LITS Monthly Report

May 2004

OAK (Blackboard) Support

Training classes for Tier 1 Support providers were held in late May and the first week of June. These classes introduce students to the major features of OAK (Bb) and provide a hand's on demonstration of course creation, making courses available, adding students to a course, and explains the various roles in OAK.

In mid-month, we confirmed that access to restricted resources from off-campus cannot be provided directly through OAK. This means that faculty would need to configure links to restricted resources to use the Library's proxy service. Since there is no way to pass authentication from OAK directly to the proxy server, this would also mean that students would need to (1) authenticate once to log into OAK, then ( 2) authenticate a second time to the proxy server when accessing a restricted resource from off-campus (of course, on campus users would not have this issue). We are currently working on a solution that would eliminate the need for the second authentication for off-campus users. The developer of EZProxy has looked at Blackboard and has reported that unless it could be modified there is currently no direct way to pass the authentication. Since we cannot ask for development of OAK at this time, we'll develop a local solution. Hopefully, future development of OAK will be possible and this problem can be addressed at that time.

Anne and Jody met with the Campus OAK Support Team to finalize naming and recording conventions to be used by Tier 1 and Tier 1 Plus support, Faculty Training group, and the Electronic Reserves task force.

Increase in ETD submissions

This month saw a definite increase in activity in ETD submissions. Nancy sent 11 new ETD's to cataloging. This is almost a tripling of the usual number sent in a month. She also added the Annex copy to the Acorn records and created the CDROMs for these and sent them to the Annex.

In early June, Jody will attend the ETD 2004 Conference in Lexington, KY. An intriguing topic on the agenda is the potential use of DSpace with ETD programs.

Acorn Upgrade Rescheduled for June 4-7

LITS plans to upgrade Acorn to Unicorn 2003.1 beginning Friday, June 4 at 12:01 am and finishing by Monday, June 7th at approximately 6:00 am. This upgrade will also require a reindexing and an upgrade of the Workflows client. For staff on the Heard Library network, Workflows will be automatically upgraded the first time it is launched from the NAL window. For library staff in the Law, Eskind, and Walker libraries, the Workflows client will update itself the first time it logs into Acorn.

TVNA Support

We installed 4 new workstations for TVNews. Imaged all 4 with Windows 2000. After discussion with John Lynch we decided to re-image 1 with Windows XP for them to test. It appears that John is very happy with XP and would like the other 3 re-imaged as well. We worked on trouble shooting a codec configuration issue on the 4 new TVNews workstations and completed configurations of the 6 storage arrays installed last month.

SFX Project Continues

Waiting on update content. In the meantime click here.

Workstation Replacements Continue

Workstation Rollouts: 9 new workstations to Divinity and rolled one workstation to a new location to the Divinity Library.
Inventory Rollouts: Used "Darik's Boot and Nuke" to securely erase all hard drives on workstations to be sent to Virtual Schools/Surplus. 61 workstations from OUL, Central, and Divinity will be surplused out of the system.
Began unpacking/ghosting 11 new workstations for Technical Services.

Selected Statistics:

GPO Records Loaded for the month (includes overlays): 1227
Loaded 542 OCLC Knovel collection records and 14 Documenting the American South records into Acorn.
Sent 10,191 records to Marcive for processing
Sent 637 records to OCLC to add our holdings
A total of 22862 Acorn user sessions occurred during the month of May 2004
This includes 37142 searches from the basic search form, 1990 complex searches, 212 callnumber browse searches, 193 other advanced searches, 224 browse searches, 1745 subject hyperlinked searches, 91 title hyperlink searches, 1054 author hyperlink searches, 13 genre hyperlink searches and 527 crossreference searches.
KUDZU statistics for May 2004
- Total number of logins: 2117
- Total number of searches: 3934
- Total number of ILL requests: 210
Total Z39.50 (EndNote, etc) connections to the ERL server for May 2004 was 135.
ATHENA statistics for May 2004
- Total number of logins: 1513
- Total number of searches: 2578
- Total number of ILL requests: 117

FYI--Selected Projects Currently Being Investigated or Planned

OAK Tier 1 Support training for Library Staff (initial classes held in May and June, regularly thereafter)
Software Auditing Solution (beta testing now, planned for initial release in June/July)
DSpace Software Upgrade (1.2 beta-done), Hardware Recommendations (draft to IRB sent)
Hardware Upgrade for Public DVD-CDROM Server (server delivered)
Acorn Upgrade and Reindex Project (planned for June 4-7)
Software License Database (in early design phase)
Extending Wireless Access to GLB Patio Area (feasibility and survey requested)
Matching Acorn Records against the 11,000 item OCLC's Unique Titles List (new list being delivered)
Began working with Celia Walker to plan for web publication of Library's "State of the Library" report.
Implementation of ISOILL in ILLiad
Decision to replace script server (Lib5000) hardware.

Personnel:

All LITS staff attended a 2 and 1/4 hour training session on the OAK (Bb) course management system. Anne Martin, who has been instrumental in developing OAK training, was the instructor.
Huiwen Wang spent four hours self-training (text-based) Windows 2000 Server and Administrator's Companion.

Acorn Policy Changes:

The SCI-PAT holding code will no longer be used for Science items. The holding code SCI-MFM was modified to use the MICROFILM item type instead of MICROFORM and will be used instead of the SCI-PAT. Staff webpages and labelling scripts were updated.
Changed the renewal limit on the 2H0F rule to 3 from 25000
Created new map for FRAGILE items from Divinity to circulate to CARREL profile

SilverPlatter Titles Updated:

Art Full Text 2000/01-2004/03
Education Full Text 2000-2004/03
ERIC* 1992-2003
ERIC* 1982-1991
ERIC* 1966-1981
ERIC* 2004/01-2004/03
General Science Abstracts 2001-2004/03
Index to Legal Periodicals 1981/08-2004/03
PAIS Periodicals/Publishers 2004/04
PAIS International 1972-2004/04
Philosopher's Index 1940-2004/03
Sociological Abstracts* 2003/01 - 2004/03
SilverLinker 1996/01/01-2004/05/06
SilverLinker 1996/01/01-2004/05/14
SilverLinker 1996/01/01-2004/05/21
SilverLinker 1996/01/01-2004/05/28
PsycINFO* 2004/01-2004/04
PsycINFO* 2004/05 Week1
PsycINFO* 2004/05 Week2
PsycINFO* 2004/05 Week3
PsycINFO* 2004/05 Week4

Other CDROM Products Updated this Month

Updated the 20 th Century Petroleum Statistics 2003 database for Government Information.
Updated the Regions: Statistical Yearbook 2003 database for Government Information.
Updated the ABI/Inform database for Owen.
Updated the Financial Accounting Research System database for Owen.
Updated the United Nations Documents and Publications Index for Government Information.
Installed and configured the Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses database for Divinity.
Updated the Bibliografia Nazionale Italiana (BNI) database for Central.
Updated the Index theologicus IxTheo database for Divinity.
Updated the The AJL Membership Directory database for Divinity.
Updated the Libros en venta en America Latina y Espana (Spanish Books in Print) database for Central.
Updated the ABI/Inform database for Owen

iNFoRM Issues Resolved for the month:

170

Selected Additional Activities:

Added an additional cataloging code to the cataloging statistics scripts. The new code will be included in the May statistics reports.
Worked with Ann Ercelawn on the editing of the MarcIt records that will be replacing the Serials Solutions records for electronic resources.
Continued work with CAAG on OCLC Unique Titles list project.
Update New Titles web page.
Generated cataloging statistics.
For Acorn and Virtual Catalogs Task Force, created mock-up of new features for the bib record (removal of call #, larger sized title, down arrows for "jump to holdings" link. See: http://staffweb.library.vanderbilt.edu/testweb/bib.html
Continued working on SFX menu
Marked up and validated an updated version of "Tips for Online Access of Electronic Resources" page. Not yet posted
Completed Library Computing Skills Checklist and created links from staffweb.
Submitted proposal for LITA program on XML for Libraries
Submitted proposal for New Horizons renewal that included statistical analysis of this year's classes
Staffweb: Submitted proposal for New Horizons renewal that included statistical analysis of this year's classes
Ran Wingrep on the \sys\CDAPPS on Library7 and Librayr2a to find and replace c:\winnt with %systemroot%. This is so that Windows XP workstations will be able to properly load these databases.
Created Windows XP Central Computer Room image (testing auto-update with public workstation).
Successfully tested Windows/VirusScan updates on a public XP image using Deep Freeze Maintenance mode. The purpose of this testing is for eventual use in the 6 th Floor Computer room in Central. This image will be rolled out in the following month.
Created Windows 2000 Divinity Stack Image (Master and deployable)
Updated Laptop XP image with several configuration changes, including one to enhance operation of the wireless network cards on the older C810 laptops. All laptops will need to be re-imaged with this image once complete.
Currently working with the Input Languages option in XP on the laptop image. Divinity has requested the ability to add functionality to allow students to not only read, but also input various languages on their laptops. This is proving difficult to implement with sysprep, but will not be impossible.
Upgraded the Ariel software on both of the workstation in ILL to version 3.4.
Attended Laptop Maintenance meeting where we negotiated a schedule to perform monthly maintenance on the circulating laptops. I will propose a schedule to each department to update their laptops manually from 11:00-12:00 on the third week of the month. All Windows and VirusScan updates will be applied during this time.
Updated Science images with drivers for the new Dell Printers, which have been installed in that department.
Gathered statistics on Dell toner cartridge costs in Science. Due to confusion, the wrong toner cartridge was being purchased. After clearing up this issue the actually cost/per page is the same or cheaper than the new HP toner cartridges that were being used.
Re-imaged Susan Smith's workstation
Worked with Central staff to train them on the new Microfilm scanner.
Worked with IP Address administration for several projects.
Worked on sorting out various workstation inventory discrepancies.
Received & installed into rack a new PE2650 to be configured as Lib5 and used for public databases which are now on Lib2a & Lib7.
Returned server (formerly Lib1a) to GLB & installed it as Lib1. This is to be tested & configured as a possible home for the public web.
Set up licensed version of SofTrack Quick Inventory.
Updated ERL Database Disc Ids web page.
Updated ERL License Expiration Dates web page.
Update Trial Databases Updated web page.
Generated Web Statistics for Public Web, Staff Web, Acq Web, Government Documents Web Page, and Peabody Library Web Page.
Generated Broken Links Reports for Central, Divinity, Ercelawn, Heard, Peabody, Libtech, Science, Staffweb, Music, and Technical Services.
Designed Software/Licenses database and interface.
Implemented Purchase Request Form for Library Services group (Mary Ellen Wilson).
Created two new forms (book/journal delivery for Peabody, implemented with PHP.
Modified Perl Scripts for Larry Romans' Government Information Website.
Modified the following scripts for http://forms.library.vanderbilt.edu/requests/jobs.phtml
Modified the following scripts on Acorn4 cat.pl, catsdiv.pl
Installed a new duplicate auth report.
Completed automation of SFX backup.
Replace faulty hardware on Acorn2.
Worked with VCU to correct a couple of search problems.
Worked with VCU to start implementing their KUDZU to ILLiad link.
Continued to work on the HR termination feed.
Added 12 items to the proxy server.
Upgraded Acorntest to U2003.1.2.1 (twice)
ILLiad: upgraded the gateway and iso components.
SFX: installed the latest updates.
DSpace: upgraded to 1.2b2
Trained LaRentina and Janet on use of the hand-held scanner and showed them how to transfer data from the scanner to the PC to Acorn, and how to run and read the report output.
As always in May, removal of reserves was a high priority for the libraries. Divinity continued use of the custom report created last year for reserve removal. Central also decided to try it out as well.
Used scripts to shadow some reserve-only records for Divinity and to remove some reserve format bib records for Central.
Compiled and distributed April circulation statistics, kept up with library hours, and processed several batch record location change requests.
Spent some time in conversation with Janet and Bill about the parameters for removal of expired user records and outdated bills.
Asked for testing input from several standard beta testers, and received good feedback from them.
Prepared a document on searching the user database to distribute to Circulation staff and other interested users.
Met with the CAG Circ training subgroup, the laptop subgroup, and the Demand Management subgroup in May.
Supervision of the SUS server.
An average of 1/2 hour each day checking on security issues, updating security resources page (notifying workstation support team and server support teams of any patches or virus updates indicated).

Meetings, Committees, Task Forces:

LMC
IT School Leaders
VU Stake Holders
CMS Support Team
LITS Team Meeting
Campus WebSpiders' Group
Inventory Reduction Task Force.
Item Types Task Force
Formats Task Force
Serials Solutions Committee
SFX Implementation Team
Digital Library Programs Strategic Planning WorkGroup
KUDZU--meeting with VCU

Electronic Reserves Task Force
Print Conservation TF
ILLiad WorkGroup
TS TechForce
CAG
CAG Training Sub-group
CAAG
AVCTF
ISAG
Peabody Information Commons TF
Technology Support Coordinators
Training Coordinators
Undergraduate Services Strategic Planning WorkGroup