[55] in magellan
Electronic Reserves Report
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Nina Davis-Millis)
Thu Feb 11 09:07:56 1999
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 09:10:20 -0500
To: magellan@MIT.EDU
From: Nina Davis-Millis <ninadm@MIT.EDU>
Project Name: Electronic Reserves
Team Leader: Nina Davis-Millis
Report Date: 2/10/99
Accomplishments:
Went live with e-reserves on 2/3 (324 pages visited since then)
Met with 11.014J, our test class
Met with Integration
Communicated with Docutek
Provided support to students in 11.014J
Continued to work on help screens and similar fine-tuning
Goals for the coming period:
Because of the issues described below, we are considering adding one
more class to our test. We have identified one likely group and are in the
process of discussing the service with the professor and evaluating the
appropriateness of the materials. Goals: reach a final decision and, if we
decide to move ahead, put the materials for this second class on e-reserves.
Issues:
In our initial meeting with the class a misunderstanding with the
professor was revealed. He had not understood that readings placed on
electronic reserve could not, by definition of the US copyright law, also be
placed on print reserve in the library.
Further communication with the vendor regarding their decision to
move future versions of ERes to the NT platform was positive. We received
assurances that Unix-compatible versions, while not planned for the
immediate future, might be a possibility at some point. More important, our
sense of a collaborative and open relationship was restored. Thus, despite
our continued disappointment with the immediate direction for this product,
we remain optimistic about working together.
Key learnings:
PUT ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING IN WRITING. Our misunderstanding with the
professor would not have happened had I sent him a confirming email
detailing the procedures, expectations, and restrictions involved. (Or if
it had, I would have felt less awful about it.)
