Steering Committee Meeting - Conference Call
Monday, November 2, 1998
With Addendum for November 5 Electronic Vote
MINUTES
ATTENDANCE: Present: Gene Damon, Linda Farynk, Eileen Hitchingham, Doug Hurd, John Jaffe, Connie McCarthy, Frank
Moran, Don Samdahl, Phyllis Self, Roy Strohl. Also Present: Kathy Perry (VIVA). Absent: Jean Major, Elsie Stephens
Weatherington, Karin Wittenborg and John Zenelis
I. Eileen reported on the conclusion of the Technical Issues Committee's dedicated TCP/IP trial. The trial was
designed to evaluate the use of dedicated TCP/IP over Net.Work.Virginia for connection to OCLC for all 3 uses:
Reference (e.g. FirstSearch); Cataloging, and Interlibrary Loan. A router was installed at Virginia Tech in July
and the trial took place from July 15 - September 16, 1998. The router is scheduled to remain at Virginia Tech
until the conclusion of the 2-month negotiation period on November 16.
The project was designed to determine two things:
Eileen reported that VIVA had discussed several different options with OCLC, including bringing a frame relay connection
to their door and using ATM technology, but were told that no cost savings would be achieved either way. The Steering
Committee also discussed the estimated overhead costs that would be shifted to VIVA under this plan.
The Technical Issues Committee recommended that without significant savings in a consortial environment, VIVA should
not pursue a VIVA connectivity for TCP/IP.
ACTION: Due to insufficient price concessions from OCLC, the Steering Committee voted unanimously not to pursue the dedicated TCP/IP connection for VIVA, despite the fact that the trial was a success technically.
ACTION: Given the fact that all trial participants will revert back to some other system of access on November 16, Kathy will ask OCLC if they would leave the router in place either for a set period of time or until those participating schools can pursue other means of connectivity.
II. Gene presented the renewal of MathSciNet and Project Muse for the Collections Committee.
ACTION: The Steering Committee voted unanimously to renew both MathSciNet and Project Muse for another year at the prices quoted.
III. Kathy presented the ICOLC Guidelines For Statistical Measures of Usage of Web-Based Indexed, Abstracted, and
Full Text Resources.
ACTION: The Steering Committee unanimously approved support for the ICOLC Statement of Statistics
ADDENDUM
Electronic Vote on November 5, 1998:
Roy reported that Kathy Perry has been invited to be a member of the ICOLC working group to meet with Oxford English
Dictionary to discuss their new web-based product. This meeting is a direct result of the ICOLC working on getting
vendors to set consortial pricing for consortia such as ours. The Steering Committee members were asked to vote
on the expenses which will be incurred in order for Kathy to participate in this working group.
ACTION: The Steering Committee members unanimously approved support for Kathy's participation and travel costs associated with this working group.