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LNOCA Library Automation Planning and Implementation Guide

How do I automate my library? How do I convert from one system to another? Many libraries are too understaffed to devote the necessary time to investigate the why, how, and who of library automation. At LNOCA, we understand how complex the prospect of library automation can be and how much time it takes to do the necessary research. With this in mind, we have compiled this guide to help you understand the basics and put you on the road to a successful automation project.

LNOCA Overview

The Lakeshore Northeast Ohio Computer Association (LNOCA), a nonprofit organization, is one of 23 Information Technology Centers (ITCs) of the Ohio Education Computer Network (OECN) that provides K-12 schools in Northeast Ohio with cost effective solutions to their education and technology needs.

LNOCA's Library Systems department provides K-12 schools with a variety of products and services for students, teachers, library/media staff, guidance counselors, and other support staff. INFOhio's library automation software is supported at LNOCA in over 50 school systems, representing nearly 200 school libraries, helping 100,000+ students and their teachers; search any school library automated with LNOCA. The INFOhio fee at LNOCA includes:

Software/Support:

  • License and maintenance fees for Sirsi/Dynix K-12 library automation software, including the StaffWeb client and online catalog Content Enrichment
  • Updates/upgrades to LNOCA system hardware housing the data
  • LNOCA staff uses a team approach to customer support that allows users to email questions/issues to a group email address or to phone a department number to which one or more Library Systems staff members will respond.
  • Electronic distribution lists to allow for group communications from LNOCA and peers
  • Local documentation is accessible from the LNOCA Library Systems web site. In addition to supplementing INFOhio and vendor produced materials, our extensive web site supports school library/media personnel with:
    • resources for promoting, using, and training others in the use of the INFOhio and LNOCA electronic resources.
    • peer materials that may be of assistance in the library/media program.
    • data and information to promote and advocate for the school library/media program.
  • Customized record and vendor load procedures
  • OCLC WorldCat access
  • Batch loading and update of patron records
  • SIP2 and Z39.50 compliance in support of MORE (statewide interlibrary loan)

Training:

  • Software implementation training and ongoing workshops delivered both at LNOCA and onsite
  • With the Liaison to LNOCA for INFOhio Services (LLIS) advisory meetings, LNOCA provides a forum for training and professional networking. In addition, the LLIS disseminates information regarding various library/media topics, upgrades, services available, and sharing of ideas. The LLIS structure is the de facto professional organization for K-12 librarians in the area.
  • Training for INFOhio's free online research databases

Educational online database access:

  • The Ohio Career Information System (OCIS) software from the Ohio Department of Education contains accurate and up-to-date information about colleges, professional schools, occupations, military careers, scholarships, and resumé writing techniques (provided to member districts only).

More information about LNOCA is available.

Fees:

The fee schedule for the software and support of INFOhio services at LNOCA is based on Total Head Count (THC) and decreases over a three year period. Total Head Count is defined as “Total head count per report EMS-EDTADM-School Enrollment – First Full Week in October.” Schools are billed annually on July 1 after bibliographic/item records have been loaded in the database.

The INFOhio Fees Schedule includes the following benefits to your school district/building:

  • Software/Support: license and maintenance fees, including Sirsi Content Enrichment; updates/upgrades; servers and system hardware maintenance; LNOCA staff available via phone or email for technical support; documentation on the Library Systems website; Liaison to LNOCA for INFOhio Services (LLIS) meetings/workshops; vendor load procedures (including OCLC WorldCat access); patron updates; union catalog; SIP2; Z39.50 compliance; and support for MORE (statewide resource sharing).
  • Training: library software training sessions available both at LNOCA and onsite; and other timely workshops for library/media staff as needed.

Fee Schedule
Year 1 $ 5.50 per THC
Year 2 $ 4.25 per THC
Year 3 $ 3.75 per THC
Ongoing per year $ 3.25 per THC

INFOhio Overview

INFOhio is a K-12 statewide project that provides a comprehensive set of products and services designed to simplify and streamline the daily tasks required of K-12 librarians and educators while meeting students' information needs.

The vision that led to INFOhio was developed in Cuyahoga County (November, 1989) when a group of library media specialists met to construct a cooperative plan for library automation. A key element in their plan involved incorporating library automation services into ITCs already linked into the OECN, a statewide electronic network connecting over 95% of Ohio's public schools.

More information about INFOhio is available. Consider subscribing to the INFOhio-l List.

INFOhio's Components

1. Electronic Resources
INFOhio conducts extensive testing with school library media specialists, curriculum specialists, and ITC staff to best determine what is of most value to Ohio's K-12 students and educators. The result is a core collection of electronic, age-specific, curriculum-related resources for K-12 use in Ohio. Negotiating a statewide contract for these resources makes them available across the state without charge to individual schools. INFOhio pays about 50¢ per student on behalf of the State of Ohio to provide all these resources to students and educators. If schools subscribed on their own, it would cost well over $50 per student.

In addition, the MCOECN works with INFOhio and ITCs to lower the cost of other databases for Ohio's schools; please review the special INFOhio pricing INFOhio negotiates with vendors for K-12 schools.

2. Instructional Development
INFOhio offers a full range of training, workshops, seminars, in-services, and support programs to help educators throughout the state better understand the expanding definition of literacy and how to use tools and technologies of the Information Age. It has created the DIALOGUE Model for Information Literacy Skills, a practical, real-world approach to research-based activities by students. See also the Research Project Calculator, which assists students in writing an essay or report, creating a PowerPoint® presentation or producing a video. More information about INFOhio's Instructional Development component is available from its website.

INFOhio focuses on students and instruction, with 21st century tools supporting 21st century learning. Consider these recent initiatives:

  • SchoolRooms: web portal with age-appropriate subject rooms. Users can search simultaneously thousands of K-12 Web sites, Core Collection magazine and newspaper databases, encyclopedias, and their school library catalogs (if automated with INFOhio).
  • 12-13 Transition: The restructuring of Ohio's education program, from preschool through college, is supported by collaborative efforts from INFOhio and OhioLINK. Having established a special task force, the two agencies have published a white paper, collected resources in a single web page, and created a listserv for educators who wish to share ideas and best practices.
  • Internet2: Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, Ohio school districts using the Ohio Education Computer Network as their primary Internet provider have unlimited Internet2 Network access without bandwidth charges. Participation in collaborative projects such as video conferencing and distance learning education will be possible, but districts/schools will be responsible for any additional charges or fees. Web 2.0 online applications and sites, including podcasting, remote instrumentation and social networking, will be much more accessible.

3. Library Automation
INFOhio uses the Sirsi/Dynix K-12 library automation software which is installed at all 23 Ohio Information Technology Centers (ITCs). There are currently 2,394 libraries, 492 school districts, and more than 1,134,000 students using it to locate materials. It includes the following components:

  • OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog): Patrons can search their school library from any Internet connection and determine the availability of resources. They can also search other school, college and public library collections. Items can be marked and kept in a bookbag list which can be emailed or printed for quick pick-up of materials. The online renewal feature saves time for all. Search reading programs by level and/or point range.
  • WorkFlows Cataloging Module: New records may be created or existing MARC records can be copied. Records can also be downloaded from OCLC WorldCat or INFOhio's Curriculum Resource Catalog directly into the system.
  • WorkFlows Circulation Module: The librarian's workstation displays the availability and location of library materials, checks them in and out, and maintains patron accounts.
  • WorkFlows Inventory Module: Staff can verify the collections' contents at regular intervals to help keep the OPAC accurate and better manage valuable library collections.
  • WorkFlows Reports Module: Staff can generate overdue notices and obtain statistical information about patrons and collections (fines, fees, loans, holds, overdues, users, and holdings) to account for materials and their status.
  • WorkFlows Offline Circulation Module: Check out materials to registered users and check in returned items in an offline mode, when you are unable to connect to the server. The data used by Offline Workflows is automatically transferred when the WorkFlows client next connects to the server.
  • StaffWeb Client: An easy-to-use interface enables media specialists and staff to circulate and do simple administrative tasks using only a standard web browser instead of the WorkFlows client.

Other INFOhio and LNOCA-specific library automation features include:

  • Bibliographic Record Load Service: Files from vendors are loaded by LNOCA staff in a timely manner.
  • Authority Control: INFOhio's electronic records maintain consistent standards for effective searching. The Curriculum Resource Catalog coordinates the authority control process for ITCs and their member school districts/buildings.
  • Collection Development: Library media center staff can use the Curriculum Resource Catalog or access peer catalogs online to view the holdings of other schools throughout the state to assist in building and enhancing their collections.
  • Library Attendance Module: Staff can verify patron attendance in the library/media center and generate reports.
  • Policies: Policies may be customized based on the type of patron and the type of collection at a particular school or district.
  • Curriculum Alignment: Reading level and curriculum alignment data can be found in INFOhio's SuperMARC records, allowing educators to search for the best materials to address student needs.
  • Textbook Management: Utilize the Sirsi/Dynix K-12 library automation software to track textbooks; search and display; check-in/check-out; conduct inventory; and generate reports.

4. Media Booking
Teachers from anywhere in the state can simply point and click to locate and reserve the multi-media resources they need - 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The collections of more than 30 agencies are online including Area Media Centers, Special Education Regional Resources Centers, education television corporations and school district central media centers. The system keeps track of shipping and circulation records for materials such as videotapes, videodiscs, films, and computer software.

INFOhio also hosts the Digital Video Collection, which contains over 340 digital videos available online available at no cost to K-12 educators and students. All of them are aligned to the Ohio Academic Content Standards.

5. Curriculum Resource Catalog
This treasure trove of bibliographic records assists in collection development and identifies resources aligned to Ohio's Academic Content Standards. It is a compilation of over one million unique bibliographic records of resources held by over 2,000 Ohio public and private school libraries and more than 40 K-12 support agencies. It is used daily by school library media specialists who copy bibliographic records for local materials, saving time and money for local school budgets. These bibliographic records can be downloaded to local databases using the SmartPort wizard in the Sirsi/Dynix Workflows client.

Adding a bibliographic record to a local catalog requires three simple steps using the SmartPort wizard:
1. Search the Union Catalog by subject, author, title, or ISBN.
2. Capture the target record.
3. Save the record for loading into the local catalog.

In addition, INFOhio has partnered with OHIONET and OCLC to offer all schools in Ohio access to OCLC WorldCat, the world's largest online union catalog. ITC customers can access WorldCat and download records through the Sirsi/Dynix interface. This allows school libraries to obtain quality MARC records in a timely fashion and at no additional cost.

Library Automation Planning Considerations

This timeline provides a general guideline for the sequence of activities necessary to automate your collection with INFOhio. Ample time must be allowed to complete each activity. Some activities can be carried out while others are in progress. Other activities depend upon the completion of prerequisites.

Many factors impact the timeline, some under the control of the school district/building and others dependent on vendors and suppliers. For example, a retrospective conversion vendor (ie: Brodart) may have fewer projects underway at some times during the year making conversion less time-consuming than during times when many projects are in progress. The actual time that will elapse from contract signing through system implementation typically varies from approximately 4 to 6 months, depending on the school district's/building's work load and other variables.

1. Contact LNOCA for initial meeting.

  • Issues to consider include equipment needs, record loading alternatives, and task schedules.
  • Other considerations include barcode number ranges, collection groupings, patron categories, etc.

2. Weed your collection so you won't waste time (and money) barcoding and entering items you plan to discard.

  • Update shelflist/catalog - shelflist cards should mirror what is on shelves.
  • A healthy weeding, followed by a full inventory will ease the transition to automation in three ways:
    • Minimizes your retrospective conversion costs
    • Makes the barcoding chore easier and more economical
    • Minimizes database cleanup

3.Convert holdings records to electronic USMARC format. There are 3 possible ways to convert records:

  • Send shelflist to retrospective conversion vendor (ie: Brodart).
  • If the records are already on an automated system (ie: Follett, Winnebago, etc.), it is possible that the current electronic resources could be extracted and loaded into INFOhio's library automation vendor, Sirsi/Dynix. Check with your current vendor for ways to extract/export the data. LNOCA will need to be involved in this kind of conversion, so make sure that this is reviewed at the initial meeting.
  • Retrieve and load records from the INFOhio Union Catalog.

4. Formalize agreement with LNOCA and sign contract.

5. Evaluate equipment needs:

  • Plan where you will put the equipment.
  • Order and install equipment.
  • Ensure LAN/WAN connectivity for the library/media center.

6. Provide LNOCA with district contact information; assign Liaison to LNOCA for INFOhio Services.

7. LNOCA creates your database and begins conversion of data.

8. Establish library/media staff accounts with LNOCA.

9. The LLIS working with LNOCA will establish policies (library automation software settings) for each library; LNOCA staff will enter and modify the policies as needed.

10. Training of library/media staff begins.

  • While you are waiting for records to come back from the retrospective conversion vendor, it is a good time to begin scheduling library/media staff training. Initial training should cover general overview to the system and cataloging basics.
  • Circulation and reports training may be better delayed until later in the implementation schedule (once bibliographic records and patrons are loaded).

11. Attach barcode labels to materials (decide where on the items you will place the barcodes).

12. LNOCA loads bibliographic records and library/media staff evaluate records.

  • Once the records are received from the vendor (ie: Brodart) or librarian, LNOCA will convert and load them into the database. This task requires special conversion (translation) tables to be written and always includes at least some level of manual cleanup.
  • Once the records have been reviewed and approved, they are now available for searching and extraction to the Union Catalog; and the database is ready for vendor loads.

13. Load patron records.

  • Member Schools: LNOCA will build the patron records using each district's student records (for student patrons) and payroll records (for staff patrons).
  • Independent Schools: Independent schools have the following three choices for loading this data:
  • Decide how/where you are going to place your patron barcodes (ie: notebook, rolodex, index cards, IDs, etc.)

14. Implement the new system.

  • Review library policies.
  • Ensure that all equipment works (barcode scanner, printer, etc.).
  • Test check-in, check-out, and other circulation tasks.

15. Instruct students and train staff.

16. Plan for hardware maintenance and supplies.