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Library Technology Projects Advisory Committee
Progress Report August 2001
Note: The report has been draft reformatted to recognise the different projects that the Libraries Online team work on and the new LTPAC. The LOL team is now are funded by VICNET with support from separate projects. Project owners/partners are identified in the report heading.
1. BUDGET & STAFFING
The Libraries Online project has come in on target and current funds from MMV have been expended.
Andrew Cunningham and Stephanie McGlinchey have had contracts renewed for the coming year and Brendan for 6 Months to February. This is because as reported funding will be coming from a range of sources for a variety of projects (some as yet unconfirmed).
2. $400,000 Statewide Network Infrastructure project - Arts Victoria
The current status of this project is that the general direction set out in the paper presented previously to this committee (RLOL/LOL) has been accepted by the VLNC at its most recent meeting and forwarded to the LBV for approval.
2.1 Project summary
The State Government Budget announced in May 2001 included $1.6 million over four years to “strengthen the existing Statewide Library network through the governments Culture Online initiative”. This funding was in response to the State Library of Victoria’s budget submission for an additional $700K annual recurrent funding for “support and ongoing development for the core infrastructure of the statewide library network”.
The majority of the funding will be used to extend the Rural Libraries strategy of developing atmospheric (radio and microwave) network links as a means of reducing the ongoing cost of data communications for libraries. As this funding is not restricted to non metropolitan areas (as was the earlier Rural Libraries funding), some may be directed to resolving network problems in Melbourne. Research will be undertaken to determine the most effective models with the possibility that statewide backchannel links may prove a more valuable capital addition than branch links.
The remainder of the funding will be used to maximise the effectiveness of the infrastructure through various traffic management and security proposals and through the development of the Network Operations Centre infrastructure based at VICNET.
The projects will be managed by VICNET and overseen by then existing stakeholder steering committee, the Rural Libraries Online/Libraries Online Steering Committee. The Steering Committee has representation from the Local Government Division of the Department of Infrastructure and Multimedia Victoria, as well as the peak public library bodies of VICLINK and CPLG. It is anticipated that the Municipal Association of Victoria, the peak body for local government, will join the Steering Committee.
3. Victorian Rural Libraries Online Project - Networking the Nation (DoCITA)
3.1 Expressions of Interest for Stage 3 surveys.
The EOI has closed, and access was gained to the submissions on Friday 3 August The assessment panel of Christine Payne, Frances Savage, Peter Schmidt, Brendan Fitzgerald and David Feighan met and based on the criteria of staff ability, methodology suggested, commercial/professional experience of the applicant and financial status where determinable, the 21 responses were reduced to a panel of 10 approved contractors.
Siemens Ltd., Last Mile Wireless Communications Pty Ltd., Radio System Integration Pty Ltd., Network Design and Construction Ltd., Consultel IT&T Pty Ltd., Optus Pty Ltd., Marconi Australia Pty Ltd., Gibson Quai Pty Ltd., Melbourne Satellites Pty Ltd., Sinclair Knight Merz Pty Ltd.
This panel of suppliers was invited to a briefing meeting at the State Library on 3 September 2001 and invited to quote for the surveys. Responses were received from nine of the panel, and are summarised in the attached table – the panel was clear that it was very unlikely that a single state-wide response would be successful on the grounds of speed of completion. The table shows that the quotes varied quite widely, and on that criterion – the state was divided between the two cheapest quotations received. Last Mile Wireless and Marconi Australia. The successful companies have been notified of the fact, and contracts will be negotiated with them in conjunction with the Corporate Secretary of the State Library.
3.2 State-wide Backchannel
A quotation has been received from Optus for un-managed frame relay circuits to each of the 20 satellite sites, and this is being analysed for suitability.
3.3 Budget
The budget report for August 2001 is attached as received from the State Library, this shows expenditure and income for August itself and for financial year 2001-2002, year to date.
3.4 Transition Issues
Geelong
The Geelong Regional Library Corporation board has decided to proceed with its own network design and construction via a tender process. Discussions with the senior library staff have led RLOL to offer some assistance with the preparation of the tender specification and tender assessment, and a grant of money towards the construction of the network. The advice of the Steering Committee is sought as to the quantum of the grant of money.
Wimmera
Discussions have been held with the library management about the payment of the satellite bandwidth, and with the consultant working with the Councils of the region, and these will continue until the issues are resolved.
As the project moves towards its final phases, more detailed thought needs to be given to the project boundaries ie what does leaving the project mean in practice?
4. Printers for libraries Project - Networking the Nation (DoCITA)
LOL staff has completed the first stage of this project on target and associated draft report is attached identifying the current provision.
The deed identifies the following target milestones.
The milestones are:
1. clarify current provision of printers across therural public library network by 30 Sept.2001:
2. map optimal printer configurations by 15th Oct 2001
3. map locations where council or shirepurchasing requirements prevent participationin state-wide purchase. by 15th Oct 2001
4. purchase via approved government supplierprocess printers for participating locations by 15 Nov 2001
5. develop arrangements with councils and shireswho wish to acquire infrastructure as partof local purchasing agreements by 15 Nov 2001
6. oversee delivery and assist withinstallation of printer infrastructureacross the network by 31 Dec 2001:
The survey sought answers to the following questions
1. Do any of your branches NOT have a printer available for public access?
If the answer is YES, please specify which branch/es
2. For each of the branches that have printers available for public access, please specify,
make/model of the printer;
type of printer (laser, inkjet, bubblejet)
Colour or black and white\
- Whether or not the printer is,
stand-alone
networked
shared - Whether or not your library service has a service agreement for the printers at a local
dealer.
Responses were returned by the 29th of August. Vicnet CS staff will begin work on stage 2 next week.
4.1 Recommendation:
That this steering committee approves the supply of printers based upon the following priorities:
· Library branches currently with no printer,
· Library branches currently operating with bubblejet printers
· Library branches currently operating with inkjet printers and which operate a shared network of 3 and more internet PC’s
· Remaining Library branches currently operating Inkjet printers
· Upgrade existing laser printers.
5. Gulliver - VICLINK
As reported Libraries Online has invoiced all libraries on the 1st of July and as soon as this money is in we will pay GALE and EBSCO. These invoices will need to be signed off by the appropriate delegation at the SLV.
The Gulliver group is being reformed and had its first meeting for 2001/02 on August the 2nd with representatives from:
· Collections Co-operative
· Reference Co-op
· a library manager from the VICLINK Executive
· practicing public librarians from the statewide Marketing and statewide training projects
· Victorias virtual library
· VICNET
LOL is continuing to act in a support capacity.
No progress to report on the application is before the Minister for Local Govt. for discretionary funding to support the consortium.
6. Victoria’s Virtual Library - VICNET
Site Statistical results are at http://libraries.vic.gov.au/LOGS/webalizer/. See attached for summary year to date.
Hits on the Virtual Library site have risen over the 200,000 mark per month. The total is now well over 2 million. As it is becoming clear that increased usage beyond this point is reliant upon a more coordinated and focussed promotional effort. Progress on some initiatives reported last meeting:
· MMV preparing a ministerial press release, Helen to report.
· LOL has prepared a localised draft press release for all rural libraries,
· LOL has had 3CR prepare a radio promotion for community radio and will be circulating this to other community radio stations,
· LOL with SLV public affairs are developing press releases for the suburban newspapers, This is in progress and should be ready for September/October release.
· LOL are doing promotional demonstrations at the Lowanna College Learning Technologies Conference Sept 2001 (Completed) and the show as part of the VICNET stand.
· We currently have 356 subscribers to the VVL zine.
The specification for the site update and database build is complete and we are awaiting a final quote on redevelopment from VICNET web production. Andrew Cunningham led the process and specification development.
Victoria’s Virtual Library has been in the top 10 domains hosted by VICNET since August 2000. In summary the hits for each month from June 2000 to August 2001 are as follows:
Table 1 – Hits on Victoria’s Virtual Library for 12 Months– Raw Data
Month / HitsJune / 62,851
July / 80,570
August / 102,944
September / 137,633
October* / 113,655
November / 130,024
December* / 101,438
January / 143,601
February / 170,014
March* / 198,500
April** / 178,375
May / 205,086
June / 176,641
July / 198,481
August / 230,480
Total / 2,230,293
*Dec, Oct, and March include estimations based upon average daily hits as the log server software was changed or down during this period.
** April includes 4 public holidays
Table 2 – Hits on Victoria’s Virtual Library - Graph
Table 3 Victoria’s Virtual Library Daily usage statistics for August 2001
6.1 Ask a Librarian project - VICNET
Ask a Librarian is progressing well with Upper Murray Regional Library Service doing August and Mildura are interested in September. We have begun the process of evaluating this pilot, with a meeting of libraries involved and those that run online reference set for August the 9th. As all libraries participating surveyed indicated they wish to continue with the service the aim of this meeting will be to set the way forward regarding parameters and process for at least the next 12 months
A draft training manual has been prepared with the parameters for the service for the next meeting
7. Interoperability - VICNET/ Liblink
Z39.50 cluster searching
Meeting between VICNET ,Geac and Liblink held early August. LIBLINK will clarify its situation with GEAC and inform VICNET as to how to proceed.
8. Open Road and LOTE access - VICNET
The OpenRoad website continues to grow and be successful. Hits for the month of August
totalled 23,027 and total nearly 280,000 since its launch. Andrew Cunningham successfully presented a paper on the Open Road at the pre IFLA conference in Buffalo.
LOL staff are looking at promoting this site to the broader LOTE community targeted first at the MRC’s in Victoria
9. Libraries Online – Multimedia Victoria
9.1 Melbourne Infrastructure
Progress at the end of July:
· Mornington (dish installed) –. Mornington are connected and running
· Darebin (dish installed) –satellite modem are to be removed at their cost.
· Bayside (dish installed) – Connected and need MRTG to be set up
9.2 1,000,000th Hour of Internet access in Public Libraries
· LOL involved in the 1,000,000th Hour promotion coordinated by MMV to promote public access internet in public libraries, which will also highlight the high usage of the Virtual Library. Helen to report.
9.3 Evaluation
I &J Management Services have now presented Libraries Online and MMV with the final report. This is at MMV for consideration. Helen to report on progress of publication.
10 Voiceprint - VICNET/RVIB
RVIB have been informed of the committee’s decision and will present LOL with the invoices for payment as stage 1 of this project concludes. No progress to report.
11. Regional corporate and community research librarian- VICNET/Gleneg RLS
Adele Kenneally and Brendan Fitzgerald have submitted an expression of interest to the Regional Solutions fund to fund this position. This should result in further scoping of the project in partnership with Regional Solutions staff. This fund is federal based (Dept of Transport) and will fund staff positions
12. One System for All - ( DoI)
The DoI have indicated that following the report from Practico that they are looking at funding a pilot for One Library System for all Victorian Public libraries. This is in the very early stages and LOL with the DoI have begun the process of scoping the pilot.
Brendan Fitzgerald & Frances Savage
Co-Managers, Online Projects (Acting)
6th September 2001
Libraries Online. Report on Activities: Fourth Quarter 1999/2000 26 September, 2001
C:\program files\qualcomm\eudora\attach\VLOL_ProgressReport_August200111.doc