SUNYConnect Advisory Council
Minutes March 27, 2001

Approved June 11, 2001


Members present:  Laura Cohen, Randy Gadikian, 
Carey Hatch, Eleanor Heishman (Chair), Tom 
Neiss, Pam Peters, Janet Potter, Judy Sikora, 
Maureen Zajkowski

Absent:  Mac Holmes, Larry Randall  

By phone for parts of the meeting:  Mike Pisa, 
Richard Mann

Guests:  Trustee Conners stopped by and was 
introduced to the members of the Council.

1. The agenda was approved as modified.

2.  Minutes of February 21, 2001 were approved 
as distributed.

3.  Old Business

a. Implementation Update  
Maureen Zajkowski reported on a February 
27th meeting with Ex Libris personnel.  
Issues discussed included the need to 
clarify the responsibility of the various 
parties, the need to develop a clearly 
defined process for implementing changes 
in the system, and how OLIS, Ex Libris 
and campuses can work together to 
establish more commonality in the way 
future migrations will occur.  Randy 
raised the issue of whether campuses, 
especially smaller campuses, have the 
systems and web skills to implement the 
system.  The Council discussed the 
importance of having OLIS provide 
centralized training and communication, 
and serve as an intermediary with Ex 
Libris.  A March meeting with Ex Libris 
is planned to try to establish some 
timelines about the union catalog and 
other consortial components of the 
system.  


b. LMS Migration Schedule
Maureen Zajkowski presented a draft 
migration schedule, which incorporated 
suggestions from the last meeting and 
from Ex Libris. The next round of 
campuses to migrate will still be 
transitional; it could be called a “pilot 
plus.”  Concern was expressed about the 
cost for the campuses that are going to 
be the one remaining campus in a cluster 
in this schedule.  

This migration schedule doesn’t identify 
future server sites since they have not 
been chosen yet.   It was agreed that 
this is not a complete plan and we will 
review it on a periodical basis.  

Several editorial changes and revisions 
were proposed to clarify intent.

Pam Peters moved we approve the amended 
migration schedule and the announcement. 
Judy Sikora seconded the motion.  The 
motion was approved.

The approved migration schedule will be 
distributed to the SCLD listserv first and 
then the SUNYLA, COA, SUBOA and AVP 
listservs, and posted on the SUNYConnect 
website.


c. SliCAT Report    
Carey reported for Larry Randall that 
SliCAT is working on the project plan for 
databases.  They will have the list of 
products by this summer; contract 
development will take much of the 
remainder of the year.

Campuses will be encouraged to publicize 
the ScienceDirect program as soon as the 
invoice comes in.  Carey’s office will be 
working with SUNY Public Relations to 
publicize at the statewide level.  At a 
future meeting we will be discussing 
future financial implications of the 
contract and how to coordinate paper 
subscriptions and encourage elimination of 
paper subscriptions where possible.

SliCAT is looking at adding a 
health/nursing sub-collection and/or a 
business sub-collection of Netlibrary.  
They are using some new data that shows 
number of degrees awarded by program to 
determine which disciplines would likely 
receive the most use.

d. Document Delivery

Carey Hatch met with Mary AliceLynch  and 
Peg Palmiere from NYLINK about document 
delivery.  It was determined that they 
need some information from campuses.  A 
survey will be sent out by the end of the 
week.

e.  Storage

Carey is talking with Dill and Company 
about doing the needs assessment. 

 f.  Faculty Senate representation on SAC

Carey reported that he has contacted Joe 
Flynn to ask about whether they want to 
name a representative and is awaiting a 
response.


     g.  Network Report   

Tom Neiss reported that there is nothing 
new on Internet2 from the Chancellor in 
response to the ALIS proposal.  The 
Council discussed the RFP announcement 
from David Swits (March 2).  The 
telecommunications moratorium continues.
Tom reported on a very successful meeting 
on March 1 held in Syracuse with the IT, 
library and network staffs from the pilot 
campus sites.  The meeting provided an 
excellent forum for increased 
communication among the groups.  The 
technical people have been asked to 
respond back to Ted Phelps about how they 
will support library applications.

The comptroller has approved the OGS 
Internet contact, which should result in 
significant savings for campuses.  The 
winner is working with SUNY to plan a 
private backbone with guaranteed 
reliability.

Laura Cohen asked if we need to 
reconsider whether we will make a 
recommendation about what ISP a campus 
should use to ensure that SUNYConnect 
applications can function properly.

h.  Privacy Policy for circulation and other 
library records/transactions

The issue of whether we need a policy to 
ensure the privacy of circulation and 
other library records/transactions was 
brought forward by one of the working 
groups.  Ex Libris software doesn’t 
uncouple the circulation record from the 
patron information at the conclusion of a 
circulation transaction.  SUNY counsel 
suggested that we ask Ex Libris develop a 
way to uncouple it.  New York State law 
protects the confidentiality of library 
records but our users may not be aware of 
that protection.  The Council discussed 
whether we need a statewide policy or 
whether we should ask that every campus 
have a privacy policy.

Tom Neiss reported on the wide variety of 
laws, contracts, and regulations that 
affect privacy issues in general.   Chris 
Haile is planning to appoint a committee 
to investigate this.   

Eleanor suggested that some of the Ex 
Libris development days we have in the 
contract in year two could be used to 
address the concerns raised by the working 
group.  It was agreed that we would ask 
that a statement be included on the main 
page of the union catalog that informs 
users that we comply with the New York 
State library records confidentiality law.  
We will also follow/monitor the committee 
Chris Haile is setting up on security and 
privacy and seek to be appropriately 
represented on that committee.



4.  New Business

a. SUNY Wide Telecommunications Project.(Memo 
from Dave Swits to Business Officers)

On March 2, SAC received a copy of a memo 
from David Swits regarding a SUNY-wide 
Telecommunications Project that includes 
an RFP.

Mike Pisa reported that COA is concerned 
about the lack of coordination between 
this initiative and other initiatives.  
The Council raised several questions:  How 
does this project relate to the RFP that 
was prepared last August?    Will the 
result of the proposed RFP be mandatory?  
Timetable?  Who has input?  How does this 
relate to the Internet2 strategic 
direction suggested by ALIS in December?  
What impact will this have on SUNYConnect?  
How are we going to be kept informed?  Can 
the appropriate person who will be 
responsible for the project meet with SAC?    
It was agreed that Eleanor will send the 
questions to the Provost and/or Richard 
Miller, with a copy to David Swits.  This 
announcement comes at a critical time in 
the SUNYConnect project and could have a 
significant impact on the project and the 
time frame for implementing SUNYConnect.    

b. SCLD Meeting

The Council discussed how the information 
about SUNYConnect could best be conveyed 
and by whom.  The main topics outlined 
were:
? Review all the elements of 
SUNYConnect
? Financial plan 
? Migration schedule  
? LMS implementation--statewide 
issues 
? Electronic and database plan
? Storage  
? Document Delivery 
Eleanor, Carey, and the OLIS staff will 
develop the program.

c. SAC Presentation to the State 
University Business Officers 
Association Meeting

We have been invited to provide SUBOA with 
information about SUNYConnect.  Dick Mann 
made some suggestions about what kinds of 
things the group would be interested in.   
We agreed that Carey and another person 
would prepare a short presentation for 
April 19. 

d.  Provost Salins’ Academic Libraries 
Meeting 

Eleanor Heishman, Pam Peters, and Carey 
Hatch reported on the dinner meeting 
called by Provost Salins.  The stated 
purpose was to discuss the possibility of 
a statewide electronic library initiative 
for New York higher education libraries.  
Eleanor reported on who attended.  
Questions raised and discussed included:  
Are there advantages for SUNY in the 
proposed public/private cooperation?  What 
infrastructure is needed, if any, to make 
such cooperation work?    

It was clarified that the proposed 
cooperation at this time mostly relates to 
acquisition of databases, not opening 
SUNYConnect to private higher education 
institutions.  At the dinner, it was 
decided that a small group would write a 
mission statement to share with a wider 
group.    NYLINK will be the lead 
organization. 

e. NOVEL

Eleanor Heishman and Carey Hatch have been 
appointed to the NOVEL Committee to 
develop a $14 million electronic library 
initiative as part of the Regents plan.  
Carey reported that a bill has been 
introduced by Hugh Farley and 
Assemblywoman Matasow to fund the Regents 
plan, although not at the level proposed.  
The Committee is planning a symposium to 
present the work of the NOVEL planning 
team to a broader constituency and discuss 
what NOVEL should be.  The State Library, 
the 3Rs, public library systems, and 
school libraries will be managing the 
initiative.

               
f. Other

In answer to questions, Dick Mann reported on 
several economic development initiatives 
including NYSTAR and the Genesis Research 
Initiative.  He also updated the Council on 
the status of the SUNY Budget.

Secretary—Carey proposed that Connie Perrin 
help with note taking for the minutes.  The 
secretary would continue to be responsible 
for the minutes.  The Council agreed.

We agreed that we will meet, as planned on 
May 2nd in Albany or by conference call at 10 
AM.  We need to plan for the election of new 
officers on June 11th.  At the May meeting we 
need to ask for nominations for Secretary and 
Vice-chair/ Chair-elect.  Eleanor has asked 
for reappointments where appropriate.

The financial implications of the Elsevier 
contract will be on the agenda at the next 
meeting.    

The meeting adjourned at 2:30.


Respectfully submitted,

Janet Potter, 
Secretary