CLN RFP Award Information

Bill Sullivan (wsulliva@csunet.ctstateu.edu)
Thu, 2 Oct 1997 17:11:22 -0400 

Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 17:11:22 -0400
Message-Id: <01BCCF56.D0939040@har-ct3-04.ix.netcom.com>
From: Bill Sullivan <wsulliva@csunet.ctstateu.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <conntech>
Subject: CLN RFP Award Information

ConnTechers:

I would like to respond more fully to questions about what services we =
can expect The Library Corporation (TLC) to deliver, without violating =
the state's nondisclosure rules (which prevent us from discussing what =
is in their proposal until after the contract is signed).  I will do =
this by referring to the main services in the RFP =
(http://www.cslnet.ctstateu.edu/cln/rfp/index.htm), which are organized =
under two major categories:  Statewide Bibliographic Database and =
Information Gateway services.  The award to TLC was made to BOTH =
categories of services.

****************************
SUMMARY
****************************

TLC will provide a statewide database that is Web-accessible and is also =
on CD-ROM.  It will include a public-access catalog, an interlibrary =
loan system, and the capability to update (add/delete) holdings online.  =
The Web version can be accessed with text-based terminals.

An "Information Gateway" will allow users to search simultaneously many =
Internet-accessible information resources, including the statewide =
bibliographic database.


****************************
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
****************************


STATEWIDE BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASE AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES:

1. Accessible over the Web:

The current reQuest statewide database on CD-ROM will be moved to a web =
accessible environment.  It will include the following features:

Public-Access Catalog (WebPAC) - single-search access to entire =
statewide catalog

Interlibrary Loan Management System with patron authentication and =
online access to interlibrary loan policies and other institutional =
data.  It will allow libraries and their patrons to initiate and track =
interlibrary loan requests online.  The system is standards-compliant =
and will eventually be able to conduct transactions with other databases =
that conform to the same standards, rather than limiting its use to just =
one (the statewide bibliographic) database.

The Holdings Maintenance module will allow libraries to =
add/change/delete holdings using the statewide and LC MARC databases

It will allow ASCII terminals to access text-based patron/staff =
functions (excluding cataloging functions)

2.	Accessible as a CD-ROM product

We intend to continue the CD-ROM product until all current participants =
can afford to offer the Web-accessible version of the catalog to their =
patrons.  Currently, 277 libraries use the CD-ROM product.  Although =
many libraries now have access to the Internet, not all are offering =
this access to their patrons.

	The CD-ROM product will feature:

Single-search access to entire statewide catalog
An Interlibrary Loan Module with the ability to create and print ILL =
requests
A Holdings Maintenance Module with the ability to add/delete/change =
holdings

3.  Help desk/technical support services, training and documentation.  =
All training will be provided through the Training Lab when it is =
established at the Middletown Library Service Center.

4.  Onsite installation of client software (if requested)

TLC (http://www.tlcdelivers.com) presently supplies large union catalogs =
for the state of Maine and for the Rochester (NY) Regional Library =
Council.


INFORMATION GATEWAY AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES:

The "Information Gateway" is intended to allow users to identify and =
query simultaneously a large variety of Internet-accessible information =
resources, including the statewide bibliographic database.  In parallel =
with this development, we expect to see the statewide database itself =
become more distributed, but this will depend upon the Gateway's ability =
to intelligently and efficiently unify the search results it obtains =
from the many, disparate network resources that now comprise reQuest, as =
well as on the ability of those resources to respond to network queries =
in a timely fashion.  TLC's specific capabilities in these areas will be =
described after the contract is signed and we are free to discuss their =
proposal.

Independent of this contract, CLN will also be negotiating access to a =
variety of commercial database products.
********************
CURRENT STATUS
********************

Pursuant to the motions passed by the CLN and State Library Boards, I am =
currently working directly with TLC to develop an implementation plan =
(which will outline what will be delivered when, and what CLN must do to =
facilitate this).  I will also participate in contract negotiations, =
which the state Department of Information Technology will begin during =
the week of October 20.  These negotiations typically take two months.  =
Concurrently, the CLN Board is putting together a work plan that will, =
among many other things, resolve any policy questions that must be =
resolved in order to finalize the implementation plan and contract.  =
More details concerning the work plan will be distributed following the =
Board's November meeting.  I am also starting the process of hiring two =
additional full-time staff members (yet to be approved) to assist in the =
implementation and ongoing administration of services to be delivered.  =
Finally, we will be working with Auto-Graphics to ensure a smooth =
transition.=20

*************
CLN VISION
*************

Recently, in a meeting with representatives from four companies who are =
competing to win the state contract for information technology services, =
we had the opportunity to articulate a vision for CLN:  to ensure that =
all citizens of Connecticut have EQUITABLE access to the information =
they need through the libraries they regularly use.  We also said that =
this is an opportune time for the state to come to the aid of this =
vision by making available a statewide telecommunications network that =
will ensure that equitable access is also RELIABLE access (access you =
can count on).  That is an important component of CLN that the =
legislature did not fund.  As a result, libraries must provide their own =
connectivity to CLN services that will be delivered over the Web.  We =
hope we planted some seeds in the right places at that meeting.

Bill Sullivan, Administrator
Connecticut Library Network
Connecticut State Library
http://www.cslnet.ctatateu.edu/cln