[3] in ad-lib
New System List and Updates
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (ganderso@MIT.EDU)
Fri Feb 3 07:21:46 1995
From: ganderso@MIT.EDU
To: ad-lib@MIT.EDU
Cc: kelley@MIT.EDU, libtalk@MIT.EDU, dlicc@MIT.EDU
Date: Fri, 03 Feb 1995 07:21:17 EST
Everyone,
Welcome to AD-LIB@MIT.EDU! This mailing list has been
established to provide you information and to serve as an
electronic discussion forum for the implementation activities
related to the Libraries' new operations system. Currently, AD-LIB
has the same distribution as ALL-LIB. We decided to establish
AD-LIB as a separate list in order to focus on the implementation
of the new system and to avoid too much traffic and clutter on ALL-
LIB. In a separate message, you will receive information about how
to remove your name from the list if you desire, or to add others
if needed. We hope that AD-LIB will become one of several active
venues for the exchange of information as we head into a very busy
period. Please don't be shy about contributing your thoughts,
asking questions, or offering additions or changes.
This message is also to tell you about the training plans for
the new system. As the first GMA is loaded this week, we are now
beginning the critically important training effort for staff. As
you know, we have converted a room in the basement of Building 14
into a superb training facility accommodating 12 networked Windows
machines and a trainer's station. Special kudos for this work in
a very tight time frame to Doug Goulet of Physical Plant, Sheelah
Britt of Administrative Services, Ray Charbonneau and Grant Young
of Systems, and Carol Elder of Network Services. It was a close
race, but the room is now ready!
With this facility in place, BOG has been discussing how we
will balance simultaneous requirements to initiate a training
approach for all staff and to begin immediately our testing
activities. Here is our plan:
Our training approach is core training in order to begin
testing and to develop training modules for all staff. I am
very pleased to announce that Eric Celeste has agreed to offer
his services as training coordinator; Eric will be working
with our implementation groups in order to facilitate the
process of training all staff. This is the training sequence
as we have framed it to this point: Initial training for
Advance will be provided by Geac in the Libraries' new
training room, Feb. 6-16. Geac limits these sessions to eight
attendees per session. These staff constitute a core group
who will provide the initial expertise for training other
staff and to begin testing for each function. As the training
coordinator, Eric will observe all of these sessions and,
following the Geac sessions, will facilitate training for the
remainder of the core implementation team members to ensure
that system testing can begin as quickly as possible. Our
goal is to have all implementation group staff trained by the
middle of March. As testing continues, Eric and the groups
will also be developing training modules, documentation, and
assistance for all staff. We want to assure all staff that
there will be training provided for everyone.
In the remainder of this first AD-LIB message, I would like to
give you a brief update on the new system and to share a DRAFT of
the MIT/GEAC Press Release which should be public soon.
New System Update:
- - The server has been installed and running in W91 since early
January. The Libraries have been working with Peter Kelley of
IS and his staff on the implementation and to coordinate their
operation and support for the server.
- - Geac is working with Grant Young TODAY to load the first Geac-
Migration-to-Advance (GMA) data. Since early January our Geac
8000 data have been at Geac's facility in Toronto undergoing
conversion to the Advance environment. That conversion is
based on standard conversion programs developed by Geac and on
our table conversions from Geac to Advance. This first GMA
will be the focus of testing and training until May when we
will off-load another copy of the 8000 data for our second GMA
which will be used to go live on Advance in June. This means
that we will be testing the new system actively with a full
database for several months. The testing period is our
opportunity to examine our table choices, indexing rules,
display settings, security levels, etc.
- - The contract negotiations with Geac are almost complete.
Connie Mitchell, Assistant Intellectual Property Counsel, has
led those discussions with Geac. The key element in the
contract is the Co-Development agreement between MIT and Geac.
This agreement to develop a new generation client/server
library system is described briefly in the Press Release
below.
- - MIT and Geac have established a Co-development Steering Group
that met for the first time on Jan. 23. The Co-Development
Steering Group is composed of Michel Ridgeway, Simon Kendall,
and Susan Beck of Geac, and Anderson, Ferriero, Fleishauer,
McGovern, Owens, Weir for MIT. There are already several
activities underway: Since last fall, MIT has been working
with Geac on security for the new system; recently a group
from MIT, Geac, and NYU met at MIT to discuss the scope and
initial specifications for an Archives Management component of
the new system; soon after the ALA Mid-winter meeting MIT will
begin to test the cataloging client of the technical
workstation; and, MIT will continue to test and provide
feedback on GeoPac, the Geac OPAC client. A formal timeline
for all of the co-development efforts will be drafted. MIT
and Geac will be sole co-developers in some areas; in others,
MIT and other sites will collaborate with Geac.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------
This is the draft of the Geac/MIT press release which should be
publicly distributed soon.
DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT
Geac press release
MIT and Geac to Co-Develop Client/Server Systems
for Academic Libraries
Cambridge, MA (January 1995) -- The Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts has signed an agreement
with Geac Computers, Inc. this month that establishes a
collaborative working relationship to develop a client/server
library system geared toward large academic/research libraries.
MIT will first install the Geac Advance System with an
operational date of June 1995 and will work with Geac and other
Geac academic/research libraries to co-develop the client/server
system with a target deployment date of July 1996. This new
system is based on Geac's GEOS2 client/server line.
Geac's GEOS2 line of client/server products leverages the
power of client workstations with graphical user interfaces,
robust network connectivity, and compliance with interoperability
standards such as Z39.50 to provide fast data access, distributed
processing and data, knowledge-based information retrieval from
bibliographic and journal citations, and Z39.50 gateways to a
variety of multi-media and non-MARC databases.
The Geac/MIT Co-development plan provides a framework,
process, and timeframe for collaborative work to design, build,
and produce a client/server library operations system geared
toward large academic research libraries. The plan is based upon
user-centered development processes whereby Geac and MIT work
closely together throughout the development process, including
task analysis, workflow and environmental requirements,
functional specifications, and iterative testing and evaluation.
The co-development plan takes adavantage of the extensive
client/server experience available at MIT, the robust and diverse
information technology infrastructure at MIT, and Geac's long
standing committment to academic/research libraries. Close
proximity between Geac and MIT will insure frequent
communications, interchange, testing, and evaluation. Beyond
overall coordination of the client/server system development, MIT
and Geac have identified the following areas of special interest
and development:
Technical Services (all acquisitions and cataloging
functions)
Circulation (including reserves, both traditional and
electronic)
Public Access (including interoperability with other network
clients such as World Wide Web browsers)
Visual Images
Archives Management
At an infrastructure level, MIT and Geac will collaborate on
system architecture, network integration, security and
administration development.
The Advance System at MIT will run on the SUN SPARCenter
2000E multi-processor with 18 gigabytes of storage and one gigabyte
of memory. Supporting a database of approximately 700,000 titles,
one million items, 40,000 patrons, and an annual circulation of
650,000, the MIT Libraries' Advance System will provide full
functionality for all library processing operations: cataloging,
authorities, circulation, acquisitions, and serials management.
OPAC services will be provided from the beginning via
client/server. The Libraries will implement GeoPac, Geac's
Windows (tm) client; GeoPac will be distributed throughout MIT
and will provide Z39.50 access to the MIT catalog as well as to
compliant services over the internet.
Jay Lucker, Director of the MIT Libraries, said, "The MIT
culture values living in the future while also providing real
world solutions for the present. In selecting Geac, the MIT
Libraries and MIT Information Systems determined that Geac's
sound business plan, client/server system strategy and
compatibility with MIT's robust networking environment were
highly compatible with our vision of the future. Geac's
committment to collaboration for developing a client/server
system is an effective and productive method to realize
academic/research library systems for the new millenium. For the
near term, the Advance system is highly functional and will
support our operations as we continue to move foward. At MIT we
are excited by the prospects of working in this long-term
relationship with Geac."
Charles Farley, Geac General Manager, commented, "We are
pleased to be working alongside MIT and are looking forward to a
long technological partnership. The flexible advance server is
stable and evolutionary, and will enable the development of
client/server applications particularly suited to large academic
libraries."
Geac Computer Corporation Limited delivers complete UNIX
client/server and other computer solutions and services to
various vertical markets, including: public, academic, school and
special libraries, financial institutions, hotels, clubs,
construction, property management, manufacturing and distribution
companies. Geac has business centers in the United States,
Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Australia
and New Zealand. Geac is a publicly traded company with its
common shares listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange
(Symbol: GAC).
#
Press Contact: Susan Beck
Geac Computers, Inc.
320 Nevada Street, Newtonville, MA 02160
Tel: (617) 965-6310 Fax: (617) 969-1928
email: susanb@clsi.us.geac.com
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