Minutes of May 13, 2004 meeting

Present: D.Meister, T.Meyer, E.McElroy, A.Peteet, J.Teichmann, B.Lipinski, R.Smith, N.Mukherjee, D.Voorhees, M.Tokar, J.Gardner; and K.Anderson, C. Foote, Y.Ishii, and M.Harris (via telecom)

Agenda

1. Systems issues: U2003.1 and U2004, Item Comment field, Keyboard Express macros for Requests, other.
2. Reserves: spring/summer transition, other.
3. Diploma Holds update.
4. Billing Working Group updates, text of new notices.
5. RDS Web Delivery Working Group update, training May 18th.
6. Information Sharing and Announcements.

1) Systems issues

• U2003.1 and U2004. The 2003.1 Unicorn release will be loaded into the test system the first week in June, and into production over the July 4th weekend. ASC will need to devote some time in June to testing. Rutgers has been asked to beta test the circulation and cataloging modules of Sirsi's major new 2004 release, with Windows-like features and interface. The LIS committee has recommended we beta test, Cabinet will decide. If approved, some access services staff will have a role in the beta testing. U2004 does not, however, need to be installed on every staff and circulation desk workstation so student assistants need not be re-trained.
• ASC was asked to consider what information would be helpful to display to the public in an item comment field in Webcat. Suggestions were for date ordered on on-order records, and color of book. There was general agreement that shelving information would be too inconsistent, problematic for users, and difficult to maintain.
• Systems staff have noticed that Requests are not always updated to a filled or unfilled status, and therefore are not getting removed from the System. A new set of RDS Keyboard Express replies for U2003 and with new Web document delivery replies will be created and made available on library servers.
• Representatives from Sirsi will demonstrate iLink (next generation Webcat), Director's Stations (reports and statistics), federated searching, and other Sirsi products the morning of May 28th in the SCC. Please try to attend or teleconference.
• As of today, Address 2 is the default address (for the summer).
• Library telephone numbers have been added to return addresses on library notices.
• Students not enrolled in summers session will have an 05 last load date over the summer. If these students want to change email addresses, we can do so manually. But remember to advise them to also make the change in their RU Online Directory entry.
• The term loan due date is May 14th and overdue notices will be generated 7 days after.
• Withdrawn and Alumni will be processed the same in future patron loads-- their status will change once. For withdrawn students, the date of the load will become their expiration date. FACSTF records of withdrawn and alumni students will be retained.

2) Reserves: spring/summer transition, other.

Reports and removal of files are on track with minor schedule changes. Messages are sent to circ_sub when action is taken. The "still checked out at closing" report has been suspended for the summer.

3) Diploma Holds update.

Graduating student lists were delivered early this year, and the deadline for holds met. It's been suggested that we ask for an electronic file next year and merge it with a file of barred users to more efficiently identify students who need a diploma hold.

4) Billing Working Group updates, text of new notices

Beginning July 1, we will start to send "Bill for Replacement" notifications," create Bills in users' WorkFlows records, and change the status of items one year overdue to ASSUM LOST, a shadowed location. A summary of these changes will be sent to rul_everyone in June. The billing working groups continues to analyze really long overdue items and develop a strategy for removing them from the catalog. The group has also been working on text of new notices, including courtesy notices to send to new alumni and withdrawn students and Guest, Community, VALE borrowers about to expire. The texts of these notices were shared with ASC and a few suggestions received which will be incorporated in final versions.

5) RDS Web Delivery Working Group update

We are on track to begin RDS web article delivery June 1st. Training will take place next Tues, May 18th, 9:00 a.m. in the Pane Room.

6) Information Sharing and Announcements

• The installation of Ariel 3.4 has been problematic at some sites. Minoltas in particular are having problems with Ariel scanning, or only scan single portrait. Adobe & Kodak Imaging scan OK.
• MARC holdings work is ongoing at Chang and other units.
• Renovations at SMLR continue and back issues of some journals are not available.
• Don Wilson has moved from Kilmer to Alex.
• Avenue E has a new look on Livingston. Kilmer's AC is again experiencing breakdowns.
• Robeson's circulation desk is scheduled for demolition today. Circulation has temporarily moved to the reference service desk, circulation's new extension at Camden is 2848.
• Douglass and other units are sending items to Surplus. Douglass' open house to celebrate renovations is Monday 3-5 pm. Staff are following Alex's model to assign new PhD study carrels at Douglass.
• Annex is using a new "available space" database that Systems helped create.
• Andy Martinez is located at Douglass, still supervising branches. Dave Warner is at Math.
• A NB/P Rt. 18 Comm. Report has been sent to the university librarian with recommendations that include items such as acquiring more teleconferencing equipment and general electronic resources, duplicating reserves, and batching service calls.
• A vending machine at SERC was stolen. Imaging Services at Alex is gearing up for its new role in RDS web delivery. A reminder that old copy cards are due to be retired July 1st.
• Access services staff are rearranging their office area at LSM, some furniture coming from Douglass. Wedding of LSM's special collections and books from 2nd floor continues. Manual from circ training will be put online.
• LSM and Chang are now wireless.