VALE Open Source ILS Project: An Update

Anne Ciliberti, William Patterson University

Marianne Gaunt, Rutgers University

I.                   Overview:

This breakout session featured a demo and update on the progress of the Kuali Open Library Environment (OLE) project, the VALE initiative aimed at creating a single-instance shared library system for all VALE libraries.  The goal of the project is to provide for the seamless sharing of resources across all participating libraries.

II.                Update from Kuali’s Mike Winkler (University of Pennsylvania)

Kuali Overview

Kuali is a community of partners developing Library Management System (LMS) software with an enterprise approach.  Beginning in July 2010 with support of Mellon funding, OLE is one of 8 Kuali projects supported by the Kuali Foundation.  Development is expected to be complete by December 2012.

Key Drivers:

-Need for a sustainable model for LMS that is open & community-based rather than the pay for new products every time they become available

-Next generation technology

-Need to reexamine library business processes and workflows

-Big Shift from Print to Electronic resources, and the resulting different ways in which scholarly materials are used

-Need for an enterprise approach

Year One Deliverables:

Version 0.3 was released at Kuali Day in November 2011.  It features a core team at Indiana University, development contract, framework and timelines, technical spec-writing team, and a one year prototype

Technologies:

OLE has been developed with a layered structure using interrelated Kuali technologies to support development of standard interfaces and multiple data stores

III.             OLE version 0.3 Demo, by Kuali’s Tim McGeary (Lehigh University)

Requisition:

1.      1. Order Processing - step by step display of how ordering with OLE looks and feels

2.      2. Document Store – visual of faceted and filtered search options, which include support for bibliographic search in multiple formats (Dublin core, MARC, etc), and XML viewing/editing

**  (Visiting the site to test and comment is encouraged)

IV.             Brief OLE History (Anne Ciliberti, William Patterson University):

Thinking about Open Library System initiatives began in 2006 at the Vale Planning meeting.  Now, VALE’s involvement in OLE stems from:

              VALE executive committee

*VALE steering committee (VOSC) – co-chaired by Marianne Gaunt and Anne Ciliberti

              Implementation Committee

V.        VOSC Activities (Marianne Gaunt, Rutgers University):

            -Charter

            -Various committees with different charges (cataloging, data migration etc)

            -Steps toward VALE becoming an officially incorporated non Profit Organization

            -Logo and Website development

            -Business Plan Development

‘With less funding and less people, collaboration is especially important, and in this context it also becomes increasingly important to have access to shared software [i.e. Kuali OLE] to facilitate such collaboration…’

-M. Gaunt

V.                Questions:

1.      When can we expect it?

-Version 1.0 around March 2013

2.      What do we all already have that can work with OLE?

-OLE will provide for all standard library operations, with the exception of reserves, with the additional benefit of not having separate processes for print and electronic resources

3.      What tools are there for mapping the transition from current library systems to OLE?

-The document store can handle every type of record your library might include, so no need to transfer or convert formatting