GAELIC and Innovative – overview 1996-2010 and thereafter …

1. GAELIC and Innovative – overview 1996-2010 and thereafter … GAELIC Summer Training Camp, National Library of South Africa, 17 November 2010 Di Man –Univ. of the Witwatersrand Lettie Erasmus – Unisa Library

2. Di – historical aspect of setting up the common library system, because there are important lessons • Lettie – interaction between institutions and with Innovative Interfaces • Looking ahead to the future Outline of presentation

3. Background to GAELIC • Formed in April 1996 after changeover of government and end of sanctions • Offered a common library system by Mellon to leapfrog technology changes • 10 universities and 6 technikons • HAIs and HDIs (Apartheid created) • Opportunity to smooth out disparities • Resource sharing and shared cataloguing– ILLs, buying material collectively • System architecture was important (number, autonomy, network stability, high cost of Internet bandwidth)

4. GAELIC Steering Committee with a few familiar faces from some years back

5. GAELIC Proposal Writing process facilitated by Rob McGee • System functionality • System configuration • Connectivity issues • ICT infrastructure Proposal writing process

6. Lettie Erasmus, Noel Shillinglaw, Hannie Sander, Judy Henning, Rob McGee, Heather Edwards, Magdaleen Arlow, Pierre Malan and Di Man Rob McGee with the GAELIC Proposal Writing Team -1996

7. Model 1: Centralised system

8. Model 2: Distributed system

9. Model 3: Regionally Distributed Clusters

11. Model 2: Distributed system

12. GAELIC’s Vision: a virtual library with local service interfaces • Link 16 separate INNOPAC systems to facilitate resource sharing and shared cataloguing • Early decision to provide free interlibrary loans to assist smaller members • Reverse practice of original cataloguing (approx. 80% among Phases 1 and 2) • GAELIC’s strength in ILL and shared cataloguing • GAELIC dropped its regional database option for a national strategy through SABINET Online (SACat and OCLC) GAELIC’s Needs vs National Needs Mellon Foundation Conference on Union Catalogs

13. Government merged HE institutions • 34 institutions to be reduced to 21 • In GAELIC, 16 insts reduced to 8 • Distributed system model - assisted in merging library systems • High initial merging costs, but long term savings in maintenance costs • Lots of holdings to be changed (SACat) Crossroads in 2004/2005 Mellon Foundation Conference on Union Catalogs

14. Current GAELIC System Model

15. There are interesting times and another new set of challenges ahead for GAELIC. • Over to Lettie. New Crossroad Mellon Foundation Conference on Union Catalogs

16. Steve Silberstein (Innovative) with Prof. June Sinclair, Prof. Egbert Gerryts, Noel Shillinglaw, Heather Edwards and Lettie Erasmus Library system demonstrations held at Unisa Library 1996 –

17. Work Groups for each system module • Request for Information send to potential system vendors • Short listing of preferred system vendors • Compile checklists of questions • Demonstrations by Innovative Interfaces Inc. and ExLibris • Assessment of systems and recommendation • Negotiation with Innovative Interfaces Inc. Evaluation of library systems process

18. GAELIC Implementation Team and local library team • Phase 1, 2, 3 libraries – • Profiling and worksheets • Authority cleanup by LTI • Data conversion SAMARC to MARC21 by Sabinet • Data migration • TestPac • Training for each module GAELIC System implementation 1997-2003

19. Presentation on GAELIC system implementation at a conference organized by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Library of Estonia and held in Tallinn, Estonia, 17-19 Oct. 2002. : • Regional vs National Union Database Development: the GAELIC Experience • Paper published in Proceedings of the Conference: Union catalogs at the crossroad / edited by Andrew Lass and Richard E. Quandt. Hamburg : Hamburg University Press, c2004. Mellon Foundation Conference on Union Catalogs, Tallinn, Estonia, Oct.2002

20. Jodi Williamschen (Innovative Implementation Consultant), Di and Lettie

21. Focus Group (later called a Team) focused on: • Training – on-site, workshops, individual members arrange visits and training • Special training interventions – UniVen, UNIN and NWU-Mmabato and others • Innovative training: Advanced System Acces and Administration • Sharing of information and expertise: “Show-and-Tell” Workshops • Support and advice: List of advisors and experts • Coordinate communication with Innovative • Facilitate implementation of Millennium at all sites GAELIC Library System Focus Group

22. GAELIC provided support to the IUG-SA by: • Sponsoring the first IUG-SA Annual Conference • Sponsoring the visits of 2 overseas experts – • Linda Bills (Tri-College Library Consortium, USA) • And, Carolyn Jones (Queensland Univ., Australia) • Donating a trophy to encourage the libraries to do presentations at the annual IUG-SA Conferences GAELIC and IUG-SA

23. Initially GAELIC sponsored representatives from most of the GAELIC libraries to attend the Annual Conference of the IUG in the USA IUG in Nashville, 1998 – Ellen, Lettie, Pierre and Elna GAELIC and IUG

24. IUG 2009, Anaheim, USA – Lettie, Hilary Newman, Estonian friends and Graham GAELIC and IUG

25. First contact made with Innovative in 1994 • Initial training visits and support during system implementation and the integration of systems as a result of the mergers • Site visits by Innovative representatives • Innovative supports the annual IUG-SA conferences • Negotiate discounts on new purchases • Communication and advice • GAELIC Millennium (INNOPAC) Focus Group Leader and GAELIC Libraries’ Site Coordinators are responsible for relationship with Innovative Relationship with Innovative

26. Pierre and Lettie in front of Innovative's Offices, Emeryville, CA in 1997 Relationship with Innovative … cont.

27. Georgia Fujikawa (Innovative trainer) with representatives from GAELIC Phase 1 libraries GAELIC and Innovative

28. Maryvonne and Charo with the GAELIC Team Maryvonne with Carina and Maria GAELIC and Innovative staff in Madrid

29. Regular contact with other Southern African Innovative sites: • SEALS • Free State sites • NLSA • HSRC • Univ. of Namibia (was GAELIC member) • Univ. of Botswana (became GAELIC member) GAELIC and other Innovative sites

30. Survey highlighted considerable differences in the use of the Millennium system, as well as: • Age of the servers supporting the Innovative library systems • Versions of the software, the modules and functionality being utilised • Campus ICT support • Skills level of library staff GAELIC membership survey 2005, another crossroad

31. Problem areas were investigated by: • Conducting a GAELIC System Survey • Conducting a benchmarking exercise by visiting all GAELIC libraries and SEALS libraries, library consortia in Spain and Estonia as well as a discussion with CALICO • Comparison of the shared and decentralised server models • Recommendations resulted in 2 Frameworks: • Library System Support Structure • Millennium System and Library Processes GAELIC System Investigation 2006-2008 – sponsored by the Mellon Foundation

32. GAELIC Team at entrance of Univ. of Seville GAELIC Team with Carmen in Maria Luisa Gardens, Seville GAELIC Team in Spain

33. GAELIC Team with Management Team of National Library of Estonia GAELIC Team with members of the ELNET Consortium GAELIC Team in Tallinn, Estonia

34. GAELIC Team – Maria, Soekie, Carina & Lettie GAELIC Team with members from the Academy of Music and Theatre GAELIC Team in Tallinn, Estonia … cont.

35. GAELIC Millennium System Team developed 2 frameworks based on the recommendations of the GAELIC System Investigation: • Library System Support Structure • Describe the main elements of a Library System Support Structure • Define the roles and responsibilities of a Site Coordinator and a Library System Administrator • Millennium System and Library Processes • Define the roles and responsibilities of a process owner and library system champion • Two frameworks were adopted by all GAELIC members in 2010 Two GAELIC Frameworks

36. FOTIM closes in 2011 • GAELIC needs to reappraise its future • Proposal on future to be submitted in Dec. 2010 • Issues and options: • Contract with Innovative Interfaces Inc. • Importance of a legal entity for fundraising, funding from institutions, etc. • Management support • Need for champions to carry the new structure forward • Ongoing training initiatives • Relationship with Innovative regarding support and new system developments • Evaluate GAELIC’s vision vs actual achievement • What has changed since 1998: network infrastructure, III’s ability to partition a large server, mergers, regional consortia disbanding, etc. And now the thereafter, another crossroad?

37. GAELIC Group to consider a future structure • IUG-SA Group to consider a formal structure for IUG-SA And now the thereafter, another crossroad … cont.

38. National scene • Future of regional structures • FOTIM level will no longer exists, only library level • IUG-SA to become formal national structure? • Permanent structure and support • Include all Innovative sites across regions • Represents Innovative users on other national committees e.g. Implementation of RDA • Coordinate Innovative training and communication • Benefits of membership • Benefits of continued co-operation • Consider new costing models for annual maintenance fees and new products • Discounts for joint purchases, co-ordering, etc. • Networking among peers and learning from each other – Training and sharing of information is very important • Inter-institutional support And now the thereafter, another crossroad … cont.

39. Di Man – Univ. of the Witwatersrand e-mail address: Dianne.Man@wits.ac.za Lettie Erasmus – Unisa Library e-mail address: erasmaj@unisa.ac.za Thank you!