Library System: OLIB 7.1.5 from Fretwell Downing Informatics – UK.
Main users: AUB students, faculty, staff, outside users
The system is licensed to the University Libraries (UL) and Saab Medical Library (SML), where the cost is distributed at a ratio of 85/15.
Approximate Cost in US$
Library System $140,000.- Hardware $298,000.- Installation $ 86,000.- Infrastructure $ 72,000.- Conversion $412,000.- OLIB maintenance/year $ 32,000.-
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HistoryIn 1994, the Library Automation Committee submitted an RFP to several providers. The committee members included: C. Abdallah (Library), S. Azar, H. Bikhazi (Library), N. Bukhalid, M. Haddadin, M. Manasfi, G. Tomey.
After evaluating the seven received proposals, only two systems were short-listed: Dynix and Oracle Libraries (OLIB).
February-March, 1995 a team of AUB Libraries and IT staff visited several academic library sites in the UK to evaluate the two short-listed systems. An evaluation and recommendation report was submitted to the Automation Committee. The final decision on acquiring the OLIB system was approved by the Committee and the Administration.
Although OLIB has a low client base, but it was in better compliance with AUB Librarie's needs than Dynix, for the following reasons:
1. Supports multi languages (including Arabic) 2. Provides local support (Logos)
3. Complies with database technologies (SQL, Open Architecture, Client Server, etc.).
4. The OPAC module, which is aimed for end-users, is friendly and easy to use.
Current Status
The OLIB system has been in use for more than seven years. At its present status, OLIB fulfils library staff and users needs for cataloguing records, generating reports on usage and expenditure, managing the collection, and retrieving holdings information by end user. It lacks in some areas, such as supporting multimedia collection, exchanging data in XML format, displaying serials holdings according to international standard format (MARC), in addition to EAD structure document format for archival materials (it was supposed to be included in the system, but not yet implemented)
Updates and upgrades are received on a yearly basis, and they are mainly related to bug fixes, and enhancements in existing modules.
Costs of maintaining the current level are the yearly maintenance/upgrade of OLIB, UNIX server and the Oracle software:
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OLIB $27,100 $4,782
Oracle $1,840 $1,380
Unix Server $4,837 $3,225
The presence of the local support in Beirut helped the libraries during the first phase of installation/implementation processes, plus a minimal support during the upgrade phases.
However, the necessary daily customer support is still lacking, especially when reporting bugs found in the system. In addition, library staff were denied participation in the UK OLIB
Users Group where staff could benefit from the international users’ experience, and could be involved in prioritising bug fixes and developing new modules.
In addition, the libraries lack the needed daily support from a dedicated system
administrator. Many staff enquiries would take weeks to be accomplished when system
administrator is engaged with other CNS/AUB projects. For the records, the libraries' system administrator is responsible for two systems: Libraries and Banner. This situation makes it hard on the libraries (UL and SML) to progress as planned.
On the other hand, the libraries have various types of resources (electronic databases, digitized material, etc.) in addition to their two different library catalogs (for UL and SML). For the user to search all available resources in both libraries (including full text articles found in electronic databases) the libraries will have to add a portal (a federated search engine) to the existing system, which would provide state of the art services to their users; where they would have a one access point for their research needs. The libraries will
expedite considering a portal to fulfil research needs and facilitate retrieval of information; therefore, the libraries' main concern will be to study, evaluate, and coordinate with the University the possibility of acquiring such a portal which will range between US$60,000 and 100,000.
Philosophy of development over the past decade
Since OLIB lacks some functions and does not completely comply with international standards, libraries' staff are always trying to integrate the existing system with new systems; Therefore, libraries' staff, in coordination with, and assistance of the system administrator, designed and developed modules within OLIB database, hoping that in the future, these functionalities will be added to OLIB's future developments. These modules are:
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1. A module to catalogue the “AUB faculty and staff catalogue” was created using the OLIB relational database, end-user accesses the data via a web interface.
2. The Special Collections such as the AUB photographs and Posters are catalogued in the OLIB database to give users access to these collections. These collections still have to be structured and displayed in EAD format which is no yet supported/implemented in OLIB)
3. Integrating data between OLIB and banner: Students fines for library items are automatically transferred to banner and added to the student’s fees.
4. A plan to automate the clearance system (between libraries and Registrar), where staff would not have to manually check each student record in OLIB, and then sends the clearance to Registrar. A similar process should be developed to automate clearance records between libraries and personnel.
On the other hand, and in order for the libraries to provide its collections to users in a digital format, some projects were outsourced to an outside company, these projects are:
1. The Lebanese Newspapers Digital Archives: this project was outsourced to NextVision in 2000. It involved providing three Lebanese newspapers in digital format (Nahar, Safir, L’Orient le Jour), in addition to providing the search engine and designing the user interface. This year, a fourth newspaper (Al-hayat) was added to the list.
2. The Electronic Reserve: It was also outsourced to NextVision in summer 2002. The company developed the system, and scanned course reserve material that was available in the library for two semesters. Currently, library staff is responsible for scanning and providing the material using the developed system.
Current level of physical infrastructure in the libraries
The Libraries' physical infrastructure is currently adequate, considering the number of staff, maximum number of users accepted in the premises, space limitation for expansion, and the various enhancements being done. The Libraries should always plan for maintenance and
upgrade of existing infrastructure; and sets, in advance, the needed budget accordingly.
Automatic reports that facilitate AUB’s operations: integration of OLIB and Banner
systems, updating of students’ status (automatic payment of library fines by transferring them to student's statement of fees) are now in place. Automatic payment of library fines should also be extended to include staff and faculty records, which warrant the need to integrate libraries and personnel systems.
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Level of integration with CMS and other educational systems
There is a strong need to integrate WebCT with the library system. Many faculty members
are contacting the library to provide their material on E-Reserve only because they do not have a WebCT page for their course. Therefore, the University should provide help/assistance to faculty members in order to create their WebCT pages, which will facilitate access and information retrieval by students.
When professors have a WebCT page, the Libraries would provide them with a direct link to the course material (with the username/password embedded), and links to customized research guides (according to course, major, etc.). These links will be added on their course page, where students would have a one access point to their course material.
Distance Learning
Most of the library resources are available online, on accessed remotely, as long as network connection is reliable. However, the libraries plan their subscriptions according to the current majors offered, and to the number of students (FTE). If distance learning will be part of
AUB’s programs, libraries should be involved in the planning process in order to better negotiate with the providers the license agreements related to accessing the databases and the possible price increase for additional users. Therefore, the libraries need to allocate the proper budget for the additional resources and users.