Questions and Answers about Iowa's Shared Automation Plan

Questions collected from the information session held over the ICN on June 18, 2008:

• Will the system require MARC or will there be “easy entry” to add items?
• Will multiple locations for a title be listed?
• Will the system require 14 digit barcodes?
• Can a library refuse to fill a hold if the library has no money for postage?
• How will records be migrated from our current ILS?
• What is the minimum Internet speed required?
• Can an individual library pay more for additional customizations?
• What sort of patron interaction is available within the OPAC?
• How will downloadable audio books be handled?
• What are the E-rate implications?
• Can the system accomodate RFID technology?
• Will everyone in the system be able to access locally purchased online databases?
• Will the Locator eventually go away?
• How does one shared patron database work?
• How does Evergreen work with school management systems?
• Is there a staff client for the Macintosh?
• How will fines be handled?
• Will current state funds be re-allocated?
• Can non-automated libraries participate?
• Should I upgrade my current ILS?

Will the system require MARC or will there be “easy entry” to add items?

The Evergreen system supports and requires MARC records. There is a MARC template available to add records.

Will multiple locations for a title be listed?

In the shared bibliographic database, there is one record per title and edition. Library holdings are attached to the record by location. This allows search and retrieval to be scoped by location: local, county, region and state.

Will the system require 14 digit barcodes?

The type and format of the item barcodes and the patron barcodes have yet to be determined for Iowa's system. Evergreen supports all barcodes. It is up to us to determine the size and format and to configure the system accordingly.

Can a library refuse to fill a hold if the library has no money for postage?

A shared catalog allows customers of the participating libraries to not only see what is available, but also where the item is and whether it is checked in or not. The system also allows customers to place holds at a bibliographic level. Libraries will then manage the requests at the item level. How the holds will be managed (pulling, sorting, hold shelf arrangement and pick-up) will all have to be determined.

This question also raises the issue of ILL and document delivery. Within one system, it really is a hold and yet treated the way we treat interlibrary loan requests now. Currently Iowa has limited courier service. It is available in some places but not in others. The most popular way to move library items around the state from library to library is by using the US Postal Service. Obviously this is an important issue and will need to be addressed. But courier service is a separate issue and does not prevent us from going forward with the shared automation system.

So all this brings us back to the question above. The answer is that a library will always have a choice whether to send the book or not. The answer also depends on what it means to "share" items and what choices a library has to send the item.

How will records be migrated from our current ILS?

State Library technical staff will work with each library's bibliographic database to load it into the shared system. Records will be processed according to standards set for the shared system.

What is the minimum Internet speed required?

Participating libraries are asked to maintain a high speed connection to the Internet to access the shared patron and bibliographic databases. The connection should be at DSL speed or higher, usually DSL is promised at 1.5 Mb/768 kb.

Can an individual library pay more for additional customizations?

Because this is a shared system all upgrades, enhancements and additional features will be decided upon by all members in the consortium. The process for this has yet to be determined. But some sort of method to determine benefits versus cost will be used.

What sort of patron interaction is available within the OPAC?

The OPAC currently available in Evergreen has many library 2.0 features meaning that patrons can use the catalog to not only search and retrieve, but can also add items to bookbags, sort results and use faceted browsing. Eventually patrons will be able to add reviews and notes to items.

How will downloadable audio books be handled?

Currently the downloadable audiobooks available from Overdrive through the NEIBORS and WILBOR projects are not cataloged in the local catalog. If the contracts between Overdrive and the libraries remain the same, there will be no impact on the shared catalog, as users are redirected to the Overdrive site.

What are the E-rate implications?

E-rate will have no impact on the viability or sustainability of the shared automation system. Libraries should apply for e-rate funding to get the discounts on their high-speed Internet connections. Nothing in the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) applies to the shared automation system.

Can the system accommodate RFID technology?

This will have to be tested, but indications from some Georgia libraries are that RFID tags work perfectly fine.

Will everyone in the system be able to access locally purchased online databases?

Patron barcodes will identify each library uniquely. To continue to allow limited access to online databases, libraries will need to work with the database providers to change the authentication.

Will the Locator eventually go away?

The Locator and the SILO ILL system will continue to upgraded and improved. It will continue to serve the over 700 libraries that currently use it until such a time that most libraries are participating in the shared automation system.

How does one shared patron database work?

The patron database of the shared automation system will be built "from scratch". We will not migrate any existing patron databases because it is too expensive and will yield unsatisfactory results. Starting from scratch, though, allows us to determine the patron data that needs to be collected. This policy will be determined through a committee of Iowa libraries who will be encouraged to set the policy according to best library practice. Patron confidentiality will remain a basic and fundamental tenet. Participating libraries will agree to abide by the rules set by the committee representing the consortium.

The Evergreen system offers linking of family members, fines, holds, items out, etc. The patron registration form asks for User Identification, Contact Info, Addresses, Groups and Permissions, statistical categories, and surveys. These can be customized for Iowa libraries and Iowa patrons.

Will current patron status remain after the migration? This is unknown at this time and will depend on the policies set by the circulation committee. Perhaps a library will choose to add existing fines to a new patron record, or a library may refuse to add an existing patron until the fine is paid, or the fine may be eliminated when the patron is added to the new database. These and other options may be presented to the participating libraries.

How does Evergreen work with school management systems?

Because Evergreen was developed for public libraries it has not been tested nor integrated with a school management system. Evergreen can accomodate any SIP2 or NCIP compliant system.

Is there a staff client for the Macintosh?

A Mac release of the staff client has been contributed by members of the Evergreen community and is mostly untested.

How will fines be handled?

A circulation committee will set the level of fines for overdue items. A local library can change the default settings. The system will calculate the fines when the item is returned and add the fine to the  patron's record. Each library can and should collect fines from anyone in the patron database. The money stays with the library that collected it.

Will current state funds be re-allocated?

It is unknown at this point if the money libraries receive from state funds would be used to pay for this system. The State Library will try to preserve the current direct state aid and ask for new money to pay for this system.

Can non-automated libraries participate?

Non-automated libraries stand to benefit the most from the shared automation system and will be encouraged to participate. When the process for adding their collection to the shared database is determined, we will call for non-automated libraries to test the system.

Libraries who do not currently have an automation system are not paying for annual support. There will be a fee to participate and even non-automated libraries will be required to pay.

Non-automated libraries can prepare to join by throughly weeding their collection, gathering together any MARC records they may have purchased (from Baker & Taylor, for example) and talking to their funding authorities about setting aside some money to participate.

Should I upgrade my current ILS?

This is an important question and has to do with the timing of the State Library's Shared Automation Project. The State Librarian plans to ask for money for this project in this next round of budget requests (for FY2009). If the State Library receives the money the project can proceed July 1, 2009 and begin to add libraries in 2010. It is simply not possible speed up this process. With that in mind, each library must assess their current situation and decide if they can wait (or the server can last) until this shared automation system is up and going.

If a library cannot wait, they should upgrade or replace the current system.  A library can always join the shared automation system in later years when, once again, their current system becomes obsolete.