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Feature Stories |
2009 Year in Review
Horizon 7.4.2 Upgrade
With the Upgrade to Horizon 7.4.2 and Horizon Information Portal (HIP) 3.10, the SEO Consortium has gained the following enhancements/functionalities for its members:
Between Horizon 7.3.4 and 7.4.2 there are over 350 different bug fixes.
NCIP Responder
Libraries Share: MORE VDX system, which supports Statewide Resource Sharing.
New Members
The newest members joining SEO consortium are Tiffin-Seneca Public Library, Granville Public Library and Licking County Library System (Newark).
Directors Dashboard
The implementation of the Directors Dashboard enables leaders of libraries and consortia to maximize the value of data already available on their institutions and to make decisions based on solid data by providing unique, customized insights into their institution’s activities and operations.
SEO’s Users Group
Over 100 members of the consortium attended a two-day SEO User’s Group conference held at the Mohican State Park in Loudonville.
Serving Every Ohioan Best Practices Wiki
We introduced the “Best Practices” Wiki to consortium members for recommendations on procedures and Principles of Cooperation. The purpose of the Best Practices Wiki is to share information about consortium best practices.
State Library of Ohio’s Mobile Computer Training Lab
The lab has experienced another prosperous year navigating around and across this great state. It really has been phenomenal, but with the lab being almost seven years old, we encumbered some maintenance expenses, namely rebuilding the generator, along with replacing the hydraulic jacks and installing four new rotors on the truck. We typically return the lab to SEO quarterly for servicing the generator and main engine.
With the ever-present uncertainly of the economy and the volume of people becoming unemployed, the lab’s popularity has continued to soar with five new libraries utilizing the lab, along with eight libraries having repeat visits with the lab. A positive change that occurred in the lab resulted when the IT staff partitioned the hard drive, giving each computer the option of XP and Office 2003 or Vista and Office 2007. With the evaluations that each library submits, quite a few of the classes being offered have been connected to programs designed for job searching and training. On a more somber note, we had three libraries cancel their scheduled visits due to the budget crisis facing public libraries across this state. Fortunately, we have a wait list with about eight to ten libraries waiting for a call.
In 2010, there will be changes in the length of time libraries can schedule the lab, along with the number of visits each library is entitled. Previously, libraries were permitted four visits per year, and many libraries took advantage of this opportunity making it difficult for any new library to be able to reserve the lab. With the change that has been implemented, (one visit per library, each six months) we’ve been able to add fourteen new libraries next year that will be able to teach classes with the lab.
According to the follow-up evaluations, each library has been pleased with the smooth operation and overall ability to operate and teach classes in the lab.
Below are the statistics for October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009;
Training Facilities
SEO Library Center, located in Caldwell, Ohio, has a computer lab available at no cost to any state agency and Ohio library group. The lab is equipped with 14 computers with internet access and a projection screen.
There were 16 workshops held in 2009 (January—October) at either the F. Ward Murrey Annex or the SEO Library Center with 104 people attending.
For more information or to schedule the training lab, please contact Paula Buco at 877-553-4262.
NCIP
With the Upgrade to Horizon 7.4.2 we have gained the ability to utilize the new NCIP responder from SirsiDynix. This allows for communication from the SEO Horizon based ILS and the Ohio Libraries Share: MORE VDX system, which supports Statewide Resource Sharing.
SEO is participating in OLS: MORE
SEO is participating in OLS: MORE as a responder with SEO materials.
We started as a participant in August. Year to date (August—October), OLS: MORE circulation totaled 991.
Narrowcast
The setup for Narrowcast will allow for the delivery of broadcast messages for library announcements or events.
Year to Date Statistics
Evergreen Test Database
The SEO Library Center and the State Library are pleased to announce the availability of a test Evergreen Open Source ILS and the possibility of a new centrally managed Open Source ILS consortium for Ohio Libraries.
As part of an evaluation process, the Open Source ILS software, Evergreen, has been installed at the SEO Library Center. Hardware was purchased and installed with ¼ of the SEO Consortium bibliographic data being migrated for the test database. The migration and support services have been provided by Equinox Software, Inc. This project was funded through an Institute of Museum and Library Services LSTA grant awarded by the State Library of Ohio.
Results of the pilot project and necessary information for accessing the test environment are available from the State Library website to allow for the Ohio library community to evaluate and test the Evergreen functionality at a local level. The database will continue to be available and upgraded to include the most current modules and releases when available. Information for
accessing and using the “test database” can be found at the following link: http://library.ohio.gov/SEO/Evergreen.
Concurrent to the implementation of the “test database”, Eric Maynard, Head of Information Technology at Holmes County District Library, performed an Evergreen-Horizon Crosswalk,
including Gap Analysis of SEO’s original RFP from 2004 against the Evergreen software, analysis of Evergreen features not currently in the original SEO RFP or Horizon release 7.4.2 currently in use, and recommendations concerning the Evergreen software. This project also was funded through an Institute of Museum and Library Services LSTA grant awarded by the State Library of Ohio. The “crosswalk” document can be found at the following link: http://library.ohio.gov/SEO/findings.
iDownloads
Introducing eBooks in the EPUB format!
We are delighted to announce the addition of Sony® Reader-compatible eBooks in the EPUB format to our catalog! Offering small file sizes and the ability to resize text so that it neatly and instantaneously reflows on the screen, the EPUB eBooks available at our site can also be enjoyed on Windows and Mac computers using Adobe Digital Editions.
An Adobe EPUB eBook is a digital version of a print book that has been optimized for on-screen reading. The text in an EPUB eBook is reflowable, which means that you can change the font, resize the text, or alter the size of your display and the text will rewrap itself to fit the available viewing area. Adobe EPUB eBooks also support embedded content, allowing, for instance, a Flash video to be embedded within an eBook.
We are also offering the MP3 Audiobooks and Video in our collection! The MP3 Audiobook format can be used with the iPod®, iPhone™, the iPod Shuffle and virtually any MP3 player. Download your favorite titles to your PC at home, in the office or from anywhere in the world. Now your library never closes!
Facebook and Twitter
Facebook and Twitter ‘Share’ Functionality Now Available at http://seoebook.seo.lib.oh.us
To provide users of the member libraries’ download service a more interactive experience, OverDrive has added the functionality to post details about a download title to the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter on our iDownloads center.
Postings on Facebook will include a brief description of a title, jacket cover, URL to a title’s details page on our download website, as well as an optional personal comment. Twitter posts will include a brief “tweet” on downloading the book from our website, as well as a link to our download collection. Our hope is that this interactive feature will help us increase awareness and maximize circulation of our download service.
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