“The Google Apps hosted e-mail solution continues to draw a great deal of interest from higher-education institutions. A recent informally planned conference call with a few interested institutions snowballed into a web conference with over a hundred institutions attending. Ted Fines and David Sisk will focus on Macalester’s experience with Google over the past two years of integrating, maintaining, and supporting Google Apps for their user community, with some analysis of why there is such high interest in Google’s hosted solution.”

March 29, 2010

Dear Jeff,
Please thank all the staff members who generously gave $355 collectively in memory of Ron McKinnon. I am sure that Janet and Roy [Ron's wife and son] will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

As many of you know, Ron was a member of the library’s Board of Trustees and served as chair. We enjoyed working with him because he was so level headed and had such a terrific sense of humor; the same reasons, I’m sure, that so many of you felt him to be such a congenial colleague.

The use of the funds given in Ron’s memory will be announced in the May edition of our [Ilsley] newsletter.

Sincerely,

David Clark
Director

Mon, 2/15/10 (or earlier)
ICU, Cobol, C compilers installed
Production db schema passwords updated
new database created
profile language params set

Wed, 2/17/10
8:30pm — Production no longer available for updates
create clone for reporting (based on Wednesday data)
refresh PreProd db
stop cron jobs

9:30pm

shutdown Prod and PreProd dbs
startup/mount
consistent cold backup
code tree backup

10:30pm
start parallel database extracts

Thu, 2/18/10
12:30am
run NLS semantic script
start parallel database imports
4:30am
import constraints and indexes
8:00am
verify new database
10:00am –> late evening
start software code upgrades
start PreProd db for user access

Fri, 2/19/10
morning –> late evening
continue software code upgrades

Sat, 2/20/10
morning –> afternoon/evening<?>
finish software code upgrades
standalone backup of new database
phone tree to tech & functional leads to begin testing

Monday, 2/22/10
database available for all users

Position LIS proactively to optimize existing infrastructure and new technologies to meet increasing needs and varied demands of our constituents, achieving as well ‘greener’ environment.

Deliverable

Create a comprehensive ETI infrastructure, networking and services 3-year plan.

Inventory of existing infrastructure / servers / services / systems upon which to build – update – replace for future systems.

Outcome

Improve integration of Midd & MIIS campuses.

Assure continued, reliable & appropriately scaled services.

Articulated path for integrated communications, increased use of mobile devices, large-scale storage & delivery platforms for data, media, voice communications, & utilization of cloud.

Plan encompasses all these areas and includes tentative cost figures & timelines.

Delivery

Inventory / Plan finished August 2010.
Phases:

1. set scope of planning

2. research & vendor contacts made

3. inventory existing systems / services

4. identify technologies gather estimate costs

5. describe systems / services to be handled internally and/or externally

6. identify inter-relationships & dependencies

7. plan/report written

Resources

ETI & MIIS staff will need time to do research and talk with vendors / consultants. Will involve others across LIS & user community (for needs assessment)

Other campuses, consultants & vendors to be contracted (some expenditures)

Staff time may mean less time on immediate work or team work.

Long term: capital & operational budget balance / allocations

Viability

Likely; depending upon staff time; availability / funding of consultants.

Long-term implementation dependent on LIS staffing, resources, priorities, changes in environment (internal & external).  Will need to build in checkpoints.

Clarify roles, responsibilities, and service levels in providing & troubleshooting systems & ETI services
(whom do people call when about what, and what is the response we provide?)

Deliverable

Effective technical documentation & training for systems / staff with whom we work (e.g., User Services & MIIS staff). Implement cross-ETI  project tracking & workflow.

Outcome

Established service levels defined for all calls that relate to ETI systems/services.

Clarity of roles, timelines, workflow for projects.

Fewer calls to our staff. Improved response to users.

85-90% of calls related to selected ETI systems issues can be handled by helpdesks or technical staff outside ETI based on training & documentation.

Delivery

Jan-June 2010: Partner with User Services, MIIS (etc.) to designate & prioritize systems on which to focus initially. Clarify roles, responsibilties & service levels for these systems.

Jul-Dec 2010: learn from previous 6 months; adjust what we’re doing; extend to other systems.

Jan 2011 onward: repeat as needed.

Resources

Staff will need time to assess needs, develop & participate in training, and establish mutually defined service levels.

Staff time working on this goal may mean less time on immediate work or team work.

Viability

Yes, achievable! We have staff knowledgeable and willing to share expertise and expedite problem resolution.

Our staff will use their expertise to partner with others in LIS and a functional area (once selected) to achieve the LIS administrative efficiency strategic goal.

Deliverable

Systems & services are designed with self-service in mind.

ETI staff members will contribute their experience & expertise to work with users in College departments / areas to develop model(s) to enhance workflow, and data collection / storage / access. Models can then be rolled-out across campus.

Outcome

With fewer staff on campus, expedite use of technology (with system & process re-engineering) to achieve more efficient workflows. Empower constiuents in use of technology across campus. Allow LIS staff to prioritize on work they’re best at.

Devlivery

Timing in line with LIS goal – plan articulated by June 2010, and services implemented during FY2011.

1. User meetings

2. Articulate needs

3. Consult/vendor solutions; internal solutions identified

4. Cost proposals

5. Plan developed

Resources

Staff will need time to do research and talk with vendors / consultants. Will involve others across LIS & user community (for needs assessment)

Other campuses, consultants & vendors to be contracted (some expenditures) will need to be consulted.

Staff time on this goal may mean less time on immediate work or team work.

Long term: capital & operational budget balance / allocations will need to be assigned.

Viability

We have knowledgeable staff and vendors to achieve this goal.

(from Howie McCausland)

Charles Gwathmey, of the design firm Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, died on Monday, August 3. GSAA designed our new main library. Mr. Gwathmey was present at the dedication of the library in October 2004, and spoke that weekend as part of the Clifford Symposium on October 9, 2004, sharing many of his personal concepts and ideas that led to the design of our wonderful facility. With colleagues at GSAA who worked closely with us in the early part of this decade, we offer our sympathy and mourn this loss.

Announcement on Gwathmey Siegel web site
Obituary from The New York Times

During the next week, you may spot lots of activity as several us move to new office locations:

Jeff Rehbach: Voter 223  (Tom’s former office)
Ron McKinnon: Voter 206  (Chris’s former office)
Chris Norris: LIB 114  (Ron’s former office)
Joe Antonioli: LIB 202C (Jeff’s former office)
Alex Chapin: LIB 213 (Joe’s former office)
Ian McBride: LIB 132 (share with Adam Franco & Travis Stafford)
Travis Stafford: LIB 132 (share with Ian and Adam)