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WebPac Implementation Team : Meeting Minutes

6/22/00, Baker 158, 11-12pm

Present

  • Mark Mounts
  • Reinhart Sonnenburg
  • Paul Merchant
  • Norma Pellerin
  • Jennifer Nelson
  • Jennifer Merrill
  • Jim Fries
  • Bill Fontaine
  • Becca Lee [recorder]

AGENDA

Minutes

Minutes of June 7th were approved.

Announcements

Jennifer verified that the OPAC options training for the group will take place on June 28th in Baker 158.

Group members attending ALA were encouraged to seek out Innovative User Group representatives to discuss WebPAC design , implementation and future direction

Summary of Location Code Redesign Group – purpose/charge  (Jennifer Merrill)

The library system has used the sub-location in item records to hold location information in a variable length field.  This is a practice carried over from RLIN that does not mesh well with the Innopac.  This has implications for people working in the circulation subsystem (some screen displays do not give adequate location information) as well as use of the WebPAC (patron initiated requests will not function properly).  Additionally, some order and check-in record locations do not match item record locations.  The group's charge is to define a new location scheme which incorporates information about sublocation, location and item format in the 5-byte LOCATION field.

Implications for the WebPAC implementation team:

  • sublocation will continue to be displayed in the WebPAC for the near future
  • patron initiated requests through the WebPAC will not be fully operable until the sublocations are dissolved.

Search Limit Subgroup Charge – discussion and approval

We discussed concerns about the scope of the charge (too large?).  It was decided the charge was within reason though we should be as explicit as possible when determining the elements of the charge.

There was a proposal to rewrite part of the charge:  “Provide user education through on-screen help”.   It was suggested to change this to, “Revise existing on-screen help to meet the needs of the Dartmouth Community.”

Charge for the Main Menu Design Subgroup

  • Examine pros/cons of having a two level approach to the Web OPAC versus having a one level approach with a single entry page.  The assumption being that this is the launching place for a search of the catalog.   Will this affect the design of the entire site?  Which way affords the best presentation to the user?
  • Recommend which approach (one or two level) should be taken.  Innovative sites should be used for this investigation; specifics/examples should be used in the appraisal.
  • Develop a functional design for the recommended approach including layout/presentation and content.  Further questions to consider:
    • How much information will fit on the screen?
    • What external links should be included?

Is the charge specific enough or too vague?

Timeframe

Mid-August for a recommendation

September for final design proposal

Suggested Membership

Mark Mounts, Paul Merchant, Jim Fries, Miguel Valladares, Heather Blunt

Other potential subgroups

  • Design Implementation Group
  • OPAC Troubleshooting
  • OPAC  Post-Searching Functionality
  • Electronic Resource Access

Charges and membership for subgroups will be addressed at the next meeting.