SENT: Wed 01/09/2002 5:33 PM
TO: All Library Staff List (UF); Beverly Pope - DPI; Health Center Library Staff; Law Library; Iona Malanchuk
FROM: Martha Hruska

Our process of migrating to a new Library Management System (LMS) has now begun with a signed contract with Ex Libris USA. The University of Florida, University of North Florida, and Florida Gulf Coast University will be the first phase SUS libraries to move to Ex Libris’ Aleph system. Our goal is to bring the new system up in early Summer 2003.

 To guide all our staff through the many steps that will be part of this process, we have named an Aleph Steering Committee. Rich Bennett will chair this group and serve as the UF Project Coordinator. As described in the attached charge, the committee will coordinate the process and keep staff informed on a regular basis. The implementation will require coordination within the UF libraries and affiliates, as well as with the other SUS libraries and the CCLA (Community College) system. The Steering Committee will plan for an implementation that will ensure inputs for all measurable library activities so that annual ARL Statistics may be gathered from the system.

I know from all the work that went into preparing the new system requirements and the reviews of the vendor proposals that the implementation will require careful planning and even more work! Nevertheless, this will be an exciting opportunity to refine and further improve our library services and system infrastructure.

Martha Hruska

The implementation of the Ex Libris Aleph system at the University of Florida over the next 18 months will require coordination of all the libraries (Health Sciences Center Library, Legal Information Center, Smathers, and affiliated library collections). FCLA’s Proposed Implementation Schedule will be in phases, beginning with record and location inventories and associated cleanup. This will be followed by testing of data loads for all types of system records and files: circulation, order, check-in, catalog, and holdings.  The next phase will be planning for coordinated functions and codes with other Florida libraries: e.g., OPAC, indexing, universal borrowing, and authority control functions. The final phase will involve individual library training and planning for local implementation. This will take place when Aleph 15.2 is in general release, scheduled for early Spring 2003.

UF’s Aleph Steering Committee will serve to track these phases, keeping staff informed and naming the work groups to accomplish specific tasks as they are needed. The Steering Committee will issue general status reports to all staff on a monthly basis. Initial tasks will include: a review of all existing location, sublocation codes in NOTIS with the aim of eliminating any no longer needed; identification of UF library and sublibrary codes for the Aleph system; identification of obsolete record and file categories that will not need to migrate to the new system.

Committee Members:
Rich Bennett, Chair and UF Aleph Project Manager
Lori Driscoll
Michele Crump
Betsy Simpson
Jan Swanbeck
Mae Clark
Cecilia Botero