CARLI News January 29, 2015

CARLI-Sponsored Library Management System Webinars

As part of CARLI’s project to seek a replacement for the Voyager software over the next few years, CARLI and the I-Share Next Task Force have invited firms that offer library management software to academic libraries and consortia to conduct an informational webinar about their product for CARLI Governing Member Libraries. 

These webinars are open to any staff of CARLI governing member libraries. You may watch the webinar at the time it is presented, or watch a recording of it on your own schedule. Connection information for the webinars and the links to the recorded webinars will be announced when they become available.

Upcoming webinars: 

• Tuesday, February 10, 10 am-noon; OCLC WorldShare Management Services
• Wednesday, February 11, 2-4 pm; Innovative Interfaces Sierra
• Friday, February 13, 10 am-noon, ProQuest Intota 
• Friday, February 13, 2-4 pm, SirsiDynix BLUEcloud Campus 

Past webinars:

• Ex Libris Alma (held on January 27, 2015): Webinar recording not yet available.

As it is not possible to see every feature of a library management system in a couple hours, we have asked the presenters to focus their webinars on features of their system that address how libraries’ work is changing as we change our focus from print to electronic collections and take advantage of options like purchase on demand. We also have asked them to highlight features that are specifically of interest to consortia such as union catalog views, shared acquisition ownership of materials, and consortial resource sharing.
 
We are very early in the process to seek a replacement for Voyager. As the project moves on, we will have more opportunities for you to view the products that are under review. To see the latest about I-Share Next, visit the ISN news page.

I-Share

I-Share Next Task Force Seeks Specification Team Members

The CARLI I-Share Next (ISN) Task Force is coordinating the effort related to the selection of the next generation of I-Share, i.e., a shared library management system that will ultimately replace Voyager for CARLI’s I-Share participant institutions. They are coordinating all planning, analysis, specification compilation, Request for Proposal (RFP) preparation and proposal review; they will identify the finalist options; and they ultimately will recommend a final preferred solution to the CARLI Board. At this time, the ISN Task Force seeks functional specialists to serve on Specification Teams that will assist the ISN Task Force in crafting detailed functional specifications that will go into the RFP.

The ISN Task Force Specification Teams will work with members of the ISN Task Force and CARLI staff members to draft specifications for system functionality. Also, the teams will develop a scoring rubric for evaluating vendors’ responses to these specifications. The ISN Task Force expects to apply these specifications to both commercial and open source solutions.

Specification Team members will be appointed for a three to four month term that is expected to run from March 2015 through June 2015.

Specification teams may meet frequently during their term. Meetings will be held online and by conference call. Additionally, Specification Team members must be willing and able to commit a substantial amount of time outside of meetings for preparing specifications.

At this time, the ISN Task Force has not determined whether Specification Team members will have a role in reviewing RFP responses from vendors. However, as this project is subject to the Illinois higher education public procurement policies, anyone reviewing bids must sign the University of Illinois' Confidentiality and No Conflict of Interest Form.

To apply to serve on the I-Share Next Task Force, please download an application and provide detailed responses to all questions by 10:00 a.m. CST, February 16, 2015. Send applications by email as an attachment to CARLI support. Notifications of appointments will be sent about February 23, and appointments will begin March 1, 2015.

Voyager Access Reporting Discussion List

CARLI maintains a collection of SQL queries on the CARLI web site. In order to keep interested library staff informed about any new or updated queries, CARLI staff will send an email to the Voyager Access Reporting Interest Group discussion list. 

If you or other members of your library staff are interested in Voyager reporting in general, or in shared SQL in particular, we encourage you to subscribe to the rpt-ig email distribution list. The list is open to staff at I-Share member libraries. Anyone who has subscribed may post to the list.

For more information about CARLI Shared SQL for Voyager Reports, visit the Running and Creating Reports web page.

Join the Open Conference Call for CARLI SFX Administrators​

CARLI's SFX System Committee invites all SFX administrators in CARLI libraries to join them for an informal conversation at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 18. There will be no set agenda: the committee encourages SFX administrators to bring their comments, questions, or concerns about SFX, and will facilitate a discussion on any SFX-related topic that interests the participants on the day of the call. (In the absence of other topics, the committee will be prepared to discuss its draft SFX Troubleshooting Tree and its work on training videos for new SFX administrators.) Because this will be an informal conversation, and because audio connections will be by phone, the committee will not record the meeting, so we hope you can join us in person. (Of course we'll record any more formal presentations that follow up on this conversation.)

For connection information, visit the event page. 

Register for the Collaboration for Information Literacy Instruction Webinar

Please join the CARLI Instruction Committee for a webinar dedicated to collaboration between academic libraries and program/teaching faculty on information literacy and library instruction. The webinar will be held on February 26, 2015,1:30-3 pm, 
 
The panel for the webinar includes Melissa Bowles-Terry, Head of Educational Initiatives at University of Nevada-Las Vegas; Dawn Lockwood, Educational Technologist from the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Assessment at Illinois Valley Community College; and Dr. Libby Scheiern, Assistant Academic Dean, Director of Teaching and Learning Excellence Center at Principia College. More detailed information about the webinar will be forthcoming.
To register, please visit the event page and click on the “ register” tab. Registrants will receive an email with the webinar connection information on Monday, February 23. If you are unable to attend, please note that this webinar will also be recorded and posted to the CARLI web site. If you have any questions about this program, please contact the CARLI Office.

Preservation

Register for the Springfield Preservation Open House Event

The CARLI Preservation Committee is pleased to invite you to their Springfield Preservation Open House event on March 9, 2015, at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Conservation Lab and the Illinois State Archives Conservation/Restoration Lab.
 
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Conservation Lab serves as an in-house facility for the conservation treatment of materials in the library's collections, which cover Illinois history, the Civil War, genealogy resources, and, of course, Abraham Lincoln.  Most conservation treatments are for paper-based materials—books and documents—but the preservation needs of audio-visual items, textiles, paintings, and artifacts are also addressed. In addition, a significant component of work in the lab is the preparing of collection items for exhibits and loans.
 
Other preservation-related activities undertaken by conservation staff include environmental monitoring of storage and display areas, disaster planning, and participating in outreach opportunities to talk about preservation of cultural materials.
 
Bonnie Parr, Historical Documents Conservator, will show and discuss:

• different areas of the conservation lab and the types of equipment and tools used
• current projects
• examples of past treatments
• conservation information resources

If time allows, the visit will include a tour of the climate controlled stacks.
 
Bonnie welcomes questions during the Open House. Questions may also be submitted in advance to CARLI support in order to have appropriate materials prepared ahead of time.
 
The Illinois State Archives serves by law as the depository of public records of Illinois state and local governmental agencies, which possess permanent administrative, legal, or historical research value. In addition to providing safe and secure storage for those records, the Archives' Conservation/Restoration Lab applies preservation and restoration treatments to those records.
 
Dottie Hopkins-Rehan, Senior Archival Conservator, will share conservation basics including the handling of documents and storage conditions. Attendees may bring personally-owned documents or those that belong to their institution to the Open House, and Dottie will answer questions.
 
To register, visit the event page.     
 
Due to space limitations, only two people per CARLI member library will be allowed to register. If space remains after February 10, registration will be open to all interested CARLI members.
 
Registration will close February 20th.

Preservation Tip: Problems with Space

by Anne Thomason, Lake Forest College

Problems of space include poor design, growth that strains what was originally adequate space, and a lack of priority for preservation planning. Communication is the most important factor in resolving space issues in your library—communication with your administration about the importance of preserving your materials, and communication with your facilities department so they understand the special concerns of libraries. 

Administrative buy-in: Getting buy-in from administration is more important than any other single thing you can do. You can write up every preservation problem you have, document it, and still not make a strong case for why it matters. In my previous position, I regularly needed to explain the value of Special Collections to the President and the Dean of Faculty—how it helped students learn to learn, improved critical thinking skills, and engaged them in the history and thus community of the College. I have found that focusing on access makes a better case than focusing first on preservation. In my case, the administration wanted to know how the collections would best serve the students and faculty of the College. Focus on how your collections best serve your community. Preservation is, of course, a part of that, but the initial impetus on access and learning has made the difference to me when I asked for changes and increased resources.  

For example, a computer lab connected to the Special Collections reading room. Rumors circulated the lab would be moved to another building, freeing up that space. I immediately started making the case for why Special Collections needed that space, focusing on access and improving the user experience. When the room finally became free, Special Collections got the space because I had been explaining the value of Special Collections for several years. That space will free up space in the rest of the Special Collections to better preserve valuable collections. 

Small Changes: Some changes require few resources. At my previous position, there was originally no reference desk. Patrons would wander in, unsure of where to go, which sometimes meant they found their way to places they were not supposed to be. I was able to persuade the library administration that a reference desk would improve the user experience, and would help us to protect the collections from theft. 

I also recommend checking maintenance schedules. We had some problems with the climate control system that were resolved by setting up regular maintenance checks. Talking to your facilities people and making sure they understand the needs of your system is very important.  

Free consultations: Pursue an NEH Preservation Assistance grant. Plenty has been written about applying successfully for these grants. Bringing in the consultant I hoped to work with before receiving the grant was extremely helpful. She made many recommendations about space while doing the initial assessment, such as how to properly store some items that were dangerously stored. So even if you do not receive the grant, that initial consultation can be very helpful. 

Other Library News

CLIR Competition for "Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives"

The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) has announced their 2015 competition for Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives. The competition, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, seeks to "digitize and provide access to collections of rare or unique content in cultural heritage institutions."

CLIR will host two informational webinars for prospective applicants on February 4 and again on March 4. Applications are due April 30.

For more information about this opportunity from CLIR, please see the official website. 

CARLI Members Receive Digital Image Grants from the Illinois State Library

Three CARLI Governing member libraries have been awarded grants through the Illinois History–Digital Imaging grant program. The program provides funding for eligible libraries to carry out projects involving the selection, digital capture, storage, and provision of web access to their important historical and cultural collections. Digital Imaging grants support the creation of digital collections while at the same time expanding access to those collections via the Illinois Digital Archives. 

The libraries receiving grants, as well as the amount awarded and the project for which it will be used are: 

Blessing Health Professions Library, Quincy: $39,304.00     
Open Access to the Healthcare History of the Quincy Community

Meadville Lombard Theological School/Wiggin Library, Chicago: $37,456.00     
Illinois in Transition: Liberal Religious Activism, 1890-1983

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville: $42,371.00     
Madison County, Illinois Naturalization Records: A Digital Collection of Social and Family History

To see the full list of libraries receiving grants, read the press release on the Illinois State Library web site.

Mandatory Annual Library Certification Process Now Underway

Each year, all Illinois library system member libraries (including all CARLI libraries) must complete the Illinois State Library's mandatory library certification in order to qualify for State Library system services, programs and grants. The certification must be completed by March 31, 2015.

To begin the certification process, visit the certification web page. The certification web page includes links to questions included in the certification form; the online annual library certification portal; and the timeline and FAQs. Each library will need its control number and administrative branch number to log in to the certification portal. This information is included in each library's record in the L2 membership database.
 
For more information about the process, or with any questions, please contact Pat Boze.

Seeking Proposals for 2015 Conference: All for One Conference

The 2015 All for One Conference: A Library State of Mind brings together library organizations in Illinois for a chance to connect, network, and learn together. Academic, public, school, and special libraries will come together for the first combined annual conference of the Illinois Library Association and Illinois School Library Media Association, in collaboration with the Illinois Association of College and Research Libraries and the Special Libraries Association Illinois Chapter. Join this trailblazing effort and add your voice to the conversation by submitting a conference proposal! Proposal deadline: February 28, 2015. 
 
The All for One Conference committee is seeking program proposals that demonstrate collaboration with different types of libraries or other community organizations; that showcase creative, innovative solutions and provide leadership in serving Illinois communities of all types; and that explore strategic, forward thinking ways that libraries can strengthen communities through services and programs.
 
Whether you are in an academic, special, school, or public library; a human resources, marketing, facilities, or law professional; or in a rural or city library serving a large or small population, your perspective is valuable and we ask you to consider submitting a proposal. The more voices that contribute to this first annual conference, the more impact the event will have for all the participants.
 
Proposals for participation in Poster Sessions will be accepted at a later date.

Upcoming CARLI Meetings and Events

Training Events and Forums

February 10       OCLC WorldShare Management Services Webinar
February 11       Innovative Interfaces Sierra Webinar
February 13       ProQuest Intota Webinar
February 13       SirsiDynix BLUEcloud Campus Webinar
February 18       SFX Interest Group Open Conference Call
February 26       Faculty Relationship Webinar

March 6           Understanding RDA Webinar, Part 1
March 9           Preservation Open House, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Illinois State Archives, Springfield
March 17          Personal Knowledge Management and Libraries Webinar
March 19-20     Voyager Cataloging Training, CARLI Office
March 24-25     Voyager Acquisitions and Serials Training, CARLI Office

Meetings

February 3         Preservation Committee
February 5         Collection Management Committee
February 11       SFX System Committee
February 12       Public Services Committee
February 12       Commercial Products Committee
February 19       Resource Sharing Committee
February 20       Technical Services Committee
February 20       Instruction Committee
February 20       I-Share Next Task Force Committee
February 24       Created Content Committee

March 3             Preservation Committee
March 4             CARLI Executive Committee
March 11           SFX System Committee
March 12           Public Services Committee
March 12           Commercial Products Committee
March 13           CARLI Board of Directors
March 13           Technical Services Committee
March 19           Resource Sharing Committee
March 20           Instruction Committee
March 20           I-Share Next Task Force Committee
March 24           Created Content Committee

Consult the CARLI calendar for the most current list of meeting times and locations.

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