SOPAG Action Minutes - Friday, February 21, 2003

See also http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sopag/

Present:  Dearie, Hurley, Kochi, MgGirr, Miller, Mirsky, Moody, Ober, Ryan (recorder), Tanji, Tanno, Wittenbach
ACG Chairs present from 10-1:  Amy Kautzman (LPL), Carole Kiehl (HOTS), Isabel Stirling (HOPS), Terry Toy (LTAG)

Tanno reported on a conference call among Kiehl, Stirling, Tanji, Ober, Pat French (Chair, SCP Steering Committee) and Karen Coyle (CDL) to discuss HOTS’ recommendation to have the Shared Catalog Program (SCP) create separate cataloging records for the print and electronic versions of the same monograph.  The conferees determined that it is possible to accept the HOTS recommendation of separate records and still create a merged display in Melvyl with some additional work by the CDL.  SOPAG endorsed the proposal that the conferees developed, to distribute the existing SCP records (developed following HOTS guidelines) to the campuses, to recommend that the CDL change their algorithm for selecting the preferred record for display so that the format for both versions will be displayed consistently, with the e-version displaying first, and to recommend that the CDL explore methods for applying the new algorithm to records that have already been merged under the old algorithm.

ACTION:  Tanno will submit the proposal to the ULs.

2. Meeting with All Campus Group Chairs

Tanno welcomed the All Campus Group Chairs to the annual meeting with SOPAG and reviewed briefly the structure and purpose of the ACGs.    Each chair then reviewed the goals and current activities of each group.

CDC (Tanji).  CDC objectives and activities for 2002/2003 include significant advice on shared collection issues, including the single record/separate record problem described above and implementation plans for the shared print archive for Elsevier and ACM titles.

HOPS (Stirling).  HOPS is focusing this year on information literacy, Web-based delivery of services, and quality assessment.  The new Digital Reference Common Interest Group has met for the first time and posted minutes to http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/csj/drcig/.  HOPS stands ready to collaborate with other groups on related projects.

HOTS (Kiehl).  HOTS has contributed significant advice this year on Melvyl-T implementation issues, including brief record standards and single vs. multiple records for print and electronic resources.  In addition it provided guidance to the Shared Cataloging Program, including the clarification of the roles and members of the SCP Steering Committee.  HOTS will be developing formal goals and posting them to the Web site.

LPL (Kautzman).  LPL held its first meeting on December 12, 2002,  and began  its work by reviewing current campus practice.   Its interests include the management and disposition of university records and it has forwarded to LTAG information of library records retention. SOPAG clarified that LPL is encouraged to redesign and amend the Web site that was created by the Privacy Task Force. LPL is interested in holding informational meetings, perhaps one each in the north and south, for library staff.

LTAG (Toy).  LTAG will be discussing plans for the next UC Digital Library Forum at its next meeting in April.  SOPAG agreed that the former title for this workshop (Digital Library Development Forum) should be changed to the “UC Digital Library Forum” to reflect a broader focus.  Toy asked SOPAG to identify individuals who might be interested in working on the planning group for the next Forum.

ACTION:  Each SOPAG member will consult with campus colleagues about possible planning group participants and forward the names of any they identify to Toy. Toy encouraged SOPAG and the other ACGs to tap LTAG as a technical advisory and coordinating group.  SOPAG suggested that LTAG re-evaluate the best way to share information about technologies and tools in use at each campus, since a database will be difficult to keep current.

RSC (Dearie).  The major initiative for RSC this year is the implementation of the Consortial Borrowing system (VDX).  Several other initiatives, such as desktop delivery, are being handled with interim local solutions until that implementation.  RSC is also addressing some specific issues, such as ILL loan periods and access to special collections materials.

Several areas of discussion applied to all of the groups:

a. Common interest groups.  Tanno reminded the chairs that appointment of a task force/study group or a common interest group by an ACG should come to SOPAG as a proposal first.  Miller advised both SOPAG and the ACG chairs that the ULs advise limiting face-to-face meetings of all systemwide groups to the minimum necessary.  For informal groups especially, the expectation is that most communication will be by phone and email.

b. SOPAG and the ACG chairs agreed that a consistent Web presence for all the ACGs would improve communication and collaboration.   Though UC Berkeley is hosting and managing the SOPAG Web site, that model won’t scale to all of the groups.    The group agreed that the ideal solution would be a division of responsibility, with CDL hosting a Web server and setting up distributed management so that each ACG could be responsible for posting materials and editing content in a designated portion of the Web space.
ACTION:  Tanno will request such assistance from CDL and Ober will report back on CDL’s ability to respond.

c. Workshop Proposals.   Tanno encouraged all of the groups to consider submitting proposals for workshops when they identify a topic that needs broad discussion and understanding.   The SOPAG web site has guidelines for submitting workshop proposals (http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sopag/SOPAGworkshopguidelines.html)

As the ACG chairs were leaving the meeting, Tanno expressed SOPAG’s admiration for the scope and value of the ACG goals and activities.

a. The Melvyl-T performance tests are currently going well.

b. CDL will be requesting that each campus identify UC eLinks liaisons to attend SFX training.  SOPAG requested more information on what the campus liaisons tasks would be in order to assign the most appropriate people to the task.

ACTION:  Ober will send more workflow details and screen shots.

ACTION:  Each SOPAG member will consult with campus colleagues and submit liaison names.

c. CDL has hired a business negotiator as a consultant and scheduled a negotiation workshop for CDL staff with the consultant. The instructor has agreed to allow for extra attendees from campuses on a space available basis and at no extra cost (except travel expenses).   Because the workshop is scheduled for March 12, Ober must ask for a quick turn-around for campus nominations for attendees at the workshop.

ACTION:  Each SOPAG member will consult with campus colleagues and let CDL know if any campus people will attend the workshop.

Several suggestions were considered, including having Hurley discuss possible revisions with each of the ACGs, appointing a working group to advise Hurley on the next phase of the model, and developing a mechanism for gathering end-user feedback.  SOPAG will continue the discussion at the next meeting, keeping in mind that the ULs have requested discussion only at this stage.   Hurley offered to share his ideas for changing the model, based on the campus feedback.

ACTION:  Hurley will write up his ideas for changing the Access Integration Model for the next SOPAG meeting.

Moody can redesign the Web site to match the new design of the SLASIAC web site.   SOPAG acknowledged, though, that SOPAG is part of the SLASIAC web space only by default.  The SOPAG web site would more correctly be included in a University Librarian web space.   Such a web space could include links to campus web sites, names and addresses of existing University Librarians, and the “structural map” of the UC library advisory structure.

ACTION:   Tanno will discuss the Web structure at the next University Librarian Steering Committee Conference call.

An interim report by Linda Kennedy, Chair was distributed to SOPAG. The TF expects to have its report ready for submission to SOPAG by its deadline date of May 2003.