[633] in ad-lib
Geac Co-Development
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (ninadm@MIT.EDU)
Thu May 18 09:57:43 1995
From: ninadm@MIT.EDU
To: opac-lib@MIT.EDU
Date: Thu, 18 May 1995 09:56:30 EDT
I thought some of you would like to see the status of our
co-development plans. The first two sections are of interest to us
(GeoPac and WebZ).
Nina
------- Forwarded Message
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 12:53:10 EDT
From: ganderso@MIT.EDU
To: s.kendall@geac.com, s.beck@geac.com, m.ridegway@geac.com, sean@MIT.EDU
,
fleish@MIT.EDU, dmw@MIT.EDU, tjm@MIT.EDU, owens@MIT.EDU,
ganderso@MIT.EDU, hwsamuel@MIT.EDU, kkpoole@MIT.EDU, jbyrd@MIT.EDU
cc: libtalk@MIT.EDU, dlicc@MIT.EDU, bog-lib@MIT.EDU
Subject: MIT/ GEAC Co-Development Update
Everyone,
Below is an update/status report on our Co-Development effort. It is
based upon an outline that MIT submitted to Geac in April and contains
my notes from a meeting with Simon Kendall at the end of April.
The purpose of this is to get all of us onto the same page, to solicit
ideas and thoughts about moving forward, and to prepare us for the next
joint co-development meeting.
Please post comments, questions, clarifications back to the the list.
Thanks very much,
Greg
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MIT/Geac Co-Development Plan: Process and Status.
15 May 1995
I. Co-Development Activities already underway:
These fit in the Design phase 3.3 of your MIT Co-Development
Plan: The Process, 23 February 1995.
1. GeoPac. MIT has been working with GeoPAC and will provide
feedback to Geac Co-Development and to the Advance Project
Manager.
Status: MIT has submitted its review and recommendations
for GeoPAC in time for inclusion in the GeoPAC
version II release. MIT will review GeoPAC II
briefly in mid-June, prior to Geac's presentation
of this new version at the ALA conference, June
24-28 in Chicago. Initial MIT review is for
critique/usability purposes.
* After completing the GeoPAC review, the MIT
OPAC group and others have focused attention on
the Advance OPAC which will be offered initially.
Staff: MIT has an OPAC implementation team, ca. 8-10 staff
Question: When will GeoPac II be ready? For MIT, mid-June.
Next Action: Ongoing. Feeback data (bug reports, design
changes, etc.). Perhaps a joint report and
discussion session in mid, late April?
Other: Simon Kendall is working with Bill Cattey to
provide MIT with upgrades to the Advance server
so that it will be compliant with version 3.
The goal is to test the new Z39.50 server capability
by using WILLOW at MIT.
Simon reported that Geac is re-thinking the "basket"
feature on GeoPAC. Nomenclature is a problem,
because the word "basket" tends to downplay the
capability and use of the feature. It is really
a capability for Selected Dissemination of
Information (SDI), titles of interest bibliography,
etc. Anyone with whiz-bang ideas please send
them along to Simon.
WebZ: MIT is working with OCLC as a beta partner to test
WebZ, OCLC's Z39.50 gateway into the WWW. Tom Owens is leading
this development effort with four other MIT Libraries' staff. This
work is coordinated with Bill Cattey's Willow effort and the
GeoPAC group. MIT is favorably impressed with the technical
design of WebZ, based upon an OCLC visit to MIT in April, and
Tom Owen's training session in Dublin, Ohio.
Geac and OCLC have established contact with each other
in order to discuss how the WebZ product will fit with
the Geac system. The goal is to leverage the best of
both organizations and reduce duplication of effort.
Timeframe: The WebZ beta test is to be completed the end of
July.
Strategy: WebZ would provide multi-platform access to the
MIT Libraries' catalog and other Z39.50 compliant
resources (FirstSearch, Medline, Avery, etc) via
a Web interface. In conjunction with the Geac
GeoPAC client (this remains a requirement for
Libraries staff) available to all of MIT, and
the Advance tty interface, MIT will be able to
provide access to the entire spectrum of users.
2. GeoCAT: MIT will be working with the GeoCAT client as soon as
an installable version is available.
Status: Design phase and iterative prototype
development underway; MIT will respond
to the prototype in an ongoing manner.
Michel Ridgeway will be providing Tom Owens
a complete version of GeoCat this week.
Teams: MIT has designated its GeoCat review team,
Headed by Jo Lynne Byrd. Tom Owens will
provide the Technology perspective.
Michel Ridgeway will serve as the Geac team
leader.
Next Actions: Install and test the latest GeoCat prototype and
explore and test its capabilities. Establish
and maintain communications with key GeoCat
leadership at Geac. Prepare feedback for next
prototype iteration. Geac participants should
be familiar with the RFP requirements as an
initial base.
3. Security: underway. Requirements completed with MIT. Design
underway with Geac.
Status: Geac is planning a July/August time-frame to
test. Geac needs to review its design with
Ted T'so. Application level of security has
been built into GeoCat; it is currently being
de-bugged.
4. Archives: underway. Requirements Analysis complete; functional
analysis document underway. Negotiations with Collections
proceed with Geac.
Status: Geac is continuing discussions with Collections software.
Helen Samuels visited a Collections site (Whitney Museum)
and reported back favorably.
In order to provide a more visual view of the Archives
work, data, and requirements, Tim McGovern has suggested
a data model for the Archives project. Tom Owens and
Greg A. got an introductory seminar on data modelling,
and now Helen Samuels will be working to gain a better
sense of the effort and resources to create a data model
for the Archives. Susan Beck of Geac will participate
as she is able.
5. Images: Requirements meeting held. Functional analysis document
needs to be completed. Testing of possible design
(EmbARK as third party for integration with Geos).
Status: Rotch Visual Collections has purchased a copy of
EmbARK to determine its usefulness for managing images.
Simon Kendall would be interested in a closer examination
and discussion of EmbARK, its capabilities, and what it
can offer. A meeting will be arranged.
II. Activities to begin and consider after July (following MIT implementation
of Advance and following ALA).
These pieces of the effort begin with section 3.1, Requirements
Analysis.
1. Authorities: MIT is prepared to begin work on the Authorities
client as a component of the GeoTech environment.
Status: Requirements Analysis. Begin focus on
process, establish team and work on product:
requirements and work-flow for authorities.
Staff: MIT has identified a staff of 5-7 to serve
on the Authorities team.
Questions: Does Geac have a design document that could
be shared?
What is the timeframe to complete the first
Authorities prototype?
Activities: Schedule now the initial meeting of MIT/Geac
Co-Development team for Authorities. Each
team member will have the assignment of reviewing
the MIT RFP section on Authorities. At first
meeting, Geac will record the results and the
team will work on developing the first prototype.
2. Circulation: MIT is prepared to begin the effort for the Geos
Circulation client.
Categories are the same as with Authorities, with the
exception of the post-May 1 begin time.
3. Serials: MIT is prepared to begin the co-development effort for
the Geos Serials Management client after July 1, 1995
Status: Geac reports that two staff have just completed the
Serials module for its other system and have data
models and design requirements. It may be advisable
to begin this sooner and to capitalize on the momentum
of the project staff.
III. NOT under discussion yet. Holdings, Selection, Ordering,
Receiving, fund Accounting.
IV. Next Events:
June 12: MIT / GEAC Co-Development meeting at MIT.
Agenda: Assess where we are, plan for the
ALA Co-Development meeting.
Visit with Stan Pierson, new GEAC
General Manger?
June 24: GEAC Co-Developer's Meeting, ALA, Chicago.
(MIT, NYU, SUNY/Albany, Los Alamos).
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