Meeting with 1st Year Libraries

We took the opportunity of people being in Adelaide for the PLSA conference to hold a meeting with libraries which had indicated that they had funds to participation in the 1 LMS project this financial year.
 
About 30 library and IT staff met at Campbelltown (thanks to Tamara and her staff for hosting us) on Wednesday for a couple of hours. 

Despite not being able to release vital information about a preferred system etc, there was still quite a bit that we could work through.  We talked through the proposed approach to implementation as well as a structure for decision making which includes all libraries across the state.  There was also quite a bit of Q & A & suggestions from libraries which will assist us in shaping the project to meet libraries’ needs.

Regarding implementation, we have always said that we thought that we would be going “live” with the 1^st group of libraries in about March.  Our aim is to use a group of geographically contiguous councils as our “pilot”.  This will mean that we will bring about 4 councils onto the system as a group and ensure that all of the settings and parameters are working as we expect them to before we move on to add other libraries.  While there is some excitement about being 1^st, this group of pilot libraries will be doing more work than any others, as we will be learning with them & we will all be in slightly uncharted waters. 

Regarding decision making, on Tuesday the Libraries Board’s PLS Standing Committee approved (with modifications) a draft Terms of Reference for a Transitional LMS User Group.  They also considered the ToR for the substantive user group which will come into effect as the project moves beyond implementation.  We need to include the modifications made by the committee and then we will release these to the network. 

We are very cognisant of ensuring that everyone needs to have an opportunity to contribute to the development of policies, procedures and rules which will impact on daily library operations.  The model used will ensure that this does happen.

We’ve also been working on a “project charter”.  We have had one for the procurement phase of this project but we also need one for the next stage of the project.  The project charter will outline what we are attempting to achieve through the project and sets some broad parameters that we will work within.  This document will be important for councils as they sign on to the project.  It will give them certainty about what to expect when they participate.  As soon as this project charter has been signed off we will release it to all libraries.

While this is a bit of a “Claytons” post (anyone under 40 go ask an old person for the cultural reference) I did want to give you an update as to work being done around aspects of the project other than just the selection and procurement processes. 

I anticipate being able to release more "concrete" news in coming weeks.