Minutes

After introductions, Barbara Preece gave some background for the current committee. It has been 5 years since the selection of Dynix’ URSA product to provide an unmediated search and request option for returnable items amongst member libraries. At this point there are still 4 libraries in the BLC that cannot use the system due to a lack of interoperability. In addition, there is continued interest in providing users with an unmediated article requesting option. Our charge reflects the need to reevaluate the marketplace for options that will, perhaps, provide greater interoperability and enhanced resource sharing that extends to articles.

The charge was reviewed and a list of vendors that might have viable products for examination was started.

The committee agreed that as a first step we needed to collect data from the BLC ILL survey, obtain a list of ILS’s used within the consortium, and survey the BLC Community to find out about other patron-initiated systems that might be in use.

Next steps include the development of a script of questions that can be used with vendors and colleagues in an initial investigation of available products. Broad areas of investigation will include questions about interoperability, functionality and article delivery capability. A list of more specific questions was drafted. This list will be shared with the group and finalized by Tuesday March 1st.

Calls to vendors and colleagues will use this standardized script for our initial investigation. These calls should be completed by March 8th and will be done as conference calls with pairs of committee members.

It was also recommended that the BLC-ILL, BLC-VC and BLC-Circ Listservs should be notified of the formation of this committee, the charge and put on alert that we will be soliciting feedback and holding demonstrations this Spring.

Supporting documentation needed:

• RFP from 1999 (Sent by Barbara Preece 2/23)
• List of ILS and link-resolver software used within the Consortium
• Results of the recent ILL survey

Tasks and deadlines:

• Finalize questionnaire for vendors and colleagues. March 1st
• Finish phone interviews with vendors and colleagues. March 8th
• Assemble feedback into a grid for easy examination by March 14th. (DesRosiers)

Next Meeting: March 14th, 2:00-4:00 at UMass Worcester

The taskforce reviewed data gathered during interviews with various venders. After evaluating each vendor, we decided to ask Dynix, Rapid, and Fretwell-Downing to demo their products for the BLC. Each will show what their products can do to fulfill our need to provide unmediated requesting of returnables and non-returnables. We will ask them to use BLC data if possible in their demonstrations.

If possible, the demos will be set for either April 26th (Tuesday) or April 27th (Wednesday) at BPL. Barbara Preece will check for room availability and will invite the three vendors.

The schedule for the day will be as follows:

10 – 11:30 Rapid Demo
11:30- 12:15 Lunch (brought in)
12:15 – 1:45 Fretwell-Downing
1:45 – 200 Break
2:00 – 3:30 Dynix

BLC will invite appropriate COIs ( e.g., ILL, Circ, the Virtual Catalog, Reference, etc.) to the demonstrations.

The BLC central office will take our comment sheets and compile a brief summary of Rapid, FD, and Dynix capabilities for BLC attendees. In addition, the taskforce will put together (via email) a questionnaire that we will ask the BLC attendees to fill out giving their impression of the products.

The committee will also (via email) assemble a list of topics that we would like the vendors to cover in their demo (understanding fully that the products do different things, so that each vendor may not be able to show everything on the list). It will be important that each vendor demonstrate both what the public sees and what staff will see.

• Barbara will check on room availability for the demos on April 26 or 27.
• Barbara will contact Rapid, Fretwell-Dowing, and Dynix inviting them to do the demo. She will ask them to use our data if possible.
• Barbara will contact the remaining vendors (save one) and tell them that we are not pursuing their products at this time.
• Barbara and Jen Varney will use our interview forms to construct a grid comparing the primary features for the three products being demoed The grid will be given out to BLC attendees so that they have a better understanding of the products being demoed.
• The BLC office will arrange (via the vendors) for all attendees a box lunch and snacks on the day of the demos.
• The taskforce will construct (via email) a list of features they would like vendors to include in their demos.
• Barbara will pass these along to the vendors.
• The taskforce will construct (via email) an evaluation/response sheet for the BLC attendees to fill out on the day of the demos after seeing each vendor.
• The group will meet at the celebration on March 31st to finalize plans for the demos.

We have a report due on March 16th. Kathy will work on that report and circulate it via email to the group.