The deadline has come and gone for responses to our development request for an Enhancement Database.

What is an Enhancement Database you ask?

This is a database that we want to develop on this site where libraries can work together on development specifications. Where we can co-sponsor development projects and establish specs, partners, timelines, etc. Only problem is, no vendor responded to the RFP. I'll attach a copy of the RFP here. 

Fantastic OSLS program at PLA.

Lori set the table with a brief rundown of the generations of Evergreen systems.  Georgia is now a grandparent, with BC following, and Bibliomation adding their first two Evergreen libraries this month.  KCLS to fall later this year.

April is big for the KCLS Evergreen migration.

We're hoping to:

1. Migrate our Evergreen environments to Red Hat Linux for some additional institutional support
2. Do a full test dataload, leaving us with a system full of data for testing purposes
3. Begin serious stress testing of the the system using our material handling simulations and the Evergreen "Constrictor" load simulator
4. Bring in our peer trainers (designated KCLS Evergreen experts) in from the libraries to begin preparing them to train our library staff later this Summer

The four IMLS grant partners--KCLS, PLS, Ann Arbor, and Orange County--had our first face to face planning meeting in Portland.  Rubber chickens were thrown and acquaintances made.  Thanks to Cheryl Gould for facilitation.

We prioritized aspects of our Evergreen migrations that we'd like to see resourced by the grant.

Suggestions included:

Think about ongoing support for Evergreen:

Unlike vended/licensed systems--where there were no options for support other than the proprietary vendor--and open source system can theoretically be developed by one vendor, installed by another, and supported by yet another.

In our update call with ESI last week, ESI and KCLS stumbled upon a shared value and need for developmet of technical documentation.  ESI has had a specific project in mind--around 54 hours of work--for awhile.  KCLS needs this kind of documentation for our upcoming migration.

Congratulations to Amy Terlaga and Bibliomation for finding 3 co-development partners for an initiative to develop a Kids catalog on Evergreen.  It looks like Sitka, PINES, and KCLS have all hopped aboard.  Luck to us all, and hope we get a good product from it, but regardless, this is a great story and a first example of the potential of co-development partnering via the Evergreen Community.

We've had questions recently about our development plans for Evergreen OPAC.  We're attaching our project plan for OPAC development and implementation here in this post.  This document shows a high level schedule and milestones for this project.  Can you say "tight timeframe"?

Hats off to the KCLS Web Services Department including Lisa Hill, Melissa Falgout, and Josh Ring, who are orchestrating this complex project. 

Dear Grant Partners:

We thought about holding a call in February, but I couldn’t visualize how to make the conference call format effective, so I’m trying a letter this month.  If any of you have questions or would like a direct update via phone, drop me a line and we’ll set something up.

Going to keep things simple this month.  Its easiest for me if we are always working from a simple common story.  I have two requests of you:

One of the major goals of the IMLS grant is the creation of resources that allow us to collaborate on new development. 

The purpose of RSCEL is as much about creating a thriving development community as it is creating a collaborative user community.  The one won't really go anywhere without the other.

So we have an RFP hitting the street in the next couple of weeks, on behalf of the grant, to develop a shared enhancement database where we can

• Enter new software and enhancement ideas
• Review them as a community
• Endorse or modify
• Prioritize
• Offer to contribute toward cost-sharing
• Convert the ideas into a specification format that a developer can easily work from
• Publish requests to the development community
• Track request progress