SWAN Board,
I thought I would give you all a summary of what we have completed, what we encountered on the first two days.
Library staff are handling things fairly well from what has been reported to me. The perspective from within SWAN is a bit skewed as were are viewing all of the problems. We are getting inundated with questions and reported issues, but managing them very well. On Tuesday there were 188 tickets opened, and we closed 92 of them. On Wednesday there were 169 tickets opened, and we closed 133 of them. So 242 tickets remain open (some were opened before the migration event). Many of these are holds problems reported.
Libraries were able to quickly identify areas of our data and configuration which needed correcting. The server load and performance has been great. Enterprise encountered a bug that was patched immediately on Tuesday by SirsiDynix. We are not experiencing the same problems CCS encountered.
The area of 3rd party vendors connecting to SWAN in various ways is a very complicated aspect of this migration. We have been dealing with 40 vendors of various stripes, some very responsive, some not so responsive, but our group has it under control.
There are 8 areas of data that we found to have problems and determined the fastest way to fix them was to have the system offline for some time. We chose the evening at 5pm to do this work, after having conferenced with SirsiDynix at 2pm and again at 3:30pm on Wednesday. We might remain offline Thursday morning depending.
SWAN staff are putting in some pretty crazy hours and working late, remotely from home. I view my role at this stage as a coach in the NBA, managing their minutes, making sure they are healthy and fresh. But this is the playoffs so in some sense, too bad!
That said, I think that the craziness of the holds problems was big enough that most libraries understand the need to contribute to the fix so this second offline period is hopefully just enough to get this corrected. What is really incredible is the support we are getting from libraries. We got five Edible Arrangements on Tuesday delivered to us! Kendal Orrison from RSA stopped by Burr Ridge and said based on what he has seen via SWANcom we are in really good shape.
That is all I have for the moment. Let me know if you thought this was useful and if I should send some version of it out via SWANcom.
Aaron (from the Migration War Room)
Aaron Skog
SWAN Executive Director
125 Tower Drive
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone: 630.734.5122
Fax: 630.734.5056
aaron.skog(a)railslibraries.info<mailto:aaron.skog@railslibraries.info>
http://support.swanlibraries.net
SWAN Board,
All set.
Aaron Skog
SWAN Executive Director
Reaching Across Illinois Library System
Burr Ridge Office
Phone: 630.734.5122
Fax: 630.734.5056
aaron.skog(a)railslibraries.info<mailto:aaron.skog@railslibraries.info>
http://www.railslibraries.info
From: Anne Slaughter
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2015 3:12 PM
To: Judy Hutchinson; Kendal Orrison; Aaron Skog
Subject: LLSAP RAILS contracts approved
Judy, Kendal, Aaron,
Today the RAILS Board enthusiastically approved the RAILS LLSAP FY16-18 Contracts. Your signed hard copies will be on their way to you shortly.
Thank you all for your participation and thoughtful input throughout the long process of developing these contracts.
Have a great weekend!
Anne
Anne Slaughter
Director of Technology Services
Reaching Across Illinois Library System
Burr Ridge Office
Phone: 630.734.5127
Fax: 630.734.5050
anne.slaughter(a)railslibraries.info<mailto:anne.slaughter@railslibraries.info>
http://www.railslibraries.info
SWAN Board & Staff,
The CCS press release on its new executive director is attached and pasted below. I think you all will remember him as our III sale rep: Chris Holly!
This is really great for CCS and for Illinois consortium. He will be visiting Burr Ridge next Friday to meet with Dee for lunch.
Aaron Skog
SWAN Executive Director
Reaching Across Illinois Library System
Burr Ridge Office
Phone: 630.734.5122
Fax: 630.734.5056
aaron.skog(a)railslibraries.info<mailto:aaron.skog@railslibraries.info>
http://www.railslibraries.info
The Governing Board of the Cooperative Computer Services (CCS) Consortium is proud to announce the selection and hiring of our next Executive Director, Christopher Holly.
After a national search, the Executive Committee and Governing Board of CCS selected Holly based upon the strength of his vision, his passion for libraries and his strategic and analytical approach to providing library service in a 24 member consortium.
Holly spent the past fifteen years working within the library automation industry for Ex Libris and, most recently, Innovative Interfaces, Inc. He has had the privilege of consulting with libraries and library consortia all over North America. During this time, he filled various roles from trainer to strategic account manager, which provided him with exposure to an extensive variety of operational structures and management strategies. He received his MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh in 1999 and is currently working on an Executive MBA from Loyola University Chicago. Inspired by his mother who served as head of the Children's Department at their local library, Holly developed a keen interest in libraries by working there as a teenager.
CCS President Karen Danczak Lyons said "This is an important moment in the history of CCS. We have found a leader who will provide our membership with a vision for the future, identify opportunities for growth and use his understanding of the evolving role of public libraries to improve our service to the thousands of residents that use our libraries each day. With Chris, we will build upon the excellent foundation of service delivery constructed by long- time Executive Director Richard Shurman and his highly skilled staff."
When reflecting upon this new chapter in his career, Holly stated: "I am a strong believer in the power of collaboration to create something greater than the individual parts. I look forward to working closely with the libraries in CCS to leverage the strengths of the Cooperative and chart a dynamic future of library services for the residents of the CCS community."
Holly succeeds Shurman who was the Executive Director at CCS for more than 27 years. Shurman announced his intention to retire last year in order to allow ample time to find his successor and provide for a smooth transition.
When discussing his career, Shurman said " Three and a half decades of seeing library automation progress and collaboration thrive have made it a more exciting and rewarding career than I could ever have envisioned. CCS has provided as high a level of support and inspiration as anyone can ask. I look forward to watching the ongoing collective wisdom, new blood, technological advances and the cooperative spirit take CCS further."
You're invited to a special SWAN post-migration celebration...
The SWAN Board would like to thank the SWAN staff and our dedicated helpers, trainers, and committee volunteers for all of their hard work by hosting a fête in our honor!
Please save the date of Saturday, May 16th if you'd like to join us. We are just beginning to plan, so details and formal invites will follow. Here is what we know so far -
· Event begins at 4, with dinner to be served at 5:30
· This event will be catered, but if you'd like to bring an extra dessert to share or alcoholic beverages of your choice, feel free!
· You are welcome to bring your significant other/family if you'd like
· It will be held at 9600 Brandt Ave. in Oak Lawn
Let me know if you have any questions; more details and a request for RSVP will follow in the coming weeks.
Brande Overbey
SWAN Office Manager
125 Tower Drive
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone: 630.734.5164
Fax: 630.734.5056
brande.overbey(a)railslibraries.info<mailto:brande.overbey@railslibraries.info>
http://support.swanlibraries.net
Hi All,
During the president's report tomorrow, I would like some feedback from those of you who attend the overlay meeting yesterday.
Thanks!
Rich
Richard A. Wolff
Administrator
Tinley Park Public Library
(708) 845-5718
rwolff(a)tplibrary.org
SWAN Board Members:
The Friday 3/20 meeting packet is now available for you:
https://support.swanlibraries.net/sites/default/files/meeting/2015-03-20/pa…
The meeting packet is 61 pages long. We'll be ratifying the budget vote, taking a review of the board and director evaluation forms, and approving the FY15 audit funds this month. Shouldn't take us too long!
Hope to see you on Friday!
Brande Overbey
SWAN Office Manager
Reaching Across Illinois Library System
Burr Ridge Office
Phone: 630.734.5164
Fax: 630.734.5056
brande.overbey(a)railslibraries.info<mailto:brande.overbey@railslibraries.info>
http://www.railslibraries.info
SWAN Board,
Rich Wolff is sick, and your VP Pierre Gregoire is sick too!
Rich already warned Pierre and Jim about the situation. Please let me know if any of you cannot make it this morning. If we drop lower than 4 then we technically cannot have the meeting and pass the budget.
Aaron Skog
SWAN Executive Director
125 Tower Drive
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone: 630.734.5122
Fax: 630.734.5056
aaron.skog(a)railslibraries.info<mailto:aaron.skog@railslibraries.info>
http://support.swanlibraries.net
SWAN Board,
I am preparing an announcement about the RAILS focus group about the overlay. At your January meeting it was agreed that the SWAN Board will attend the RAILS meeting on March 18 1:30PM as a group. I will work with Kate Boyle to invite other ILL staff to join the meeting.
I request that you register for this meeting online using the L2 event. Keep in mind that we will need to treat this as a SWAN Special Board meeting due to OMA.
http://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=19504
Below is a draft of a message that I was going to either send directly to the ILL staff or out via SWANcom. The timing of this event isn't great considering the migration we are in the final stages of completing, but RAILS values our input, along with the other consortia.
Aaron
------
As you are most likely aware, RAILS is undertaking a multiyear, four phase project to explore options to provide more seamless access to Resource Sharing (i.e., searching system-wide holdings and placing interlibrary loan requests) throughout the service area for all libraries. RAILS is currently in Phase Two: Research into Organizational Factors. To find out more about the RAILS project, read about it on the RAILS website here: https://www.railslibraries.info/catalogs/overlay
RAILS is working with organizational consultant Eric Craymer, who will be conducting focus groups with various stakeholders. Here is the schedule, additional information, and location for SWAN's focus groups:
SWAN Focus Group Schedule
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM SWAN Board Representatives. This focus group will be with consortium board members/library directors. Topics for this focus group will center on broader strategic aspects of the overlay project, its potential value, and library preferences, needs, and concerns regarding the project. [Due to OMA requirements, this will be considered a SWAN Board Special Meeting.]
3:00 PM - 3:20 PM Technical Presentation. Open to Board Representatives & Interlibrary Loan Staff.
3:20 PM - 3:30 PM Break.
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Interlibrary Loan Staff. This focus group will be with frontline staff with interlibrary loan responsibilities. Depending on the library, this may be a circulation staff member rather than someone with an interlibrary loan job title. The topics of this focus group will be more specific to the ILL process, such as what is working well now, what is not working well now, and what would make it better.
Location:
RAILS Burr Ridge
125 Tower Drive
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Main Meeting Room
We hope to have Interlibrary Loan staff representation attend the appropriate focus group session. As indicated above, please register online in L2 by 5:00 PM on Friday, March 12. The maximum number of registrants will be 25.
http://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=19504
Aaron Skog
SWAN Executive Director
Reaching Across Illinois Library System
Burr Ridge Office
Phone: 630.734.5122
Fax: 630.734.5056
aaron.skog(a)railslibraries.info<mailto:aaron.skog@railslibraries.info>
http://www.railslibraries.info
Hi SWAN Board,
I've updated the election process timeline to reflect our discussions on Friday. Attached is the final timeline for your records. I had to add in one item, the announcement of candidates, on Monday April 6th which I can take care of. This just keeps us kosher with our by-law requirements for this process.
Keep me posted on your contacts to nominated candidates! The Self-Nom form will open at 8am next Friday, following our announcement at Quarterly and subsequent SWANcom.
Thank you,
Brande Overbey
SWAN Office Manager
125 Tower Drive
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Phone: 630.734.5164
Fax: 630.734.5056
brande.overbey(a)railslibraries.info<mailto:brande.overbey@railslibraries.info>
http://support.swanlibraries.net
Hi All,
David and Roger will not be at the meeting tomorrow. If anyone else is not attending, please let me know now.
Thanks,
Rich
Richard A. Wolff
Administrator
Tinley Park Public Library
(708) 845-5718
rwolff(a)tplibrary.org
