Minutes of August 12, 1999 meeting

1. Unicorn Release 99.2
   The Unicorn Release 99.2 has been installed in the test database. Systems staff need to install the test system on each PC, there will be 2 icons-- one for test and the other for production. We compiled a list of access services staff PCs that need the test system icon. Bob Warwick attended a Unicorn 99 upgrade seminar covering installation and new features. Karen Oster has experience installing 99.2 at Carnegie Mellon. We will probably not go live with 99.2 until the end of fall semester. There are major changes to Serials. It will take at least 24 hours (downtime) to install. With Release 99.2, access services will implement Reserve wizards, the Trap Holds wizard, changes in Create Item, will need to study other new features and thoroughly test circulation, reserve and request functions (reminder to test scanning barcodes). At the next ASC meeting we will begin to develop a plan for testing and formal training, if needed.
2. Borrower Charts.
   We reviewed revised drafts of the Primary and Guest Borrower Charts and made some corrections. Please submit additional corrections and comments to Judy. The DEADLINE for comments is AUGUST 26, final versions will then be distributed. Employee and student data loads from Administrative Computing, universal campus IDs (RUCONNECTION cards), authentication of remote users, and the creation of user records for special categories of borrowers in central administration, have all impacted how we register borrowers.
3. Publications.
   Updated publications have been shipped. Please recycle earlier editions. Each publication contains this statement: "For the latest information on this and other library services, visit the Libraries' web site at http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu."
4. Ereserves Update.
   

   The Ereserves Working Group met yesterday and reviewed experiences gained during the summer-- discussed the value and logistics of archiving documents, proposed a semester's documents be linked 7 days before the first day of classes and be removed 7 days after the last day of exams, talked about file size and will attempt to maintain documents in the original format, will investigate a stamp or label for paper copies letting students know they are also available electronically, recommended we start to offer to link to professors' web pages from their course Reserve listings, scheduled scanning training for staff at LSM, recommended changes to processing procedures, requested publicity for faculty in the Focus, discussed statistics (how are reserve staff counting ereserve documents as added copies or new items added, use statistics, number of documents scanned, etc.).

   Staff should continue to use current procedures until notified of changes. [To streamline the process and eliminate data entry errors, Copy Center staff will probably begin to enter URLs directly into 856 fields on Unicorn records rather than send them to local reserve staff for entry.] We will investigate possibility of appending pages to already scanned documents (example from Chemistry-- adding lecture notes on a weekly basis to a generic "semester lecture notes" document). All libraries are encouraged to begin participating in electronic reserves, it's a little more processing for us at first, but an important service enhancement for students.

   Question about status of networked printing-- there will be a pilot/demo of networked printing in Alexander beginning next week; users will be able to request print jobs from 1 or 2 PCs in the reference area, then go the Copy Center where a print release station will print them out with use of password and copicard.

5. Systems Report.
   Armen has resigned. Karen Oster, new Unicorn Systems Administrator, has arrived. A 1-year grant funded VALE position will be posted, and the UNIX administrator position is still open. Systems staff have started to install new virus checking software on every PC, it periodically and automatically runs.
6. More on "how do I?" policies and procedures.
   Updated question lists, with additional questions from staff, were distributed. Second phase is to answer each question with a one-sentence, descriptive "how to do it, in a nutshell" response. Do not go into detail or list steps and procedures. These one-sentence answers will eventually be followed with "To accomplish this, take the following steps . . . " (third phase). We agreed to have answers prepared for our October meeting and assigned the lists as follows Camden and Dana staff will work independently, then we will merge results):

   Charge/checkout-Discharge-Renew		A.Snowman & NB functional group
   						J.Odom and E.Navarra (Camden)
   
   Requests					B.McNelis & NB functional group
   						C.Foote (Dana)
   
   Reserves					R.Smith & NB functional group
   
   Collection management & Maintenance	P.Weniger & NB functional group
   

   We then compiled "How do I?" questions for Registering Users, which will be shared with all staff for additional input.

7. Misc. Updates and Information Sharing.
   
   • Camden and Newark have both decided to continue stamping date dues in books at point of check out.
   • Access Services Policy Memos are on the web, a temporary site as we continue to organize staff resources. Go to the "RUL Web Classic" page and follow this path: Libraries/Staff Resources/ RUL Committees/Access Services Committee minutes.
   • Glenn suggested and Acquisitions agreed, "bookfinder.com" is an acceptable resource for pricing out-of-print books.
   • Judy O. described how she tested generating notices to two email addresses entered in the same email address field. Unfortunately, it did not work. Might have been useful for sending notices for the same material to both RAs and faculty.
   • Lisa Lakhan has accepted the evening Physics position, will start full time at Physics on Aug. 23rd.
   • Alcohol Studies has lost a voucher position. There are printers available to the public at Alcohol, it's bring-your-own paper or the library sells paper for $.20/page.
   • Chemistry Library's Chem Abstract's Annual Indexes have been withdrawn, 3 periodical titles have been transferred to the Annex. The lecture hall next door will become a smart classroom, undergoing construction.
   • Liza returns to Douglass from Alex on August 23rd.
   • Art/Kilmer shared staff line is in the process of being filled. Parking is nonexistent behind the Art Library now with Zimmerli construction continuing. NB Reserve functional group met and discussed ereserves, statistics, staffing.
   • SMLR has lost a faculty line. New position is range 10, ½ time in the library and ½ time in SMLR, has been posted and open now to general public. Office area at the front of the library will be eliminated to make more room for the collection.
   • Collection shift at LSM is finished. J.Teichmann is transferring to LSM as collection manager, M.Spaventa is transferring to Douglass, and D.Williamson will assume RRS duties at LSM.
   • Collection shift has commenced at Math, should be completed by the beginning of classes. Douglass has started to shelve new books into the stacks. Proposal for new Current Location "Relabel" in IRIS will be reviewed.
   • Barbara Crowley is retiring at Dana and Mabel Williams is leaving for a position at Newark Public.
   • Rose Balace is new staff at Alexander, her schedule will be Tues-Fri. 1-9 and Sat. 9-5. Chor-Ping Dang has resigned.
   • NB's RRS functional group reviewed cash transmittals and new $3 fee, science branches doing ILI copies now, suggested DDS RRS users be changed to ILS RRS and SMLR/IMLR naming be standardized in IRIS, will begin to review procedures starting with Alex's in-house documentation, will inventory libraries' microform viewing and printing equipment and capacities.
   • ILS has started to process requests for Camden and Newark law materials, 17 items received during July. ILS has revised Reply macros used on Request forms.
   • Government documents weeding is ongoing at Robeson.
   • A second librarian office is under construction at Chang.
   • Reminder to let Systems know if a staff person leaves, call as soon as you know.
   • Reminder about the system wide RRS/ILS/ATeam meeting August 24th.