Planning Considerations

1. What is the scope and vision of the project? Are you supporting library services or do you want to merely track inventory?

Identify what library services need to be supported.

2. Who will be managing the project?

3. What process will you use to identify and prioritize functionality? Who needs to be involved?

4. Will the software need to support a phased approach?

5. Who will be managing the ongoing functions of the software?

6. Does the software need to be able to support consortia activities? Do you need to be able to scope the functionality to a local level?

Identify what is needed at the local level, and if there is an organizational view needed.

7. Who are your current library partners?

8. Who are your potential partners? Is there anyone you can enter the project with?

Application Considerations

A. Core functionality for bibliographic data (including cataloguing modules):

1. Does the software support MARC format? (This includes using the 856 tag for electronic resources).

MARC or “MAchine-Readable Cataloguing” format is a library standard that allows consistent sharing of bibliographic information between different library systems. This standard was developed and maintained by the Library of Congress in the United States. More information on this standard is available at: http://lcweb.loc.gov/marc/

2. Does the software enable editing, importing and exporting of records individually or in batches?

You should be able to create new records in MARC format as well as edit records from other library sources that also use MARC formatting. You should be able to import and export records in MARC format, for both individual records and for batches of records.

3. Does the software support authority control?

You should be able to maintain a consistency in subject terms used as well as author names within the database.

B. Standards and functionality for patron data (including circulation modules):

1. Will you use barcodes for library cards?

2. Will you use barcodes for library items?

3. Will barcodes with specific ranges be used?

4. How much patron data needs to be included in the database?

5. Do you want to be able to circulate items to students? To other schools? To parents? To other libraries (not schools)?

6. Do you need the software to be interoperable with the student tracking data?

C. Additional functionality (including searching modules, acquisitions, serials):

1. Is the data searchable and accessible from more than just one specific terminal?

2. Is there an Internet search interface for patron searches?

A web version of the catalogue search interface is needed to support linking into electronic resources.

3. Do you want to be able to provide home access to resources?

This generally requires the use of some sort of remote patron authentication functionality, as well as the need to configure firewalls.

4. Is there keyword searching by author, title and subject?

5. Is there browsing by author, title and subject?

6. Are there additional searches required by staff or students?

7. Does acquisitions functionality need to be supported?

8. Do you need to track journals or serials?

9. Does the software need to support textbook management? What other services will need to be supported?

10. What will you need for peripherals for staff to use?

11. Will you need to customize the search screens?

12. Will you need to be able to customize the error messages for patrons? For staff?

13. Will you need to support a holds system? (Placing blocks of items in special groups)

14. Do you need to be able to support languages other than English?

Identify if you need interfaces in different languages. Identify if you need to support diacritics in the database.

Cost Considerations

1. What are the costs for the hardware? Is there a dedicated server needed?

2. What are the costs for the software?

3. Are there any additional vendor costs?

4. What are the costs for staff?

5. What are the costs for cataloguing?

6. What are the costs for resource sharing?

7. What are the costs for updates?

8. What is the maintenance and support cost?

9. What is the cost of the equipment needed? (Including barcode readers, workstations, etc)

10. Are there any recon costs?

11. Does an off-line circulation utility need to be purchased?

12. What is the vendor’s costing model?

Some licenses are by site, others by ‘seat’ or technical support.

13. What is the payment schedule?

Vendor Considerations

1. What are the estimated implementation costs in staff and money, including data conversion? Are there other costs?

2. What are the annual maintenance costs in staff and money?

3. What level of product support does the vendor provide?

4. How frequently are there revisions or updates to the software?

5. What is the process for maintenance or troubleshooting? How quickly will the vendor respond to issues?

6. Are there license restrictions, limits to installs, limits with simultaneous searching?

7. Does the vendor provide training? How?

8. What is the track record of the vendor? What is the success rate of data migration or recon?

9. How does the vendor provide updates and bug fixes? When do they come? How much service downtime is required? How much staff time is needed?

10. What is the currency used by the vendor?

USD can impact the training and support costs.

11. Is there a web page for support?

12. Are there user groups or lists?

Local Considerations

1. What network configuration would be needed to support the software? What is the local environment? (LAN, WAN, Internet, etc)

2. How much ability to locally configure and control is required?

3. Is there existing data that will need to be cleaned up?

4. Are there existing systems that the software needs to be compatible with? Or integrate with?

This would include student database, financial tracking, online teaching environments (Blackboard), budgeting tools etc.

5. Are there political or privacy issues that need to be accommodated?

Patron information needs to be kept in a secure environment.

(e.g. secure data vs. Patriot Act)

6. What administrative issues are there, such as login configuration and access settings? Do you need to have functionality based on login levels?

Different types of staff users can require different levels of login permissions.

7. Are there different types of patrons?

8. Are there different types of resources to be catalogued and tracked?

Determine what items need to be searchable in the database. This can include physical items (books, journals, kits, etc) as well as electronic items (full text articles, learning objects, etc).

9. What capacity will be needed? How big will the database be?

10. What is the level of training required for staff?

11. Do you have staff available to maintain the software? Keep the information up-to-date?

12. How much local customization is required? Who will document this customization?

13. What needs to be reported on? Do the reports need to be locally customized?

14. Are there any non-library related functions that this software would need to support?

Standards Considerations

In order to participate in resource sharing and other library interoperability projects in the future, the following standards need to be considered:

1. Minimum Cataloguing Standards

A consistent set of cataloguing practices should be followed. Many libraries use the same base set of rules called AACR2 for cataloguing. Consistent, standardized records enables users to find the resources required. More information on this is available at: http://www.aacr2.org/index.html

In the Saskatchewan public libraries, a minimum standard for cataloguing records has been agreed to, developed and implemented for the province.

Standard

2. Subject Thesaurus

A consistent set of subject heading should be used. Many libraries use the Library of Congress for name and subject authorities. There is also a Canadian Subject Thesaurus online. There are also specific school-related thesauri available.

Library of Congress Authorities: http://authorities.loc.gov/

Canadian Subject Thesaurus: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/csh/index-e.html

3. Z39.50 Search and Retrieval International Standard

Your software should be able to support the Z39.50 international standard. This allows for the potential for sharing your catalogue records with other libraries in the province. Z39.50 is an international standard for searching and retrieving across computer systems over the Internet.

More information on this is available at: http://www.loc.gov/z3950/agency/

4. Are there any other standards that the software needs to support?

UNICODE, SIF, non-browser specific