Ideas….

At the HELIN Reference Committee Meeting we discussed E-Reference Materials and how the different libraries are using them.  I mentioned that we are trying to move resources more to the forefront by using something like LibGuides or SubjectPlus.

Johnson and Wales indicated that they are using LibGuides (and that it is pretty darn cheap considering what you’re getting).  http://jwu-ri.libguides.com/.  They indicated that their guides are class or assignment specific; so they are working closely with professors to develop guides for their classes.  They also indicated that the company is very responsive when it comes to customization.  LibGuides also indicates that you can embed widgets into Moodle.  Perhaps when I go to ALA in Denver I’ll ask them a bit more.

One thing to note, the good thing about SubjectPlus is that we can make it look more like a pretty database interface.  Elliot’s already started doing this.

In addition to all the cool new features that GMail has (including my personal favorite Mail Goggles that stops you from sending crazy emails late at night) it has release two new ones.

1) Tasks — useful but currently I use Toodledo. Which allows you to take notes, file things, set goals, and create subtasks.  And if you go all out on Toodledo you can actually have Toodledo tell you what to do.  Good effort GMail, but I’ll stick with Toodledo (which also integrates with your calendar).

2) SMS Text Messaging from your GMail.  Wonderful!  Now I can text message without having to use my tiny little keyboard.

Interested in finding out more: http://mail.google.com/mail/help/about_whatsnew.html

LORI (and HELIN by default) are thinking of switching to Relais (yay Canada). So how is this going to effect Wheaton College?

LDAP Authentication

Done outside of Relais (as of now) but inforamtion is passed to Relais via OpenURL.

Staff Workflow of Relais

Relais Staff Interface -- When your patrons submit a request.

Relais allows you to search within your catalog to see if one of your libraries has an item and then pass it along to the library to be filled.  Currently your patrons submit a request through a web interface.  Relais makes it possible to use ONE ILL interface for both local borrowing (within HELIN) and outside library borrowing.

If a patron places a request, auto search will search your library’s catalog and fulfill your request according what libraries in your catalog have the item available.  You can also configure it to search other libraries and it will add the libraries to the routing slip and send a pick slip to the other libraries.  If the auto search doesn’t find it you’ll need to go in and check in the system to determine why it didn’t (human error, whatever).

Relais Staff Interface -- When you have done a search in your home catalog and its available at some of the libraries in your ILS (note the availabilty section)

Mediated and unmediated borrowing is possible.

You can create a routing list using Relais.  You can do it on an individual catalog basis or through WorldCat (and do 5 libraries each).  All of this works using ISO ILL — http://www.oclc.org/isoill/default.htm.  Although it hasn’t been picked up broadly in the US, but since Relais can communicate with OCLC, this doesn’t tend to be a problem (although it may be that you can only do 5 libraries at a time…and if that doesn’t work you have to go back and try again).

Relais Staff Interface -- When you get a request from another library

Relais will be moving to a web interface rather than software client on your work station, instead you can use a web application.  Possible advantages:

• easier updates to the system
• we won’t be behind the times
• requires sys admins to do less work for maintaining the system

Questions that come up after the meeting you can send them to Relais (Tim Spindler is compiling them).