[PADG:1522] ILS Systems and Binding

["Patricia P. Selinger" <pepalmer@xxxxxxx>]

Thanks to all who posted replies to my question about binding modules
with Endeavor, Innovative, Exlibris, and Sirsi.  I've compiled the
responses and taken out identifying information.  Your responses were
very helpful to me and I hope they will be helpful to others as well.

Happy Holidays to All!
Patricia


ILS Systems and Binding

ENDEAVOR
(1) Endeavor is working on their binding module.  They will have a
partial product in the next release.  It focuses on serial binding, but
does not yet have automatic linking with a binder's system.  I think
they will be doing more in that area in the next phase of binding.  From
what I have seen so far, their product will eventually work OK, but some
of the parts they have given priority to are not the most important for
us.

(2) We are a Voyager customer and we use Heckman Bindery.  Heckman uses
LARS and generally we have been satisfied with that application.
Heckman Bindery recently announced their intention to replace LARS with
LINC+ a product from SF-Systems in Canada.  LINC+ is essentially a
download device that permits the library to search its database for the
title being processed.  The user then loads data to appear in the spine
imprinting to LINC+, performs any necessary editing, and forwards the
accumulated job order to the binder for processing.  There is some
set-up involved, and the procedure has not been adopted by our binder as
of this date, but it is in development.  What is missing is a convenient
view of the data we would wish to capture and pull into the interface
window.

We want to emphasize our interest and need for a 'bindery' data view in
Voyager.  There are many features that we would like to see in a binding
module.  Given that our bindery is launching this approach to data
handling, one of the first (seemingly simple) components we would like
to see is the provision of a Voyager item display that includes as a
minimum:

Author
Title
Class/Call No.
ISBN/ISSN
LCCN
Derived Title Search Key

I find it amusing that Voyager does not offer a single data view that
incorporates ALL of these data in one place.  The full bibliographic
description is not a usable option because LINC+ expects the defined
data to always appear in the same location on the screen, obviously the
variable length of the bibliographic record precludes that.  If we can
provide further impetus to a request to Voyager for a centralized
bindery data view of this type please do not hesitate to call on us for
our support.

 INNOVATIVE
(1)  Currently, the III binding interface is for serials and only
available in the character based version.  A web-based version is soon
to be tested and available. It is important to remember that there are 4
levels of involvement in the development & use of a binding interface:
The operating system, the bookbindery, the LARS owner and the library.
When producing serial bindery slips, a file is created with data
elements that the LARS system can import. The file is sent to the
bookbindery and the bookbindery uses an additional LARS program to
import the data and create the stamping file.  We have limited
experience with the web based bindery module due to printing problems on
forms.  The problems need to be resolved by III before testing on the
web based version can be completed.

(2)  Innovative has a great binding module that allows in-house prep and
control of both serials and monographs.  They will demo it for you, I am
sure, and what they show you will be wonderful.  The two areas where I
fault Innovative are 1) transferring over mono info. from the bib.
record into the binding module (to avoid duplicate keying--serials are
stable and the info. is saved in the binding module, but every mono. is
unique and requires keying author, title, call no. etc.), and 2) linking
the Innovative module to LARS.  I met with III and our library director
at ALA Midwinter in Denver to request these two additions to the
system.  Many meetings and years later, they still haven't delivered.
Another library wrote the same two links into their contract years ago
and it wasn't enough to get it done.  III tries to pretend they have
done
something to improve the system but they haven't.  III did do a special
link of sorts for California, tailored to California's own bindery,
operation and wouldn't work for the rest of us.  To be fair, this is the
only thing I ever faulted III on and it shouldn't be a deal breaker if
the rest of the system meets your needs.  From a serials perspective,
III is the only choice and a dream to work with.

(3)  You are so right about Innovative.  The binding module does not
work and as far as I can tell they have not been forthcoming to work
with the binders though I worked mighty hard to get them connected.


EXLIBRIS
(1) Our binding combination is: Heckman/LARS/ExLibris.  Heckman is
planning to drop LARS and move to using the LinkPlus binding software,
currently under development, sometime next year. We've had a number of
conversations with ExLibris' Michael Kaplan and the folks from Heckman
IT as we work toward an interface to eliminate double keying.  We have
also recently spoken briefly with the developers of LinkPlus.  ExLibris
has found some success creating a binding/ILS automatic data exchange
routine, and Michael Kaplan has also been working to do the same for
LARS, with some success. The following "press release" is informative -
http://www.exlibrisusa.com/ABLELARS_showcase.htm. At this point, we are
in the process of converting to ALEPH 14.2, which will allow us to
utilize the Z39 capabilities for monographic binding.  It is my
understanding that there isn't a data interchange setup for serials for
LARS and ExLibris. The future for what we will be able to do with
LinkPlus is uncertain. Our understanding is that LinkPlus is not
planning on interfacing with Z39, but rather using screen capture
technology, so things are likely to work a little differently. Heckman
is optimistic about what it will be able to do and assures us that we
will not lose any functionality in the shift.

(2)  We at this time use the LARS system but are not interfaced to use
it with ExLibris.  We are hopeful that will come sometime soon in the
New Year.  Michael Kaplan from ExLibris was here in September and
explained some of the interface to us.  There are system requirements of
Aleph 14.2 and LARS system of Z39.50.  From what I understand, the LARS
system is updated to what they need but we aren't.



SIRSI
No replies.

--
**********************************
Patricia Palmer Selinger
Head, Preservation Services
VCU Libraries
Richmond, VA
phone: 804.828.2287
pepalmer@xxxxxxx
**********************************