Report of the Electronic Resource Management Task Force

 

April 1, 2003

 

 

Background

 

UW System OLIT and CUWL formed the Electronic Resource Management Task Force to accomplish the goal in the UW Libraries’ Strategic Directions for 2001-03 that states that the UW Libraries will “provide a variety of research and searching tools to allow online catalog or web access to the breadth of digital information and identification of the broad array of locally owned paper and multimedia resources.”  The Task Force will investigate software tools to accomplish this goal.

 

Members

 

Susan Barribeau (UW-Madison), Barbara Baruth (UW-Parkside), John Berg (UW-Platteville), Steve Elfstrand (UW-Eau Claire), Faye Flesia (UW-Waukesha), Peter Gorman (UW-Madison), Valerie Malzacher, Chair (UW-River Falls), Andy Ritter (UW-Milwaukee).  Paul Moriarty (OLIT) and Lori Voss (Office of Procurement) are UW System liaisons to the Task Force.

 

Activities

 

All members of the Task Force attended vendor demonstrations in Madison on March 4, 2003.  The demonstrations were part of an educational process to acquaint UW librarians with federated search, cross-linking, and digital object management software.  Over 47 librarians from around the state attended the demonstrations.  ExLibris demonstrated their MetaLib, SFX, and DigiTool software.  Endeavor demonstrated their ENCompass software, including LinkFinderPlus and ENCompass for Digital Collections.

 

The Task Force met on March 13, 2003 in Madison.   The Task Force reviewed draft RFP documents prepared by UW-Madison librarians for federated search, cross-linking, and DOMS software.  We recommend that we proceed with developing an RFP based on these documents.  If CUWL approves, the draft documents will be edited to reduce to number of individual statements requiring a vendor response.  A checklist for evaluating vendors during vendor demonstrations will be prepared based on some of the information in the draft RFP documents.   Andy Ritter from UW-Milwaukee and Peter Gorman and Lee Konrad from UW-Madison will be working on the DOMS RFP.

 

If a decision is made to proceed with the procurement process, the following sub-committee groups will score the specific sections of the RFP:

 

Federated searching: Barbara Baruth, Faye Flesia, and Valerie Malzacher

Cross-linking: Susan Barribeau, Steve Elfstrand, John Berg

DOMS: Andy Ritter, Peter Gorman, and Lee Konrad (UW-Madison)

Technical: Steve Elfstrand, Any Ritter, Peter Gorman

Task Force Recommendations

 

After reviewing the charge and learning about the RFP procurement process, the Task Force makes the following recommendation for CUWL action:

 

The Electronic Resource Management Task Force recommends that we proceed with developing and issuing an RFP for federated search and cross linking software for system-wide purchase.  Some vendors who provide federated search and cross linking software also provide digital object management software (DOMS).  Since DOMS is valuable for Madison and perhaps Milwaukee, we further recommend that the task force work in tandem with the Madison staff to develop and issue an RFP for DOMS.  DOMS would probably not be a system-wide purchase.    The RFP will be subdivided into sections covering federated searching, cross-linking, and DOMS software which may allow for the possibility of multiple awards.

 

The Task Force also recommends the following procurement timetable:

 

April 1, 2003:         Make recommendation to CUWL regarding RFP process

 

May 15, 2003:       Task Force completes work on RFP

                              UW System Procurement issues RFP with a July 1 deadline

 

July, 2003:              Task Force scores RFP responses

 

Aug-Sept 2003:      Finalists demo products for Task Force

                              Vendors provide a test period for UW System

                              Intent to award is announced

 

October, 2003       Contract is negotiated

 

January, 2004:        Implement initial modules

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Valerie Malzacher, Chair

Electronic Resource Management Task Force