Meeting Minutes

1. Attendance and Apologies for Absence.

Present: Di Martin (chair), Liz Chapman (minutes), John Gilby, Robert Hall, William Marsterson, Jean Sykes.

Apologies for absence: Stewart Brownrigg, Sarah Gerrard, Brian Murphy.

2. Membership

The Chair had received a personal expression of interest in membership of the group and the meeting agreed she should pursue this through the member institution concerned. Action DM

3. Minutes of the meeting held on 27th February 2004.

These were agreed as a correct record.

4. Matters Arising

4.1 Visit a library BL Cooperation and Partnership funding is no longer available for bids. Visit-a-library was described but not demonstrated at the Internet2 meeting.

4.2 M25 Systems Team Noted that one member of the team seconded from Greenwich will return to his substantive post at Greenwich on August 1st 2004. The RDWG recorded their gratitude for his excellent work for the M25 Consortium over recent years. Noted the agreement of the M25 Steering Group to:

1. extending the contractual arrangements for a further 18 months in the first instance for the remaining member of the team within the Consortium funding agreed for the next two years
2. to hold 25% of the 2-year M25 funding in reserve to cover the potential costs of buying in other staff skills and funding system requirements
3. a commitment from JS to underwrite any such potential costs up to the value of £5000 in the first year to be offset against this 25% funding in year 2
4. to review the further extension of the staff contract in summer 2005 in the light of the forward requirements
5. a commitment from JS that if other funding bids / project proposals come to fruition during the two year period, the M25 work priority will be upheld and the staffing requirements for any such other development projects will be additional and funded from those income sources

5.8 Non-M25 Projects It was agreed that it was not appropriate on this occasion to pursue the possible sale to system vendors of the interoperability documents prepared for specific systems.

5. M25 Systems Team Project Manager's Report

5.1 All new members had attended a session on Inform25. Data collection shows good progress on Find-a-library and Visit-a-library for new members joining in 2004. Addition of all features is almost complete. It was agreed that Search catalogues status is still a priority. RBG Kew has requested usage statistics as a condition of joining Search catalogues.

5.2 Sirsi have updated M25 Unicorn Z-servers to "quick Bath" configuration. It was agreed to get further information on what this means. Action JG

5.3 Birkbeck now on live ULS

5.4 Accessibility regulations re SENDA are unclear, despite advice from ULCC. Since the Advocacy and Marketing WG are considering the re-design of the M25 Web pages and that the transfer to use of an underpinning content management system was likely to form part of the future strategy, it was agreed not to take further action on this at this time but to contact the Advocacy and Marketing Chair on this matter. Action JG

5.5 There is to be a new domain name for M25 live interactive services (www.inform25.ac.uk). The domain name will transfer from Westminster to the LSE, requiring link checking. It was agreed that this task should progress.

5.6 New pages have been set up for the Working Group on Quality and the new Health Libraries Group.

5.7 Non-M25 Consortium projects - JISC have sanctioned expenditure on an additional Bath Profile interoperability document. Involvement with Project WiLL continues. CC-interop has now finished, final report in preparation. SUNCAT work is almost complete.

6. Service Delivery Plan 2004-6

6.1 The second draft of the plan was discussed. The challenge of dealing with WG minutes in several different formats, the question of an M25 template and editorial control was agreed to be referred to the Steering Group as this fits well with proposals for secretarial support and an M25 'house' style. Action RH

6.2 Tabular format suggested for current preparation of annual report. Action JG.

6.3 Comments on the wording of the report should be sent direct to JG. Action All

6.4 The re-write of the document to add throughout details of the commensurate responsibilities of members. Action JG to edit following examples provided by DM

6.5 Any further detailed wording amendments to be sent to JG outside the meeting. Action DM

7. Specification for Monitoring the Usage of M25 Web Pages and Services

7.1 WiLL has very useful logs page but it is not suitable for transfer to M25. To address the need to know more about use of M25 web services will require 1.5 weeks programming time to be bought in, at a cost of c.£2K. Information gleaned would support the Exit Strategy. It was agreed that this could be covered from existing budgets and should be progressed as quickly as possible. Action JG

7.2 In principle the WG agreed with the task priorities proposed by JG but members were invited to forward any further comments to JG. Action All

8. InforM25

Extracts from the CERLIM report regarding user feedback to improvements to InforM25 were considered. The WG agreed in principle with the task priorities proposed by JG. It was agreed that the Systems Team should implement "quick wins" and report to the next meeting. Action JG

9. Exit Strategy

9.1 Reports on the various investigations assigned at the previous meeting would be taken at the next meeting. Members were reminded to continue the agreed investigations.

9.2 The Chair tabled a draft of the proposed questionnaire for a survey of member institutions. This needed some refinement but it was agreed to finalise the details following a pilot of the questionnaire by members of the WG. The Chair would send the questionnaire to all members by email.Action All

10. Report for Full Consortium Meeting on Friday 11th June 2004

Topics identified for the report were: the questionnaire, the pilot launch of Visit-a-library, Systems Team activities during the year. Members were invited to send further ideas. Action All

11. Next Meeting

Possible dates for future meetings in November, February and May will be emailed. Action DM

12. Any Other Business

12.1 JS gave a comprehensive verbal report on current work in JISC. It was agreed that there was little scope for the Group to make bids to JISC at present.

12.2 It was agreed that the Visit-a-library pilot would be reviewed at the autumn meeting.

EAC 21.05.04