Date: May 20, 1999
Subject: Library Management System Selection Moves Forward
to: CUL

On May 11 I signed a "Letter of Intent" to negotiate a contract for the purchase of the Voyager library management system of Endeavor. The selection of Endeavor's Voyager system is a choice based on the careful evaluation of the LMS Evaluation Team, which has discharged diligently and responsibly its duties to consider the functional requirements for an effective library system for the Cornell University Library, to review and assess candidate systems on their technical capabilities, and to make a recommendation to the LMS Steering Committee. I am attaching the recommendation of the Evaluation Committee to this email.

The LMS Steering Committee held a joint meeting of the Evaluation and Steering Committees on May 4 where there was an opportunity for the Evaluation Committee to comment on their report. The Evaluation Committee achieved consensus in recommending Voyager. Nonetheless, they noted several areas in which they hope and expect that systems enhancements will be made. In some cases, they noted the functionality of Voyager may actually result in a more complex and less efficient process than we currently have in place with NOTIS. We acknowledge these potential limitations. The LMS Steering Committee, including representatives from CIT, support the acquisition of Endeavor's Voyager unanimously. In any selection of this magnitude, we must consider many factors. These include overall functionality, stability of the vendor and one-time and recurring costs. We have made trade-offs in our decision-making. No system can be all things to all people. We are extremely positive about the process of evaluation and the results. Now is the time to thank the Evaluation Committee for their many, many hours of dedicated service and to move forward with contract negotiation and implementation planning. Tom Hickerson, Lee Cartmill, and I will be engaged in the former, and I will be designating an Implementation Committee shortly.

We plan to implement Voyager by July 2000. We'll have a very busy year ahead, with much planning, preparation, and training. Your collective experience,intelligence, good-will, patience, and good humor will serve us in good stead as we undertake this important transition.

Sarah

Sarah E. Thomas
University Librarian
Cornell University