Status Report for January 2000

ANYWHERE, ANYTIME ACCESS TO YOUR LIBRARY AND MORE

Anywhere-Anytime Library Status Report January 3, 2000

We have a contract in hand from epixtech (Ameritech) which we have been negotiating since September. Our lawyer has seen it and given it the go ahead. There is a Board meeting this Friday at which time, I expect that the contract it will be approved.

The proposed participating libraries have completed most of the set up forms. Epixtech’s work on configuring the software will begin officially once the contract is signed. I suspect CPS/Ameritech has already completed some of the work.

Tampa-Hillsborough ran into a glitch on purchase of the SUN server because SUN had let the state contract with Gateway in Clearwater lapse. This has delayed the server purchase. We expect that the purchase will move forward this week. Al Carlson at Tampa-Hillsborough has been handling the server end of the project since Marilyn Sheck left in mid-November. Marilyn was the Task Force Chairperson and has been a significant loss. Monica Reed has replaced her as the Committee chair.

The Users Committee is scheduled to meet for the first time on January 20. The final participant listing is:

The Union Catalog for all sites except Palm Harbor and Clearwater should be running by late January. By sometime in February we hope for mediated interlibrary loan for this group (except Pinellas Park). By March, Tampa-Hillsborough should be unmediated. Palm Harbor is being slightly delayed because they are moving to SUNRISE and Clearwater is in the 2000-2001 group because they are installing Polaris.

Our funding is barely enough to cover this group for the features that will be ready by September 2000. This we are working first with the libraries that are stable on their existing automation systems. OCLC as library of last resort will be added in 2000-2001. It is not likely to be in production before September 2000. Pasco County and St. Petersburg are DRA systems and DRA has attempted to put up barriers. We are working around them in the same way North Bay Library Cooperative in CA has handled Sonoma State College. The interlibrary loan aspect has been described to us a equivalent to adding an automated staff member.

Click on Minutes button above to see the minutes from this meeting.

St. Petersburg Public Library, Gulf Beaches Public Library, Gulfport Public Library, St. Pete Beach, Sarasota County Public Library, Manatee County Public Library, Pasco County Library System, Tampa Hillsborough Public Library, Clearwater Christian College Library, Dunedin Public Library, Florida Southern College Library, Largo Public Library, New Port Richey Public Library, Oldsmar Public Library, Safety Harbor Public Library, Seminole Community Library, SE College Library, Tarpon Springs Public Library, TECO Business Info Center, Gulfport Public Library, Palm Harbor Library, Pinellas Park Public Library.