Subject: Minutes- SUNYConnect Advisory Council (SAC) meeting of June 29, 1999 Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 16:09:03 -0400 (EDT) From: onsip@VAX.CS.HSCSYR.EDU Reply-To: SLAM@slscaa.sysadm.suny.edu To: SAC-L@slscaa.sysadm.suny.edu, SUNYLA-L@bingvmb.cc.binghamton.edu, SLAM@slscaa.sysadm.suny.edu Minutes of the SUNYConnect Advisory Council (SAC) meeting of June 29, 1999. Present: Dan Schabert (Chair), Mary Beilby (SUNYLA), Peter Genovese, Carey Hatch (OLIS), Eleanor Heishman, Ruedi Lienhard (COA), Geri Linkins (SCLD) Tom Neiss (SUNYNet), Pat Onsi (SLAM Chair), Pam Peters, Larry Randall (SUNYConnect Project Manager), Maureen Zajkowski (SLAM Project Manager). Absent: Christie Ackert (TOA), Bernie Henderson (SBOA), Laura Cohen (SUNYLA) excused, MacDonald Holmes (Academic VP). Mary Beilby will prepare the summary report. Geri Linkins, representing SUNY Council of Library Directors (SCLD), was welcomed to the Council membership. The Agenda was approved. 1. Minutes The minutes of the May 25th meetings were approved with ammendments. 2. SCLD Recommendations A statement was distributed listing the resolutions passed by the four sections (comunity colleges and the colleges of technology met together) at the annual meeting of the SUNY Council of Library Directors in April 1999. Pam requested that the review of the resolutions be tabled until later in the Agenda under discussion of the Bylaws and Financial Plan subcommittees. 3. Bylaws Subcommittee Pam Peters is chairing the Bylaws Subcommittee. MacDonald Holmes and Laura Cohen (SUNYLA) will serve as members. Pam has reviewed the recommendations from the SCLD anual meeting. A conference call is planned in July. A draft report will be presented at the next SAC meeting. Tom suggested that SCLD be thanked and told that the recommendations will be discussed by SAC subcommittees. Geri will report this action to the SCLD Executive Board. 4. Financial Plan Subcommittee Carey, Eleanor, Peter and Bernie have worked on a draft financial plan. The LAIP Financial Plan has been used to established a fee-based plan. The financial plan addresses shared databases, the library management system (LMS), and a modest document delivery program. Carey presented spreadsheets showing projected total costs for a "pared-down" SUNYConnect 5-year financial plan based on costs from vendors under consideration, present and predicted database costs, and document delivery costs. Revenues include: SUNY Capital funds ($4M) over 4 years; University wide library automation appropriation ($5.5M; LAIP set-aside ($1.5M) over 4 years; Educational Technology Initiative ($3M); and campus fees ($5.67M). Campus fees are composed of costs redirected from current database costs and LMS maintenance fees. SUNY appropriation of capital funds is still pending, but is vital for the project to go forward. The storage facility has been deleted until additional funds are available. This budget is the bare minimum needed to expand library participation and stay within existing library funding. Database charges are primarily based on FTE students, with 2-year colleges charged at 50% of FTE, because their use is proportionately lower than 4-year colleges and universities. LMS costs are based on an assumption of 4 host sites and consist of aone-time implementation fee based on library category (prepaid for LAIP libraries through the set-aside); software fees (annual/based on number of library staff); hardware maintenance (annual/flat fee), and support services (annual). SAC provided suggestions to rationalize the plan and clarify definitions for the SUNY data on which fees are based. Guidance is needed on how to present the financial plan to campus administrations and secure SUNY administrative support. Carey will arrange further conference calls/meetings to refine the plan and disseminate it to library directors for the new budget cycle. The Subcommittee will continue to work-out details and distribute the document to the library community for comments. A SAC conference call is scheduled for Tuesday, July 20, to continue discussion of the financial plan. 5. SLAM Update Maureen reported that the SLAM Evaluation team held vendor demos in May and is completing its work with June and July customer visits, a final meeting with vendors on consortial capabilities in Albany. and a final recommendation in late summer. The formal announcement will be made by Provost Salins. Regional meetings to discuss the evaluation process will be held for library representatives in late summer/early fall. 6. SUNYConnect Update SUNYConnect logo bags were distributed to SAC members. Cards, notepads and stationery have also been prepared. Maureen and Larry made a presentation at the recent 21st Conference of Library Assistants and at the June SUNYLA annual meeting. He was plesantly suprised by the favorable reception at both conferences. There were concerns at SUNYLA regarding implications of the LMS and patron borrowing. He pointed out the need to be communicating as much as possible to campuses and getting imput as to concerns. There is a need to continue giving presentations. Larry will give another presentation at a NYlink conference on electronic resources. Larry stated that the bibliographic instruction proposals are due July 2. A Q & A sheet has been posted. An evaluation team has been appointed. The plan is to distribute copies of proposals received to the team to review and have a conference call and a meeting, if necessary. Larry presented a revised draft of the SUNYConnect LMS Planning Team Project Plan. The members who have accepted appointment to the team thus far are: Steve Roberts, Buffalo U; Andy Perry, Binghamton U; Doug Michael, Cayuga CC; Barb Liesenbein, Dutchess CC; Bill Drew, Morrisville; Raj Madan, Brockport; Laurie Thompson, SyrHSC; Natalie Sturr, Oswego; Ted Phelps, SUNYNET; COA rep to be named. Revisions were made on the content and the timelines in the draft Project Plan. Planning Team recommendations regarding criteria for determining the number of host sites, how to select host sites and readiness critera, for example, are needed as soon as possible after the vendor is named. Eleanor asked for guidelines to be in place in 3 months, so that once a contract is in place, libraries can begin implementation. Other tasks may require work with consultants from the Gartner Group and extend for 6 to 12 months. The financial planning portion was given to the Financial Plan Subcommittee. It was agreed that the criteria committee will not be charged with implementation. SAC will review each recommendation as it is ready rather than waiting for a final report. Tom recommended that the COA member be a computer center manager at an existing LAIP host site. He also requested that any networking requirements and performance criteria be given to SUNYNet to make recommendations on the architecture of the network and network design, such as use of the Internet or utilization of an Intranet. SUNYNet is prepared to support SUNYConnect today and, once the characteristics of network requirements are defined, may make architectural changes to accommodate those characteristics. SUNYNeXT will be looking at long range networking requirements (5-10 years). 7. SUNYNet Update Tom stated that the Network Technology Plan has been renamed Report and will be finalized by July 1. A project SUNYNeXT has been launched to develop an RFP to look at all network applications that could be put on a new network and look at new technologies available, such as convergence of voice, data, and video to any place from anywhere on a scale which will serve the university for the next 10 years. A call has gone out to ask for volunteers to assist with this project. An ALIS team is also working on building a model for centralized, help desk services, which will scale to all university applications, including SUNYConnect, SUNY business systems, OLIS, ITEC, etc. 8. OLIS Update Carey reported that OLIS is testing Multilis version 11.2, with a goal of getting it in production by the beginning of the fall semester. Libraries can access it on the LAIP test database. It will provide authority controlled searching using Web2, but the object-oriented software application is more complex without the Z39.50 communications protocol. Two hosts must be upgrated to the VMS 7.1 operating system. OLIS Staff position--four candidates have been interviewed and a recommendation has been submitted to Carey. Tom asked about any Y2K issues. Carey replied that sites that have Microvaxes are replacing them. DEC Alphas are being upgraded. 9. New Business Eleanor suggested giving presentations to Presidents and AVP groups, so they can be informed and supportive. Tom stated that business officers have expressed concern about how SUNYConnect will be financed. SAC approved a resolution of thanks to Pat Onsi on the completion of her term for her excellent leadership of SLAM 1 and SLAM 2 and for her diligence in providing minutes for the group over her two year term. Meeting adjourned at 2:40 p.m. Recorders: Mary Beilby, Pat Onsi Next meetings: Tuesday, July 20, 1 p.m., conference call Wednesday, August 11, 10 a.m., Utica College of Technology