BTECH minutes - 3/1/00

[Library Web Manager <webman@library.berkeley.edu>]

BERKELEY TECHNICAL SERVICES DISCUSSION GROUP
MEETING MINUTES

March 1, 2000 
Recorder: Camille Holser
Guest: Jim Gordon 

Agenda:

BPM Subcommittee Update - Pam Daniels

Pam Daniels handed out a list of the 35 people who volunteered to be
on the Berkeley Processing Manual subcommittee. Because of this huge
response, ad-hoc groups for acquisitions, serials, cataloging, binding,
transfers, and withdrawals will be created. The following work is in
progress:

the Binding Manual is being reviewed by Gary Quien 
the procedures related to INNOPAC binding will be reviewed by
Sherry Brown the Conservation Department is planning to contribute
documentation on preservation the NRLF storage procedures will be
reviewed by Willyce Kim and Ginny Moon  the Ordering and Selection
procedures are being reviewed by Jim Gordon, Barbara Hill, and Marilyn Ng

In the next few weeks, the subcommitee will meet to discuss
logistics, decide who will work on the remaining sections of
the BPM, create a timeline and schedule when specific sections of the
BPM would be submitted for approval by the Technical Services Council.
Lorelie Mansur and Penny Betrang have agreed to review drafts procedures
for possible interface problems or CARS related issues. 

Pam asked the group for suggestions on areas of the BPM that should
be addressed as high priority. Some expressed interest in making the BPM
easier to search by keyword. Kate Fletcher suggested that the subcommittee
look at Tonette Mendoza's draft replacements procedure to handle V/Cs
attached to CARS billing. Kate recalled that the former PSAG-TS members
had reviewed this document. 

If anyone with web skills would like to work on improving the BPM
keyword index and/or have ideas for prioritizing the review of the BPM,
can contact Pam Daniels. 

INNOPAC Update - Jim Gordon

Judith Weeks described problems with the binding module, which
include the inability to bind whole volumes. She also
announced that the LARS/III interface implementation is behind
schedule. Since UC Berkeley will be the last campus to
be brought on-line, we should take this opportunity to identify and
correct these problems before the LARS/III beta-testing occurs.

Jim Gordon expressed concern over the lack of information available
on the INNOPAC portion of the interface, how to get into it, and how to
use it. He asked staff who perform binding functions to send him examples
of INNOPAC errors to be referred to Innovative Interfaces, INC. Because
Innovative does not have a database of our records, they can not
see the problems we are experiencing. Types of information that
Innovative needs to know are as follows: does the problem occur each time
in the same way each time you perform a certain function, or does it vary? 
are you using a Wyse terminal or a PC when the error occurs?

So far, most of the problems have been different each time and have
needed to be individually resolved, on a record by record basis. Jim will
be working with Judith Weeks, Sherry Brown and Claudette Smith to find
examples to report to Innovative. 

Chikako Pierce mentioned that the ISSN sometimes disappears in
INNOPAC records, perhaps after a GLADIS record with no ISSN has been
loaded. Jim advised staff to report GLADIS interface problems to Charis
Takaro in the Systems Office.

Pam asked if other INNOPAC users had experienced the same problems
with the binding module since Release 12. Jim responded that most of the
discussions on the reflector are about circulation problems. Since INNOPAC
is customized for each library, our problems probably don't reflect what
other users are experiencing. 

Send any INNOPAC related questions, problems or concerns to Jim Gordon.

MELVYL RFP (request for proposal) - open discussion

The California Digital Library has been charged with developing a
Request for Proposal (RFP) and soliciting campus review of the Melvyl
catalog. Current activity is centered on the creation of a RFP that will
include: 

a more detailed analysis of the functional requirements for a
system to host CDL databases; and 

a framework for assessing the ability of vendors to meet those
requirements. 

Pam handed out a document "3.0 Technical Specifications for System
Components", a section of the MELVYL RFP (Request For Proposal) and asked
members to send comments to Lee Leighton by Wednesday, March 15th. He has
also asked the Technical Services Council staff, the Cataloging
Consortium, and central Technical Services staff will comment as well. Lee
will present comments to the Heads of Technical Services (HOTS).
Guidelines for review include: noting the current essential features that
MELVYL performs that we want to keep and presenting any new desirable
features use the terms "critical", "important" and "desirable" to rank
the priorities.

Some members expressed difficulty in providing feedback on such a
document because they don't use MELVYL, and that GLADIS is more suited for
their daily use. Ayana Bourgeois commented that GLADIS does not have a
keyword search function, and finds it easier to locate records on MELVYL. 
Laura Ng informed the group that Pathfinder has keyword searching, so she
uses GLADIS on Pathfinder. 

The group recommended that public services units should also review
this document. Giulia Sacco-Trujillo reported that DMCS/Periodicals/Newspapers/
Microforms has a one-page survey that Lee sent for patrons to fill out
regarding Melvyl and other California Digital Library hosted databases.
This survey is also available on the California Digital Library website.
The survey deadline is April 30th.

BTECHGRP\Review of Role and Purpose - open discussion

The Berkeley Technical Services Discussion Group has been an informal
discussion group with no charge, only a statement of purpose. Gary Quien
suggested that we review this statement. Some members expressed interest
in keeping the format of the discussion as informal. As issues arise, they
can be documented if necessary by the BPM subcommittee and training needs
could be referred to Kate Fletcher as the Training Coordinator for
Technical Services. 

BTECHGRP doesn't make policy, but can make recommendations to the
Technical Services Council. Judith Walker reported that TSC is open to
having guests at their meetings. Staff who are concerned about a
particular TSC agenda item, can contact the council members.

Gary has volunteered to work on a draft of our statement of purpose
for review. Pam will invite Lee to our next meeting to discuss the role
and charge of the Technical Services Council. Pam suggested that, at some
point, we might have a joint meeting of TSC and BTECHGRP members.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 am.