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

Present:  T. Dearie, B. Hurley, J. Kochi , K. McGirr (recorder), P. Mirsky, M. Moody, B. Miller, J. Ober, T. Ryan, L. Tanji, J. Tanno (Chair), S. Wittenbach
Guest:  K. Coyle

SOPAG reported on each of their campus review processes for the CMPG White Papers:  Developing a Shared Collection for the University of California (draft report); Collection Management and Coordination: A Strategy for the UC Libraries (draft report). The reports were distributed to ACGs, LAUC, and SOPAG in email from JWT dated June 11, 2003.     

Problems with search and display of titles with voluminous variants (aka the “uniform titles problem”) had been raised by music librarians and the UCB humanities librarian’s council. On 5/23 the ULS referred the matter to SOPAG. SOPAG discussed the issue in light of the overall issues of maintenance, quality control, and enhancement priorities for Melvyl-T. Ober and Coyle updated SOPAG on Melvyl-T, describing the current list of non-fatal underlying system and database problems. CDL needs to address that list with current resources and summarize it for SOPAG and interested parties. Although SOPAG feels the uniform title problem is an important problem that needs to be addressed, it agreed that the issue needs to be considered in light of other priorities and can be further illuminated by usability studies. The SOPAG discussion also identified contextual issues including the need to better define the role of the catalog as core infrastructure for the UC Libraries, a discussion which would help frame how to proceed with Melvyl enhancements; the need to design a process for reviewing issues related to Melvyl T; and the need to explore how, as a group representing campus co-investments in the catalog, SOPAG can gain an understanding of quality control issues and make informed choices for enhancements and maintenance priorities.

SOPAG requested a preliminary assessment as soon as possible of the feasibility of Harvard’s approach to uniform titles (as suggested by the Music group’s analysis) and suggested that further discussion be held in the light of a) current Melvyl-T priorities and estimates of effort required to resolve them; b) a list of potential functional enhancements as suggested by user feedback; and c) a list of CDL’s service and infrastructure commitments to the libraries. The next round of Melvyl-T usability testing could also inform the Uniform title and other issues of Melvyl functionality.

Additionally, responding to a query from Hurley, Coyle described a diacritics problem with certain languages (Hebrew, Russian and others) discovered in transliterations that are not getting indexed correctly in the Aleph system, but confirmed that this problem is on the list of fixes being addressed by Ex Libris.

ACTION: Prior to the September meeting CDL will provide results of a preliminary assessment of the feasibility of the Harvard approach to uniform titles. Ober will provide a) a list of the system priorities, enhancements and requests to address functional shortcomings that CDL has received for MELVYL-T, b) a list of the CDL’s service commitments, and share the “Layered Service Model” presentation of core shared infrastructure.

Report available at http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/sopag/vrtf/

Ober sent L. Farley questions on the report from the May SOPAG meeting and received a list of edits which speak to the questions. One of the points for the next dialogue is the intersection between the CDL Image Demonstrator and the VRTF report. Ober indicated that by July, more experience with Image Demonstrator will be completed which may inform some of the recommendations by the task force.

Invitations have been issued to attend a "train the trainer" session for visual resources librarian partners to the project will be conducted by the vendor, Luna Imaging, on using their Insight software for access to images licensed from AMICO and Saskia on July 9th, 10th, and 18th. CDL staff will also provide an update on the CDL Image Demonstrator Project and how it relates to these collections.

ACTION: Ober will ask Farley to join the July teleconference to discuss the Image Demonstrator project with SOPAG.
ACTION: SOPAG accepted the edits to the document as written and it will be posted on the SOPAG website as “under discussion.”
ACTION: SOPAG should take a look at the Image Demonstrator URL, special client software. Ober will provide the links to SOPAG.

Draft Report available at http://cdc.lib.uci.edu/

ACTION:  Tanji will check with Shelton on progress with the suggested revisions to the report from the UL/SOPAG May meeting.

Ober described suggestions  to SOPAG for the SOPAG and ACG websites after reviewing the ACG individual websites with an eye toward consistency. The suggestions included a draft template for SOPAG, ACG, and related committee information. SOPAG remarked that the templates create a useful framework for prompting material to be included as well as providing a consistent display of information on the ACG websites.  After ACG review, and if the templates are adopted, SOPAG suggested the data editors on each of the ACG’s should be the ones to restructure and maintain their materials to conform to the templates (after assistance from CDL and the current SOPAG Web editor for migrating current material to the new site).

ACTION: Tanno will share the SOPAG and ACG suggested templates with ACG’s and ask for comment to be sent to Moody, the SOPAG webmaster.
ACTION: Tanno will also have the ACG’s confirm their assignment of a data editor (webmaster).

ACTION: Tanno and Kochi will work on the list to create an ongoing mechanism to keep the list up to date on the SOPAG and systemwide Libraries’ sites.

People assigned to the VDX project are working toward the one day test with UCLA and UCSB which will be July 9th.  If it goes well, both campuses will go into production three to five weeks later. Several campuses have joined in on the testing including several medical campuses. Desk top delivery people are also working with LTAG on an Ariel and VDX related bugs list.

Ober provided SOPAG with an information document that characterizes the e-scholarship support for journals as requested by SOPAG in May.

Ober provided SOPAG with an overview document titled “UC Libraries Digital Preservation Program: Preliminary Sketch”. The document was designed as a base descriptive piece and will be adapted to describe the program to nominees for an advisory board for the program.

Over the past few months, there have been instances when vendors have informed CDL we are in breach of contract (agreements, licenses, etc.).  CDL has developed instructions and procedures for handling breaches. SOPAG reviewed a second version of the document that adopted changes suggested by SOPAG in May. As part of the review, SOPAG requested that a mechanism be created to close the information loop once the breach is resolved.

ACTION: Ober will ensure that resolution information will come back to the campus by writing this into the procedures.
ACTION: After the suggested minor revisions, Ober will post the document and send it out to be discussed at the campus level.
ACTION: Ober will send to SOPAG a list of the campus license coordinators for each campus to verify whether these are the correct people to serve as breach procedure contacts

Hurley inquired who he might talk to about the problem of lack of consistency in specialized fields and data elements in records that must be moved over from the SCP to UCB’s database. Luc Declerck, AUL-Technology and Technical Services at UCSD and instrumental in the SCP, was suggested as a resource to Hurley.

ACTION: Hurley will discuss the problem with Declerck and update SOPAG on the suggestions which may inform other campuses who have created customized record moving programs.

CDC hasn’t discussed this report yet. CDC is interested in whether or not there are some other coordinated collection development efforts that might be reviewed.   SOPAG asked that the Acquisitions Contacts be included in the review of the shared approval plan. Additionally, the CMPG Steering Committee asked CDC to review two papers: Classified List of Characteristics of Particular Collections, and a Potential List of Shared Collections.

Moody confirmed that HOPS has been asked to develop a more detailed agenda (articulate their program plan) for the CIG as requested by the UL’s.

No new information was reported for HOTS.

Kochi reported that the LPL is still working on their website.

LTAG continues to analyze teleconferencing options. Hurley reported LTAG may need funds to purchase software or services to test. The group was told to submit requests for funding, if needed, through Hurley and SOPAG would review such requests.

Dearie reported that the license for TRICOR has been completed with increases tied to the consumer price index.

The UL’s suggested SOPAG discuss a workshop related to the recommendations and issues generated by the Government Information Task Force Report.

ACTION: SOPAG will review the comments generated from the campus discussions and see if it informs a workshop agenda.

Hurley suggested the AIM topic no longer needs to be a standing item on the agenda. If additional access integration issues arise, the report and/or access integration issues can be put back on the agenda.

ACTION: Tanno will keep the AIM on the draft agenda and confirm if there are issues to be discussed on a monthly basis.