Meeting Minutes

TexShare - Library of Texas Working Group
Friday, December 16, 2005

Minutes Recorded by Kathryn Sturtz

Meeting Place:
Texas State Library and Archives
1201 Brazos Street
Austin, Texas

List of Attendees:
Jesse Aphriam, John Asbell, Kevin Marsh, Jeanette Mosey (Chair), Christine Peterson, Martha Rinn, Beverly Shirley, Antonella Ward, Adam Wright
Guests: Danielle Plumer, Judith Hiott, Roland Lemonius

A. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

1. Software Upgrades

Kevin Marsh updated the working group on recent and forthcoming updates, which include:

A. Including non-TexShare Z39.50-compliant subscriptions in the databases list; rich URL authentication; optional View MARC button; authorized links to non-compatible resources such as netLibrary and Heritage Quest; custom gateways (November)
B. Changes to the ILL feature: NCIP holds, NCIP patron verification, ISO-ILL support, locally customized ILL actions, Links to a locally-specified link resolver (Pending LBB approval of capital project – target of August 2006)
C. Hide ILL if item is at local library (November)
D. Options for Search Libraries only, Search Article Databases only – maintenance item (request is at developer)
E. Add wording about ILL cost (November)

Discussion included links to non-Z39.50-compliant databases and encouraging vendors to support Z39.50 searching.

2. 2006 TLA Conference Programming

TSLAC will sponsor a free pre-conference training session on using LoT (Tuesday, April 25th, 1:00-5:00 p.m). and a program on features of LoT and promoting LoT to users (Thursday, April 27th from 12:00-12:50).

3. LoT Registration and MARC Permissions Form

The form was posted on the BBS forum where working group members suggested revisions. Martha Rinn distributed copies of the revised form. Contact email address rds@libraryoftexas.org was added along with a statement to “Refer to your vendor agreement.” The mail address and telephone number desired are those of the library directors; so “Director” was added under the lines for those.
DECISION: Martha moved that the working group approve the revised MARC permissions form. John Asbell seconded. The motion passed.
ACTION: Martha will put the latest revision on the BBS forum then Kevin will post on the LoT site and email directors asking for action.

4. Multiple/Batch MARC Downloads

Jeanette Mosey reminded the working group that it needs to create a “fact sheet” or FAQ on this facet of the LoT in order to address concerns regarding libraries’ agreements with vendors on sharing MARC records.
ACTION: Jeanette, John, and Martha will prepare a draft for the working group by the end of February.

5. Usability Studies

Chris Peterson provided a two-page “Overview of Usability Testing” which generated discussion on a number of areas such as the name for Library of Texas, placement of links to LoT on library web pages, and best practices.

Chris also reported on the informal responses to her email queries to four lists on the usability of the LoT. Three academic and seven public libraries responded.

ACTION: Adam Wright and Danielle Plumer will contact (by February 1st) TWU and UT Library Schools, respectively, to see if they are interested in having some of their students do usability testing on LoT.
ACTION: Chris, Beverly, and Kevin will review functionality vs. interface issues and bring recommendations for next steps to the next working group meeting

6. BBS Forum

Jeanette led the WG in a discussion of how to make the BBS forum more viable. Suggestions included being able to use an RSS feed when something is posted and members sending email reminders to review new postings.
ACTION: Members will make an effort to review and use the forum.
ACTION: Kevin will explore whether RSS feeds and e-mail notices are possible using other BBS products.

B. NEW BUSINESS

1. Software Enhancements

Kevin reviewed the 14 items on the suggestion list and 1 was added after discussion. Working group members then prioritized the enhancements with each member identifying 1 that should be the next priority and 4 important ones.
ACTION: Kevin will post results to the BBS forum and annotate each enhancement with comments on the relative ease of doing and time needed.

2. Bugzilla Site for Current Issues

Index Data, the LoT software vendor, is using Bugzilla, an open source package, to report the status of reported “bugs” in the software. One current issue Index Data is working on is response time when there are training classes in session.

3. Training Report

Beverley distributed a report from Ted Wanner on the LoT training conducted as of December 16th. Eighteen (18) sessions were conducted for 93 academic, 218 public, and 3 hybrid librarians.
Two (2) more were to be conducted before TLA. Intermediate-level reference workshops and possibly short technical courses on the administrative aspects will be presented in fall 2006.

4. Texas Heritage Digitization Initiative (THDI)

Danielle Plumer gave an update on THDI progress. An Institute of Library and Museum Services (IMLS) grant will fund a project in which LoT will provide an interface to digitized collections. The THDI group will be working on standards for coding and proposing software enhancements for the LoT software so that it can accommodate searching of digitized collections and materials.

5. Presentation During ALA Midwinter

Kevin has planned a discussion session, “Federated Searching – A View from the Trenches,” which will be held at the San Antonio Public Library on Friday morning (9-12) during ALA Midwinter.

6. Future Meetings

Jeanette Mosey led the working group in discussion pros and cons of meeting formats.

• Centra -- 1.5 hrs is maximum productive; email or BBS forum follow up doesn’t happen; some have technical difficulties.
• Face-to-face (f2f) – should probably be twice a year in Austin: during January and at TLA Assembly.
• Telephone conference calls -- Can be arranged by TSLAC via bridge; again productivity is limited to
  about 1.5 hours.
• Video conferencing – TSLAC has a network w/public libraries; other downlinks could be set up.

DECISION: Next working group meeting will be Monday, July 10th, immediately following TLA Assembly, at the TSLAC site.