(R)evolutionary changes at University of the Arts London.

1
(R)evolutionary changes at University of the Arts
London.

• Ray DelahuntySystems Support Librarian,
  UALCoordinator, VPWG

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Overview

• Introduction to UAL
• The triggers and (some of ) the changes
• centralizing bibliographic services, requiring
  the restructuring Voyager acquisitions
• selection implementation of a new discovery
  product
• migration to IT-hosted linux from our own Sun
  servers
• opening a new college library
• selection and implementation of RFID solution,
  and new service model
• The benefits
• The (painful) lessons learned

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6 colleges1 university
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The triggers- 2011
Funding cuts- the biggie!
New home for CSM
Old Servers?
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Server Move-Easter 2011

• Solaris versus Red Hat Linux. They are NOT the
  same!
• The more customized your solution is the more
  chances there are for things to go wrong- mail vs
  mailx etc. etc.
• UAL IT policies often appeared to be at conflict
  with the needs of a public-facing, high profile
  library service.
• UAL architecture. Firewalls. Z39.50
• What we should have done- handed the system to Ex
  Libris

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Selection of SummonGo Live August 2011.

• MetaLib interface unpopular
• March saw a full tender process with playoff
  between Primo and Summon later
• Coverage of arts materials very similar across
  vendor products
• Decision based particularly on price. Summon is
  without federated search.
• Voyager data is fed nightly to Summon by cron.
  Implementation was not difficult but...

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Staff changesJanuary - August
Centralised bibliographic service
RFID
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The CSM move.During the summer closed period.

• Two libraries (40K and 50K bibs) closed and
  re-opened 3 months later at new site.
• Ex Libris Data Services schedule not suitable-
  data work needs to be booked far ahead.
• Work was done by a combination of Access reports
  and Gary Strawns LocationChanger, and zealous
  chasing to ensure manual cleanup work was done.
• Locking down access to obsolete locations came
  back to bite us at FPC 2012.

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Centralising Resources and SystemsAugust -
December.

• The library systems manager role was removed.
• Acquisitions work previously devolved to colleges
  was brought into the new central bibliographic
  services team that was created- 4 library
  assistants, 2 assistant librarians and a team
  leader librarian.
• New workflows were developed to make use of EOD
  and bulk imports to create POs and line items.
  Manual order entry changed to automatic in
  2/2012.
• Other manual workflows were automated including
  using Webadmin, and MarcEdit, much to the delight
  of one vendor (and our staff).

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The RFID Project.

• A very rapid project was undertaken to establish
  a new service model. After a tender and
  selection process 3M provided UAL with an RFID
  solution.
• Voyager self service functionality was found to
  be seriously flawed, threatening the effective
  implementation of the new service model
• Script-driven repair of the Voyager functionality
  bugs.
• Digital library assistants (very un-PC!!)

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RFIDproject timetable
Procurement Start
Project Start
Procurement ends
Tagging starts
Tagging ends
Project ends
Sorter
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Extending RFID and the new Service model.

• Command Center
• Clarion Web for the new 9100 RF security gates.
• Roaming / roving library staff rather than
  library desks.
• Problems remain- we have new kit.

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Benefits
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Benefits
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What next?

• Better and more staff training
• Modify reports (eg fund snapshot) for local
  needs.
• EDI invoicing
• Move to Voyager 8, and unpick Dawsons coding-
  maybe item creation- shelf ready books
• Full stocktake using lessons learned in trial
• Deal with data problems- the stocktake revealed
  lots of issues.

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Lessons learned

• Develop better relationship with IT
• Dont underestimate the complexity of the move to
  linux
• The more localised your system is the bigger the
  challenges in changing it
• Localisations may be broken in upgrades
• (And you would think this one is obvious...)
  Learn about and use the system functionality.