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This article was downloaded by: [North Dakota State University]On: 21 October 2014, At: 15:51Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH,UK
The Serials Librarian: From thePrinted Page to the Digital AgePublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wser20
Making the MoveBill Kara Workshop Leader a , Lanell RabnerWorkshop Leader b & Sandra Bar Stow Recorder ca Technical Services, Albert R. Mann Library , CornellUniversity , USAb Periodicals Department Chair , Brigham YoungUniversity , USAc Administrative and Technical Services , Universityof Wyoming Libraries , USAPublished online: 22 Oct 2008.
To cite this article: Bill Kara Workshop Leader , Lanell Rabner Workshop Leader &Sandra Bar Stow Recorder (2002) Making the Move, The Serials Librarian: From thePrinted Page to the Digital Age, 42:3-4, 305-310, DOI: 10.1300/J123v42n03_23
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J123v42n03_23
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Making the Move:Serials Issues in the Migration
to a New Library Management SystemBill Kara
Lanell RabnerWorkshop Leaders
Sandra BarstowRecorder
SUMMARY. This workshop described two libraries and how they ap-proached planning for their migration to a new library management system(LMS); both were formerly NOTIS libraries. Cornell migrated to EndeavorVoyager; BYU migrated to Sirsi. Although the details of their migrationswere quite different, some of the lessons learned were common to both. Thisworkshop provided a good overviewof the factors thatmust be considered re-gardless of how much time there is to plan, the size of the database, and theLMS selected. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document De-livery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <[email protected]> Website: <http://www.HaworthPress.com>]
© 2002 by the North American Serials Interest Group, Inc. All rights reserved.[Haworth co-indexing entry note]: �Making the Move: Serials Issues in the Migration to a New Library
Management System.� Barstow, Sandra. Co-published simultaneously in The Serials Librarian (TheHaworthInformation Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 42, No. 3/4, 2002, pp. 305-310; and: NASIG2001: A Serials Odyssey (ed: Susan L. Scheiberg, and Shelley Neville) TheHaworth Information Press, an im-print of The Haworth Press, Inc., 2002, pp. 305-310. Single or multiple copies of this article are available for afee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [1-800-HAWORTH, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (EST). E-mailaddress: [email protected]].
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CORNELL�S MIGRATION
Bill Kara discussed Cornell�s Voyager implementation, which oc-curred in June 2000. The migration was the culmination of a processthat had begun two years earlier with a search for a new system, fol-lowed the subsequent year by signing a contract with Endeavor. Cornellhad almost a year between signing the contract and implementing themigration, which gave them enough time to plan the implementation.An implementation management team of fifteen to twenty memberswas appointed from throughout the 450-employee library system; de-veloping procedures and a training plan involved about twenty staffmembers. Due to their hard work, the library was able to begin a newfiscal year�s transactions on the new system.Although local factors affect each library�s implementation, all im-
plementation projects have some similarities. The serials will keepcoming in. There will be backlogs. It will take time to plan, to learn touse the new system, and to communicate with staff and users. It may ormay not be possible to clean up the data before the migration. The im-plementation team will need to figure out how the system works beforedeciding how to map the data, as it is difficult to change the mappinglater.It is critical to have a plan for testing to ensure the data are mapped
correctly from the old system to the new one. Even if the new systemvendor has performed data migration from the system the library is cur-rently using, it is necessary to verify that items such as fund codes andpublic notes are handled correctly.There aremany pre- and post-implementation projects related to seri-
als migration. Examples of pre-migration projects are closing dead re-cords and getting the claims up-to-date. In addition, certain types ofproblems with serial records may be easier to fix in the old system, sothese should be a priority to complete prior to migration. If there areproblems that can be better addressed by some feature of the new sys-tem, save those projects for the post-migration period.Expect workflows to change. This is a good time to review
workflows and to educate people in other departments of the library andon campus about the serials department policies and procedures andhow they will change after the new system is implemented.Morale is important. Be positive about the changes but be realistic;
staff know if they are not receiving credible and honest informationabout the new system and the implementation process.
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Kara gave several pieces of advice about getting to know the new li-brary management system (LMS):
� Determine minimum expectations and learn the pros and cons ofthe systems prior to selecting one.
� Site visits to other libraries using the system being considered maybe helpful.
� Get the key decision-makers trained on the new system as early aspossible.
� Documentation provided by the vendormay ormay not be helpful.� It is useful to have managers monitor the new system�s electronicdiscussion list, but it is not necessary to have the entire staff read-ing the list postings prior to implementation.
� Ask for advice at conferences. System users are not going to lie tocolleagues.
� Determine what data will and will not migrate to the new system.If vital data will not migrate, ensure that there is an alternate meansof accessing them. For example, Cornell loaded their invoice datafrom the old system to a CD-ROM since they only had access totheir NOTIS system for a month after they migrated to Voyager.
� Practice using the new system prior to going live. There may be atraining or test database available, but this database may not meetthe institution�s training needs.
� Provide a variety of training methods such as tutorials, formalclassroom instruction, and one-on-one training, since people havedifferent learning styles.
� Be sure to give the staff practice time before going into productionon the new system.
Communication is required onmany levels. Staff should be designatedto deal directly with the LMS vendor. There will need to be contactswithin and between departments, to let people knowwhat is happening atwhat time in both systems. Patrons will need to be made aware of the im-plementation schedule and when the new system will be available.Kara concluded by commenting that all the preliminary work will
pay off in the success of the implementation.
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY�S MIGRATIONLanell Rabner provided another view of LMS implementation. In
contrast to Cornell�s carefully choreographed migration, BYU had only
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four months to make their selection and migrate from NOTIS to theirnew system, Sirsi. While this project was underway, they were alsocompleting a new addition to the main library, reclassifying periodicalsbrought to the new library from offsite storage, changing subscriptionagents, and dealing with the departure of their periodicals librarian. Al-though circumstances did not allow BYU to take twelve to eighteenmonths for migration, they did survive.Much of Rabner�s discussion described how they dealt with various
challenges resulting from the data migration. Having a snapshot of theirNOTIS serials database to which they could refer was critical for recre-ating serials data in their Sirsi system. There was no period when thetwo systemswere running simultaneously, but theywere able to preventtheir systems personnel from deleting their back file.Some of the types of problems encountered with the migrated serial
records included:
� Data mapped incorrectly or inadequately;� Item type problems;� Lost or incorrect locations;� Missing or incorrect ISSNs;� Lost notes relating to financial matters;� Confusing holdings statements;� Lost user messages.
Problems with incorrect locations and item types occurred partly be-cause they had created a variety of new locations and because periodicalrecord data needed to be mapped differently from their serials (the seri-als circulate while the periodicals do not). Global changes are not possi-ble because of the mapping errors, so they expect to be manually fixingthese records for the next several years. This type of problem demon-strates the need for accurate mapping prior to the migration, as well asthe need for a clear understanding of how the new LMS defines itemtypes, locations, and libraries.Another type of post-migration problem related to how the new sys-
tem displayed user notes and other types of information. For example,in the NOTIS system, BYU had information about binding copies of pe-riodicals; this information was only available to the staff. After the mi-gration these records suddenly became visible in the OPAC, providingmisleading information to users. Other messages used to inform patronsof temporary shelving locations or retention periods did not transfer
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correctly to the Sirsi system. These notes had to be rekeyed manually asthe records were discovered.Lack of standardization in how holdings data had been entered in
NOTIS led to inconsistency in the holdings displays in the new system.Technical services staff had not used locally defined fields in a standardway. They also found that data that were not in MARC format did notmigrate properly.Rabner stated that there were many positive aspects of the BYU mi-
gration to Sirsi:
� No records were lost.� Everyone became aware of the need for communication betweenpublic services and technical services. Neither group could drivethe whole migration�they had to work together.
� The migration provided the opportunity to document the localfields and their purposes.
� They learned the right questions to ask vendors, and themselves,prior to their next migration.
� Periodicals reference staff received training on how to read serialrecords. They also became more aware of technical servicesworkflows and gained an understanding of what technical servicesdepartments could reasonably accomplish given their workflows.
� Within technical services, a Periodicals-Serials-Cataloging-Bind-ery Preparation Team was developed. They work together to im-prove workflows by examining procedures critically and changingthem to become more efficient. This effort helps them to providemore client-centered service.
Rabner�s tips for a successful migration included talking to one an-other, setting realistic goals, visualizing the end product, and cooperat-ing with each other. �We are all in the same can of worms,� she said,�and the only way we�ll survive is by helping each other.�
DISCUSSION
Following the two presentations, Kara and Rabner answered a vari-ety of questions from the audience, who were obviously interested inthe contrasts and similarities between the two libraries� experiences.Both libraries have standalone systems and are not part of a consortium.Someone expressed a desire to see Cornell�s procedures manuals; Kara
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said that anyone is welcome to use their materials, but to remember thatthey are Cornell-specific. The manuals are found at http://www.library.cornell.edu/voyager.Rabner was asked to elaborate on the differentiation between librar-
ies and locations on Sirsi. At BYU libraries are specific physical sites;locations are within libraries. The decision to designate something as alibrary or a location on Sirsi determined their circulation policies. (Karanoted that Voyager handles this aspect differently.) Rabner also men-tioned that each record was assigned a different item type and com-mented that it is important to understand the new LMS�s databasestructure in establishing item types. She cautioned listeners to be waryof designating items as �other� or �unknown,� and to avoid callingnon-public locations by names such as �Parking Lot� or �Dumpster�unless those locations are shadowed on the OPAC.In response to a question about global changes to the Sirsi database,
Rabner explained that if their data had been mapped correctly it wouldhave been easier to globally change the catalog when they moved itemsphysically during their music library and periodicals area projects.Another question concerned patron reaction to BYU�s move. Rabner
said that they did a lot of staff training on the public access aspects ofthe system, announced the move all over campus, provided instructionbefore classes started, produced handouts, and made point-of-use in-struction available. The users were accepting of the new system, butsome of the older librarians had more trouble with it.The workshop ended with many people discussing migration prob-
lems among themselves, and both workshop leaders talked to individu-als for quite a while after the formal conclusion of the session. It was aninteresting, useful, and thought-provoking workshop, and was well re-ceived by attendees.
CONTRIBUTORS� NOTES
Bill Kara is Head, Technical Services, Albert R. Mann Library, Cornell University.Lanell Rabner is Periodicals Department Chair, Brigham Young University. SandraBarstow is Assistant Director for Administrative and Technical Services, University ofWyoming Libraries.
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