Library System from the Point of View of a System Manager Kaija Jskelinen

1
Library System from the Point of View of a System
ManagerKaija Jääskeläinen
2
Library Systems at TUT Library

• The own system Sesam was introduced 1983.
• The first integrated library system was purchased
  to all Finnish university libraries twenty years
  ago.
• In TUTs library the first integrated library
  system (VTLS) was implemented in 1992, HP 3000 at
  TUT.
• The second one (Voyager) was implemented in 2001
  and the servers were outsourced to CSC.
• From the start we decided to take the systems as
  they were, we have not customized them.
• We integrated the library with the system, not
  vice versa.
• All possible self service functions were
  introduced from the start, ie. renewals.

3
Library as a Part of the Consortium Pros

• The same software in all university libraries has
  increased the cooperation between libraries.
• The project leaders, system managers and members
  of functional committees has regular meetings,
  they know each other.
• It is always easier to ask a person you know, if
  you have some problems in your own system.
• The guidance of the customers can be done using
  the same basic material.
• Multilingual databases, translations are done
  centralized.
• New versions are tested in the National Library
  before updates.
• Updates are done by CSC.

4
Library as a Part of the Consortium Cons

• As a part of the consortium we have to accept
  some decisions, even if they are not very
  satisfactory to us.
• For instance the updates are mostly done either
  summer or at Christmas or at Easter, because the
  biggest student library in Finland can not close
  the library during terms.
• Division of expenses is also a compromise.

5
Cooperation is Power!

• But cooperation is power and it helps also in
  system management.
• Resource sharing saves money.
• Linnea Consortium of twenty university libraries
  carries more weigth than one university alone.