UC/Stanford Music Librarians

 

Louisville, February 25, 2000

 

Minutes

 

Present: John Roberts (Berkeley), Michael Colby (Davis), Stephen Davison (Los Angeles), Steve Fry (Los Angeles), Joan LoPear (Los Angeles), Renée McBride (Los Angeles), Gordon Theil (Los Angeles), Garrett Bowles (San Diego), Eunice Schroeder (Santa Barbara), Nancy Lorimer (Stanford), Mimi Tashiro (Stanford).

 

 

1.      Melvyl RFP (Request for Proposal)

 

Melvyl is a mainframe based system that is to be replaced with a system of more modern architecture. RFP is being prepared for vendors to consider. The option for UC to build their own system is still on the table.

 

John Roberts emphasized the importance of moving quickly on providing input into the RFP process. The RFP committee wishes to issue the document in April. The implications of the exact contents of the RFP are uncertain, but it is important that features of importance to Music Librarians be included. There have been public meetings on UC campuses and the draft RFP will be made available. (NOTE: RFP is now available at http://www.cdlib.org/libstaff/technology/projects/unioncat/)

 

Garrett Bowles noted that we still have documentation from the PE regeneration project, but that it makes sense for us to look at the draft and figure out what we think is important and which has not been addressed by others. We tend to focus on access points, but issues of display are also important.

 

Eunice Schroeder has already contacted the Santa Barbara rep on the RFP committee. Noted the importance of displaying uniform titles and name-titles in the same list.

 

John Tanno is on the RFP committee and is happy to receive our imput.

 

Important issues seem to include:

·        Uniform titles

·        Display

·        Normalization in heading displays

·        Author title searching

·        Automatic truncation

 

Gordon noted the effectiveness of automatic cross-referencing from unused headings to the authorized form in Melvyl searches.

 

UCLA members offered to compile our suggestions to forward to John Tanno. Discussion will take place on UC/Stanford Music Librarians email list (ucmusiclibs@ucsd.edu). John Roberts will send in material he and his have prepared; others will also send in suggestions; UCLA folk will compile, edit, post for comments, and forward.

 

 

2.      Round Robin

 

Davis (Michael Colby):

·        Fundraising has begun for 2000 seat performing arts hall. Environmental study has begun.

·        There is a new Head of Humanities and Social Sciences division in the library (Myra… from UC Riverside).

 

Berkeley (John Roberts):

·        Judy Tsou and Beth Rebman have both left their positions; Judy to Washington, Beth has moved permanently to CO. As searching for 2 professionals together was not possible, one of those positions has been traded for an LA IV. Matt Weber has good background (most of a lib. Degree and masters in musicology). Judy's position has been advertised. Temporary replacement is Lori Pritchard. The circulation supervisor has also resigned!

·        New building report: $11M is available. Schematic design completed. Target for completion is June 2002 (just before IAML). Architects are Scoggin etc.

 

UCLA (Gordon Theil):

·        ORION2

·        Cataloging and circulation modules, and web OPAC are up and running in a rather anemic fashion. There are stability and performance problems, normalization problems, no call number search in OPAC, no truncation yet, and big SRLF backlog due to lack of system efficiency. However, performance has improved enough for campus-wide access (but not off campus) to the OPAC. Lacks much of the functionality specified in RFP and of ORION1.

·        No acquisitions, serials or reserves modules yet. Serials and reserves should be ready in the nearer rather than the farther future. Acquisitions is not in sight. Melvyl updates not yet possible. UCLA is using DRA Classic for acquisitions.

·        UCLA has not accepted system yet (i.e. hasn't paid for it), and there has been much criticism from faculty, directed at administration mostly. A committee has been formed to look into other systems should UCLA give up on DRA.

·        Library is now streaming audio using RealAudio for class reserves. Faculty are very happy with this.

·        Steve Fry plans to retire in January 2001.

 

Santa Barbara (Eunice Schroeder):

·        Eunice started at SB in May. Six weeks later the Head of the Arts Library left; Eunice is acting Head of Arts Lib; interviews for Head now taking place.

 

Stanford (Mimi Tashiro):

·        New Music Cataloger has been appointed: Ray Heigemeir (MLS, Austin). Professional positions at Stanford now fully staffed, though there are paraprofessional vacancies.

·        Renovated library facilities have been reopened; some shelving needs repairing; materials will back in place by end of Spring.

·        Faculty news: Brian Ferneyhough has joined faculty.

·        Have subscribed to Music Index web version.

 

San Diego (Garrett Bowles):

·        Web version of Music Index (also UCLA).

·        Digital Reserves is very highly used: 1000 hits a day from students enrolled in classes only.

·        The Music, Film/Video, and Art/Architecture libraries have been merged. The Head is the Architecture librarian.

·        Garrett plans to retire this year.

 

There was a discussion regarding the advisability of subscribing to Music Index through CDL. Limited monies at present make this impossibly, but consensus is that there should be a CDL subscription or a consortial subscription in the future.

 

THANKS TO NANCY LORIMER FOR TAKING NOTES.