Coordinating Statewide Virtual Library Development: The Minnesota Experience

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Coordinating Statewide Virtual Library
Development The Minnesota Experience

• David Barton
• OCLC Site Search Conference May 3,2000

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What is ?

• A new statewide information system
• that links
• public libraries (c.400)
• academic libraries public private (c.100)
• government libraries (c.20)
• special libraries not-for-profit
• school libraries in other automation
  systems
• selected databases

So that they appear to the user as a single
resource
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The Vision Behind MnLINK

• All people in Minnesota will have access to a
  wide array of high quality library services and
  global information resources in a range of
  formats whenever, wherever, and however the
  information services are needed.

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Basic Components

• System X
• a shared library automation system for all Mn.
  public colleges and state govt. libraries
  private academic, public, school, and not-for
  profit libraries which choose to join.
• The Gateway
• Web/client servers and interface software to
  allow approved automated systems to link with
  System X and each other.

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LAST The Library Automation Strategy Team

• Resulted from
• Need for Major Minnesota Library Automation
  System Upgrades
• Previous cooperation in Minnesota
• Small group meeting informally
• Resulted in
• LPTF charged by legislature to explore
  feasibility of combining LUMINA (UM) and PALS
  (MnSCU)

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LAST - Participants

• Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
• University of Minnesota
• Private Colleges
• MINITEX
• Minneapolis Public Library
• St. Paul Public Library
• Pioneerland Regional Library
• Higher Education Services Office

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LAST - 1995 Activities

• Discussion of Issues
• Coordination of Activities
• Environmental Scanning
• Committees Established
• Scoping
• Process of Change
• ILL
• Focus Groups
• Fall Retreat

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LAST - Features

• Represented
• over 95 of Minnesota academic libraries
• the two largest municipal libraries
• a multi-county regional library
• a significant special library consortium
• Planning and technical expertise

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Benefits 1996

• Connections to information resources from
  anywhere at anytime using World Wide Web.
• Direct access to the catalogs of nearly all
  Minnesota libraries
• Expanded research capabilities
• Opportunities for expanded resource sharing.

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Benefits 1996

• Cooperative electronic access to databases.
• Indexes and full text of magazines articles and
  images to read, print out or download.
• Consortia buying power
• Facilitate collaboration in libraries in
  acquisitions and technical processing.
• Creates a Minnesota Virtual Library.

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Governance Operations 1996

• Governance Library Planning Task Force
• Established by legislature in 1994
• Project Mgr./Fiscal Agent HESO
• Operational Services contracted to
• MnSCU/PALS, UM, others as needed.
• Leverages existing expertise.
• NO NEW BUREAUCRACY

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1997 Funding

• Initial Funding from Legislature
• 12,000,000 for one-time hardware, software,
  technical support and training
• OnGoing Funding
• System X or Regional Public Library
• Annual operating costs assessed to participants
• Members may contribute to replacement fund for
  future software and hardware upgrades.

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How did we get here?
In summary

• Small group with a vision.
• Sold idea to others.
• Timing was right.
• Legislative desire for
• UM/MnSCU sharing.
• Library cooperation.
• Technology funding.
• State urplus

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The result?
In summary

• 1996
• Legislature gives 150,000 for planning.
• UM and MnSCU agree to share system.
• 1997
• Legislature gives 12,000,000 for MnLINK
• August RFP issued.
• November Proposals received
• 1998
• April Vendors selected.
• Gateway OCLC Site Search and DRSS

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1997 Vendor SelectionWho Chooses Vendors?

• Library Planning Task Force (LPTF)
• Based upon a recommendation by the Vendor
  Evaluation Task Force (VET)
• Which receives input from Working Groups

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1997 Vendor SelectionLibrary Planning Task
Force

• 23 persons appointed by
• LDS director (6)
• Governor (4)
• MnSCU chancellor (3)
• UM president (2)
• CFL Commissioner (2)
• Private College Council president (1)
• MINITEX director (1)

• Commissioner of Finance (1)
• Commissioner of Administration (1)
• HESO director (1)
• OT Commissioner (1)

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1997 Vendor SelectionVendor Evaluation Team

• 16 persons
• 3 MnSCU/PALS
• 3 University of Minnesota
• 1 Private colleges

• 2 Public libraries
• 2 K - 12 libraries
• 1 Special libraries
• 1 Multi-county, multi-type
• Ex-officio (non-voting) HESO, LDS, MINITEX

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1997 Vendor SelectionWorking Groups

• 8 Functional Teams
• OPAC (inc. Gateway Interface)
• Circulation
• Cataloging and Database Maintenance

• Acquisitions and Serials
• ILL (inc. Gateway)
• Technical Architecture and Implementation (inc.
  Gateway)
• Records conversion and migration
• Accounting and Fiscal Operations (inc. Gateway)

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IMPLEMENTATION NEEDS

• Governance Structure
• Administrator
• Operations Staff

• Policy and Working Groups
• Steering Committee
• Contract Negotiators
• Server Site Administrators Group
• Interface Design

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IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

• Develop Project Plan
• Schedule appended to contract
• OCLC Project Team
• MS Project Software

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Marketing the Project

• To Librarians
• Enhanced Resources
• Status
• Financial Remuneration

• To Library Users
• Enhanced Access to Resources
• Electronic
• Physical

PR ACTIVITIES Site Visits Bookmarks, Table
Tents, Flyers Web Site Newsletter
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Interface Design

• Gateway Interface Group
• Technical Practitioners
• Steering Committee
• Policy Decisions
• Follow-up
• Usability Testing

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Success Factors

• People - gotta be influential.
• Timing - gotta be right.
• Serendipity - gotta be lucky.
• People - gotta be cooperative.
• Process - gotta be inclusive.
• Details - gotta be later.

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functional phasesfor the Gateway
Two

• Web interface to resources (1999) - Provides a
  web interface to multiple library catalogs and
  databases and controls access through
  authentication.

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2
Interlibrary loan system (2000) - Handles users
ILL requests and allows Minnesota librarians to
manage ILL requests.
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• CARL
• DRA
• DYNIX
• GEAC
• III
• NOTIS
• PALS
• SIRSI

• Use Z39.50 to create a virtual state library by
  linking 8 different vendors library automation
  systems.

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What Libraries does the Gateway Link?

• 4 Univ. of Minnesota campuses
• 7 State Universities
• 31 Community and Technical Colleges
• 14 Private Colleges
• 20 Public Library Systems
• 7 School districts (up to 384 possible)
• 20 Special Libraries (more possible)

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Databases on Gateway

• NOW
• Gale Group General Reference
• ProQuest Discovery
• OCLC First Search selections
• MULS
• ERIC

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Databases on Gateway

• JULY 1, 2000
• Gale Group
• General Reference
• Expanded Academic
• General Business
• Health Reference
• Computers
• Info Trac Junior

• Bell Howell
• Selected Newspapers
• MULS
• ERIC

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Web Site Links via Gateway

• Minnesota Newspapers
• Minnesota Government
• Minnesota Sports
• Minnesota Entertainment
• Minnesota Recreation

• News
• Weather
• Business
• Search Engines

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Features

• Authentication
• Search groups of library catalogs and
  databases
• Save records
• Advanced searching - refine, sort, browse.
• Search history
• Create customized groups
• Help

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The Next Phase

• Resource sharing via the Gateway
• Using OCLC Distributed Resource Sharing Software
  (DRSS)
• Installed on servers at Minnesota State
  University, Mankato and University of Minnesota,
  Twin Cities
• Manages ILL requests for participating libraries
• Going Live in latter half of 2000.

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Coordinating Statewide Virtual Library
Development The Minnesota Experience

• David Barton
• OCLC Site Search Conference May 3,2000