Open ILL policy in Minerva, coupled with the ramping up of the delivery service and the use of zipper bags for shipping, and augmented by the energy and goodwill of participants, have resulted in a 7-fold increase in usage of this service.

The table below lists counts of items loaned, items borrowed, and a lending / borrowing ratio. Values greater than 1.0 indicate that a library is a net lender, those less than 1.0 that a library is a net borrower. For instance, a ratio of 1.3 reflects about 30% more outgoing transactions than incoming. Conversely, a ratio of .6 reflects 40% fewer outgoing transactions than incoming.

The established principle is to try, through manipulation of load balancing settings, to keep outgoing and incoming volume as close to in balance as possible. This is an ongoing task that cannot be done with precision and which we are attempting to do better through an iterative process. Some of the major imbalances for 2006 have already been addressed with routing priority changes. Activity levels will continue to be monitored going forward.

Note that this report does NOT reflect MaineCat lending, which involves a library outside of Minerva and one inside. However, preliminary figures indicate that most Minerva libraries are handling 10 or more Minerva transactions for every MaineCat transaction.

A number of Minerva libraries have reported that requesting and lending activity seems very high right now (Jan 2007). Below are the results of an analysis of the Owning & Home report for Jan 1 - Jan 17.

Borrowing and Lending Report (Jan 2007) : Top Lenders & Borrowers in Minerva; Major Net Lenders & Borrowers; Conclusion

(end of CEO Report)

4. Status/Demonstration of Project Espresso: Omitted

State-Wide Cooperative Collection Development; Public Libraries; MIN Role -

Serials; e-Serials; Monograph; Last Copy Center: Carried over to February Agenda

6. Legislative Update; how can MIN assist?

Gary passed out and reviewed LR0490 “An Act to Provide Essential Library Resources to All Maine Communities”. This bill is being sponsored by Senator Beth Edmonds who will be seeking co-sponsors. The Joint Legislative Committee will be monitoring bills and providing advocacy. Pam Turner, Director at Baxter Memorial Library in Gorham, chairs this committee. Gary also reported on the MSL budget situation.

7. ALA Midwinter Observations Relevant to MIN:

Carried over to February meeting.

8. URSUS Libraries: administrating LibQual March/April